The Expansion of the US Army Equal Opportunity Policies - Essay Example

The Expansion of the U.S. Army’s Equal Opportunity Policies towards Specific Types of Non-Traditional Groups Table of Contents Abstract 3 Introduction and Thesis statement 4 Unit Proficiency 4 Unit Cohesion 6 Opposing views 8 Conclusions 9 References 10 Abstract This essay’s main objective is to discuss the various leadership concerns emerging from The U.S. Army’s policy of allowing women to serve in frontline combat units that have traditionally been male dominated. The essay will achieve this objective by looking at some of the issues of concern in military management such as unit cohesion and unit proficiency as well as examining opposing views that support the inclusion of women in male dominated military combats. The move by the US Army to allow women to play a major role in military combat activities is bound to have a huge impact on the military and how the military is perceived in the country and on the global scene. Some of the key issues relating to this policy include cohesion and proficiency of various army units in the army. While it is essential to appreciate the role that women play in the military through their unique roles, it is also significant to recognize the differences in the biological, physical, and physiological makeup of women and men in relation to their roles in the military.   Introduction and Thesis Statement This essay discusses the various leadership concerns emerging from The U.S. Army’s policy of allowing women to serve in frontline combat units that have traditionally been male dominated. The essay achieves this objective by looking at some of the issues of concern in military management such as unit cohesion and unit proficiency as well as examining opposing views that support the inclusion of women in male dominated military combats. The U.S. Army has instituted processes that will change the composition of Military combats by allowing women to be at the frontline in military combats. This policy hopes to take effect fully by the year 2016. While this is a positive move that will showcase the developments in the place of women in the military, this move has taken many people by surprise and has elicited several concerns about leadership in the U.S. Military. Other countries in the world such as Israel, who also have a strong army, have already implemented a policy of allowing women to lead military combats (Hod, 2004). This move by the US Army is bound to have a tremendous impact on the military and how the military is perceived in the country and on the global scene. Some of the main issues regarding this policy include cohesion and proficiency of various army units in the army. While it is critical to appreciate the role that women play in the military through their unique roles, it is also significant to recognize the differences in the biological, physical and physiological makeup of women and men in relation to their roles in the military (Skaine, 2011). Unit Proficiency Proficiency of a military unit refers to its efficiency and effectiveness based on its composition, and equipment, and technology. The US Army has relatively been successful over the years and is considered the best army in the world. These high levels of proficiency have been attained with men playing a lead role in military combats in all the missions of the US Army. A change in this policy and strategy is likely to affect the army’s proficiency in a number of ways. Primarily, allowing women to take the lead role in military combats will result in lowering the standards of the US Army significantly (Maginnis, 2013). The US Army has set huge standards both nationally and internationally over the years and has been an example to military setups around the world. A change in policy to give women a frontline role will greatly reduce such high standards. Culturally, women are not regarded as efficient as men in war. Some women may be up to speed and may meet all the demands of the military, but in reality, a majority of the women will be overwhelmed with the task (Maginnis, 2013). Several factors including differences in biology, physiology, and physical nature of women will contribute to lowering the high standards set by the army over the years. Women are physically weaker as compared to men. Being on the frontline of the army comes with huge demands in terms of physical training and preparedness (Maginnis, 2013). One is required to run very fast, hard, and far enough in about 70-100 lbs. of gear. This can be a daunting task for most women because the physical nature of women does not allow them to engage in such demanding physical activities. This is has, in fact, led to some military scholars and veterans to claim that a strong women cannot match the strength of a weak man when it comes to the demands of the military. Tasks in the military are not specified in terms of gender differences. Both women and men with therefore be expected to perform the same tasks in the same manner. This places a huge demand on women because men are physically superior to women (Maginnis, 2013). Some of the roles in the military combats require lifting heavy loads and machinery and hard running. Since most women are physically weaker, they will have to work twice as hard as men in some cases order to achieve the same results. This places unnecessary amount or pressure on women in combat to deliver and may in the end lead to inefficiency and lower standards. It is also important to acknowledge the physiological difference between men and women in regarding their roles in the military. Women often go through several physiological processes that may undermine their efficiency in leading combat activities on the ground. Physiological processes such as pregnancies and menstruation cycles can affect military readiness of women and lower their performance rates in the army (Maginnis, 2013). Biologically, women are more emotional than men. As such, women suffer more when they are separated from their families for long due to their commitments in the army on various military missions. This emotional stress can undermine performance of women at the frontline of military combats and will eventually lower standards of the US Army. Unit Cohesion Unit cohesion refers to the harmonious integration and working relationship among members of the combat. Cohesion is necessary in ensuring success of the military’s operations. Success of military operations depends on the unity and harmony in military camps. This is because such harmony ensures there is uniform understanding of the objectives of military operations. Inclusion of women in the