"Girls can fight too"
We all know that women can join the Army, Marines, and etc., but women still can not join ground combat since it is still banned. But the rules are changing and the U.S. is being more fair about women and their certain duties in the forces. Yes, women are allowed to go overseas and drive the trucks patrolling the streets, search the women in Iraq/Afghanistan for suspiciousness and are being able to be "gunners" on the vehicles, and get rid of bombs but we want to fight too!
Most women in the forces are Sergeants/Officers and command the males in their units which is pretty cool in my opinion. But the thing that is unfortunate, they do not get to go out and fight the battles with their male troops. People do not hear about these special women enough, and don't give them enough credit.
About 14% of females are of the active duties, and abiut 17% of them are of the reserve. Currently the government is trying to pass a specific law that allows females to actually fight in War. Most agree that it is fair but there is that few that just don't want to see it happen, which is holding us women back. Some gender-neutral standards have already been developed for certain frontline jobs and will open up to women fairly quickly. For example, as early as next month, female sailors will be allowed to train to join the Navy's Riverine force that provides security operations in river and coastal areas. While the Army has tentatively set plans to allow women to enter Army Ranger School to earn the "Ranger Tab" it does not mean that female graduates will automatically get to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Like their male peers they will have to successfully meet the unit's own selective standards.
They are predicting that women should be able to fight in combat no later than 2016...hopefully.
Cites/Sources:
http://www.dosomething.org/blog/chatterbox/girls-fight-too-role-women-military
http://www.4militarywomen.org/Women_in_Combat.htm
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2013/0725/Women-in-combat-no-later-than-2016-Pentagon-says
I am so glad to know that women are allowed to patrol trucks and will be allowed to be a part of the ground combat. As women have already shown good and professional skills is all fields of army then they can do great in combat too.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the day women are allowed to fight in combat along side of men. However, I do believe this fight is further away then 2016. Having spent 12 years in Army airborne infantry and three years in Army field artillery, I know changing male mentality is the bigger fight. The armed forces is a male dominated institution that is not ready to lose it's superiority. The fear of women being equal to men will be a challenge to overcome. I personally seen how men (In a group) purposely made common situations harder for females just to see them fail. I have also seen men weaken themselves or place themselves in harm's way to aide women whom probably didn't need additional care.
ReplyDeleteBefore women are allowed to fight in combat, men in the armed forces will have to go through extensive reprogramming and training. If that training hasn't started yet, 2016 seems too close. What will likely happen is lawmakers will make a decision, we all will live by that decision, and we all will see years of failure as the result of the decision.