The History of Women in Military - Essay Example

Women in the Military The history of women in Military s back in the independence period where some women took passive roles in the military. However, since the beginning of the 20th century, women have taken active roles in the military including getting into the battlefield in distant lands. In the United States, the role of women has been mild, a situation that is slowly changing after the policy was changed in 2013 so that women are also involved in direct combat. Though this has not been fully implemented, there is seen opposition from some of the women that have served in the military such as Captain Katie Petronio. Various women ranging from single mothers, married women, and women from different races have varied experiences of their time in the military. Spending time in the military camps is a daunting task for these women. Some have become comfortable with the situation while others who view the job as strenuous and quite involving. Statistics indicate that the number of women in the military is much lower than that of men. Based on the physiological and anatomical conditions, men have been shown to be more resilient and hence their participation in the military has surpassed that of women. According to the Department of Defense, there were 214,098 women in the military as at 27th of December 2013, this represents 14.6% of the entire military population (Static Brain 1). The mothering aspect of women is also another aspect that has reduced the participation of women in military activities. These statistics are anticipated to increase especially after a policy to allow women to take up roles in the infantry is being enacted; it is estimated that by 2016 women will have active roles in the infantry. The rate of single mothers in the military has been on the rise in the US military. This has been associated with diverse causes. According to a research study by Ibis Reproductive Health, servicewomen have increased chances of unintended pregnancy as compared to the average civilian (steiger 1). The research found that between 2005 and 2008, there was an increase in unintended pregnancy rate from 9.7% to 10.5% (Steiger 1). The two reasons that have been addressed to be the cause of the unintended pregnancies are inadequate provision of reproductive health services and the high rate of sexual assault among the women in military. The presence of such number of single mothers has created some disparity in the military where the focus of some women shifts to nursing and care. Some women have been sent to various missions outside the country to places such as Afghanistan as well as Iraq. Though there have been successful experiences there have been strenuous moments that these women have met. Reacting to an article on the integration of women in the infantry, Captain Katie Petronio, mentions that man and women cannot be made to be alike in the battlefields. She mentions that women should take lesser roles because of their physiological and anatomical forms. Basing her arguments from her personal experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, she recounts her dilapidated state that she found herself in while subjected in the same conditions as the male counterparts. She ended up having muscle atrophy and deterioration, and ultimately suffered from cystic ovarian syndrome that cost her fertility. Based on these situation she went through despite being a commander, she advises that integrating women in the infantry is a bad idea (Petronio 1). In the military training is the order of the day. There is the physical fitness (PT) which every member of the military should adhere to. As pointed out by Jessica (1), there is the boot camp training, which is a requirement for both men and women in the military. The training is so intense that as a woman soldier one may either opt out or they are considered sluts in the forces until they prove they are not. The intensive training and fitness continues. This means as family woman, being there for the family can be a very daunting task. Sometimes the mother can be sent for a mission or for training in a distant place. The individuals will have no option rather than adhere to the requirements of the military, this leaves the family without the mother that plays a very pivotal role in the family. There is no or few documented racial discrimination in the military because the military operates under a specified chain of command. White, black, or any other racial inclinations are all treated in the same way at least in the modern setup. However, before mid-20th century, there was heightened discrimination against black women in the military. President Truman brought the reforms that helped integrate the black in the army. However, their roles just as their white counterparts have been mainly mild despite the intensive training. Currently there are women from almost all races that serve in the US military as both commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers (Hicks & Hicks 1). A major advantage of a woman being in the military is the ability for one to pursue their passion of being a military woman. According to Jessica (1), the career requires that one be prepared to take up the career when they are fully aware of the longevity. This is the reason she advises that every woman should be aware of their strengths before engaging in developing a career as a military person. Being a married woman, it is highly challenging to balance between career and family. The military is quite involving, it requires that a person should be available when required, day or night. In addition, there are chances that one may be assigned a mission away from their home area; relocating with the family becomes strenuous. At other times, it is not possible to relocate with the family based on the job location of the husband or the area of a mission operation has restrictions, for example in Afghanistan or Iraq. This makes it difficult for them to balance the two responsibilities. However, upon weaning the children a mother can take full responsibility in the military though it may not be cost-effective to the military. The average day for a woman in the military irrespective of their marital status is almost the same. Most of the times it is difficult to predict the daily activities because the military dealings are very spontaneous (Browder 1). However, there is provision for a military woman to engage in exercise; physical fitness is given much weight. On the other hand, most of the women engage in support activities such as cooking, laundry, nursing and care among other related activities. Despite the assignment to these responsibilities, they can be provided with any responsibility especially on the line of their specialty. Just like other officers or soldiers, women can also be moved from one region to another depending on the demand for services. In addition, they can be required to attend specific trainings at any ideal time not only in their location of operation but also in other countries. Despite there being no major difference in terms of treatment between the women and men, their responsibilities is not as intensive as their male counterparts are. However, with the proposed integration appeals, the role of women in the military may be may be similar to that of men. In conclusion, women in the military face stiff challenges especially on balancing between family and work. Issues related to relocating especially for married women are very challenging, the same case occurs for single mothers that find it difficult to leave their children as they attend to military assignments. The challenge is explicit. However, it is a major advantage for women that have passion for the military for they are capable of getting to fulfil their aspirations in life. Works Cited Hicks, George & Hicks, Weaver, C. African American Women and the Military. 2010. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. http://www.buffalosoldiersresearchmuseum.org/research/women.htm Petronio, Katie. Get over it! Not all Created Equal. 2013. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. http://stevereichert.com/get-over-it-we-are-not-all-created-equal/ Jessica, W. what females should know before joining army. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. http://hubpages.com/hub/What-Its-Like-Being-a-Female-Soldier Steiger, Kay. Study: Military women experience unintended pregnancy rates at double US average. 2013. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/23/study-military-women-experience-unintended-pregnancy-rates-at-double-u-s-average/ Statistic Brain. Women in the Military statistics. 2014. Web. 6 Apr. 2014 http://www.statisticbrain.com/women-in-the-military-statistics/ Browder, Laura. Women in combat: Listening to those who have been there. 2013. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. http://nation.time.com/2013/01/29/women-in-combat-listening-to-those-who-have-been-there/ Read More