frontline of military combats raises many concerns associated with cohesion in the army units. There is likely to be abrasion between men and women in military camps, for instance, resulting from policies such as the ‘equal but different treatment’ of women. While this policy appreciates the differences in physical strength and physiology between women and men, it can be a source of conflict when some members of the military are treated differently despite being equal (Maginnis, 2013). Treating women differently in terms of the tasks they do and their training is not only likely to polarize the unit’s membership, but also reduce efficiency of the military in general. Men will feel as if they work harder and deserve to be treated better than women are. These types of misunderstandings will definitely lower cohesion levels in military units and lead to more conflicts. Allowing women to lead military camps can also pit the military against its civil leadership and the citizens of the US due to a conflict with traditional values of the American people. Traditionally, frontline combat roles have been associated with masculinity (Maginnis, 2013). Any change in military policy is likely to be unwelcomed by the majority of Americans who believe in the masculinity of the military (Chapman, 2010). This is likely to be the case even in the military camps where some members of the army may feel that it is the responsibility of men to take lead roles in combat missions. This will undermine cohesion in military units and cause conflicts between men and women in camps. Traditional values in the US also associate women with less physically demanding jobs and may not be comfortable having women leading combat missions of their military units. This will ultimately affect military operations. Another impact that is likely to affect cohesion in military camps is accusations of rape, gender based violence, and sexual assault. These accusations are likely to emerge in the camps amongst the soldiers themselves, or from enemies in the battlefield. The result of these negative and unacceptable behaviors is undermining the role of women in the military. These accusations are likely to spring up in the event that women take top leadership in military units and combat activities. These accusations will heighten the conflicts between men and women in the camps and undermine military operations. Women in the military deal with sexual violence more than their male counterparts. About 15% of American female war veterans in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were victims of sexual violence. While soldiers of other countries perpetrate some of these violent acts when they capture American female soldiers as war prisoners, fellow American soldiers perpetrate most of these acts. Surprisingly, however, a majority of these cases are not usually reported for fear of a backlash from senior military officials. Allowing women to take a leading role in combat activities will predispose and make them more vulnerable to abuse from their male counterparts. Opposing Views The policy to allow women to participate in combat missions has gained support from various sections of the US public and military experts. One argument in support of this new policy calls for the military to focus on ability rather than gender differences. Supporter of this policy state that the military should only aim at recruiting qualified individuals regardless of their gender (Fenner, and Marie, 2001). The military should put in place standards and framework that new recruits need to meet in order to warrant a place in the military. Only highly skilled individuals will be selected regardless of their gender. One they are selected, they will be subjected to the same level of training and have equal opportunities of serving the army in different capacities. Following this argument, only highly qualified women will have the opportunity to serve in the military. These women need not be looked at as women but as qualified military personnel. As such, the women can be given an opportunity to participate in combat missions of the military units without causing uproars. Other supporters of the changing role of women in the military call to the fact that traditions and cultures are dynamic and always change from time to time. The traditional conservative view that combat roles in the military are masculine is a view that is likely to change with time and American will become more appreciative of the role of women in the military (Chapman, 2010). When responding to the question of military readiness of women in the military, proponents of the policy claim that most of the women who dedicate themselves to combat missions will know the enormity of the task and will be prepared to meet the demands that come with it (Hacker, & Vining, 2012). They will therefore refrain from getting pregnant while on duty and will also learn how to control their emotions and physiological processes. Therefore, women should not be segregated and denied the opportunity to serve in combat because there are more women who feel they have the ability to deliver on such occasions. Conclusion In conclusion, American women have an important role to play in the different units of the military, but combat requires much more than most women can offer. Combat requires strength that is more physical, readiness, and preparedness, much more than women can guarantee given the differences in physical, physiological, and biological nature of men and women. There is some truth in assertions of some scholars that a strong woman is still no match for weak man. Can most women run in 70-100 lbs. of gear as far, hard, or fast as men? Until women stop having PMS symptoms, and menstrual cycle, there will always be an uphill battle incorporating women in frontline unit. Because of biological and physical differences, the Army will have to lower physical standards required for combat MOS before women can serve in combat-arms units. References Chapman, R. (2010). Culture Wars An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. Fenner, L. M., and Marie D. (2001). Women in Combat Civic Duty or Military Liability? Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. Hacker, B. C., & Vining, M. (2012). A companion to womens military history. Leiden Netherlands: Brill. Hod, B. (2004). The need for a military draft: Prepare to see the world. S. l.: AOM Pub. Unit. Maginnis, R. L. (2013). Deadly Consequences: How Cowards Are Pushing Women into Combat. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing. Skaine, R. (2011). Women in Combat: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. Read More