To protect and serve this nation. That is the goal of the United States military and all of its branches. With the ban on women in combat lifted, the military will be able to protect and serve with greater numbers and true equality.
Women have been serving in our military for decades but that have been excluded from combat. The reasons are many but are they valid? Think about what might keep commanders hesitant about sending a woman into combat and let yourself see just how far those reasons are stretched.
One reason might be that the military might need to come up with new accommodations for female troops. Was that asked for? Women are prepared to share the same facilities that their malecounterparts use as they understand that might be necessary.
Obligations might also be on the list of reasons to exclude women. A platoon of soldiers ends up underfire and two soldiers are down. One of them is female. It can be argued that the remaining soldierswould feel obligated to go to the female first even though she may be beyond help or OK. The solutionto that is to treat women as regular soldiers. This is the military, not Medieval Times.
Becoming a prisoner of war is another thought provoking concept. Would women be at a higher risk to become prisoners of war? That is a possibility but every soldier has the potential to become a prisoner of war. It is one of the cruelest aspects of war in general.
Women understand their roles and obligations when they sign up for the military to begin with. To treat them as if they are porcelain and not worth sending into combat is a slap in the face and an insult to the sacrifice that they are making; the same sacrifice that their male counterparts are making. The sacrifices are the same so why is the treatment different?
Valiance knows no gender barrier.
In a USA TODAY article, President Barrack Obama discusses how the lifting of this ban will not only boost the U.S. military but get the country closer to the initial purpose of quality.
“Today, every American can be proud that our military will grow even stronger, with our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters playing a greater role in protecting this country we love,” said Obama.
Leon Panetta, Defense Secretary, was also quoted in USA TODAY talking about the role that women can and will play in the military. He emphasized that it was not about changing qualifications, but about giving women the chance to do the same job that their male counterparts do.
“I’m not talking about reducing qualifications for the job—if they can meet the qualifications for the job, then they should have the right to serve,” said Panetta.
CNN writer Chris Lawrence and reporter Barbara Starr quote a senior defense official discussing including women in the specialties of the military.
“We should open all specialties to the maximum extent possible to women. We know they can do it,” said the official.
Women can do it. During World War II, women flocked to jobs in factories and other areas that were formerly designated to men. At the time, no one thought that they could do it, that they could fill a man’s position. Not only can women fill a man’s position but they can do it just as well.
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment has been opened to women and the Navy has already started having female officers serve on submarines. Let’s not stop here.
We need to open up all aspects of the military to women and give them the same chance as any man. They can serve, command and lead just as well as anyone else. It’s time that the past views of women are shrugged off to make room a new understanding.
Our country will have met the true meaning of equality when women are serving in the special forces of each branch of the military. The sacrifice is real. The bravery is real. Let’s make the recognition of the efforts of women real. They wish to share the burden of protecting our country and it’s time that we trusted them to do so.
