Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced recently that the Pentagon is lifting the ban on women in combat, overturning a 1994 rule that restricted women from infantry, armor, Special Forces, artillery and other combat roles.
The decision comes after increasing pressure from service women and activists on the Pentagon to acknowledge the reality that many women in the military already face combat on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 200,000 women have served in those two wars; as of last year, more than 800 of those had been wounded and more than 130 killed.
No law bars women from combat, but official military policy has long kept female service members away from the front lines by banning them from artillery, armor, infantry and other combat roles.
Before 2001, American service women had largely been kept out of ground combat. Over more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, however, many women have served courageously and skillfully under fire, a reality that female service members have long been pressing the military to acknowledge.
Before 2001, American service women had largely been kept out of ground combat. Over more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, however, many women have served courageously and skillfully under fire, a reality that female service members have long been pressing the military to acknowledge.
The decision to lift the ban will open up hundreds of thousands of jobs in previously all-male units to women. Defense officials cautioned that the opening of all combat positions will not be immediate, but will proceed through an assessment phase, during which each branch of the armed services will look at all currently non-integrated units and come up with a timetable for integration. The Pentagon is allowing three years, until January 2016, for the services to make final decisions.
credit: http://www.history.com/news/u-s-military-lifts-ban-on-women-in-combat
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"U.S. allows women to fight in wars ...26th January, 2013"
Comment: What is your personal opinion about this matter? SHOULD women be allowed to fight in combat??
Comment: What is your personal opinion about this matter? SHOULD women be allowed to fight in combat??
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ReplyDeleteI have very mixed emotions on this topic. If a girl grows up determined to fight in combat, maybe even feeling that God has a place for her there, then who am I to tell her no? On the flip side, woman are created very differently. I do not oppose war, even our God is a warrior. But He definetly didn't ever speak of woman as fighters.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Deborah, Jael, or Judith?
DeleteI do not know if women should be aloud to fight in combat. I think maybe if they want to and meat the physical and mental challenges.
ReplyDeleteI think that if a women is very passionate about serving her country, fighting, and feels like she is being called to do that duty than yes, she should be allowed to fight. It is also HER decision though, and if allowing women to fight in combat would mean there is also a chance of women being drafted, I'm against that, but overall if they qualify to fit the position, why shouldn't they be allowed to fight? :)
ReplyDeleteIf a woman joins the army, she can. But leave the option for women. Not everyone wants to be drafted. Who else will take care of the other jobs?
ReplyDeleteI think that women should be allowed to be in combat positions if they deisre to do so. Some women want to join the army so they can fight on the front lines as a service to their country, just like the men. I think they should be allowed to do so. However, there are also a lot more women that do not want to be in the army at all! So I think yes, they should be allowed if they want to, but no, women should not be put in the draft.
ReplyDeletei totally think women should be aloud to be in combat. it is a chance for them to show how strong they are and to show friends and family that they can do anything.
ReplyDeleteI don't think women should be in combat. My reasons are that women are not made for combat, and most may be overly emotional during combat. Second, who will care for the country if both all the men and all the women went to war? In WWII America overproduced all the other countries because of both it's new systems and inventions, but as well as the fact that most all of the women went to work for the factories! If women are going to be able to be drafted as well as men, who will stay home and care for the children, work in the factories and make guns and such, who will take care of America? Plus, Women have special private natural things that can effect them during combat. If women were to go to combat, the effect on men would be that the men would get distracted, and not be able to have the bonds and brootherhood like they can with other men. Their concentration and demeanor are innately different around women, when women and men are mixed both of their decision making powers are effected, women can become pregnant which will be a big problem. Being captured by the enemy and being a woman and not a man will bring up a whole new realm of problems. The duty to fight in wars is not a gender competition, and no enemies or political forces of our country should be allowed to turn it into one. It is a serious business and the effectiveness of this business for our very lives and well being depend on how effective and efficiently we can fight in combat. Allowing women to fight in combat gambles our security as a nation. Women should be welcomed to participate in all other aspects of military operations except combat.
ReplyDeleteWomen should not have to be held back from anything because of the sick minded nature of some' men, if thats what your referring to by men being distracted. That is THEIR action, THEIR decision, and THEIR responsibility, not the woman's. We shouldn't have to be restricted from pursuing our passions because of how it may' affect men, as if we are lesser than men, and expected to accept and/or always have that mindset. It's wrong.
DeleteIn regards to how women could distract men, it wasn't exactly because some men may be sick minded. It was because men may become distracted in many ways. And the whole thing shouldn't happen because, well, in my view our enemies want us to think men are being discriminatory towards women, like our enemies want us to thing there is a large amount of discrimination against blacks. When was the last time we thought a black, or women, was inferior? But I understand your view that you want women to be able to follow their passion, but women should be allowed in all other aspects of the military except combat so our military may be more effective. We all know the women's mind is different from a mans, and decision making is very vital in combat.
Delete*many ways as in relationships and such. With women in combat, it may distract men because a man and women may be attracted to each other, and focus their decisions based on themselves instead of the whole battalion and such.
DeleteThat may very well happen, but that doesn't mean that all women (and men) will develop those feelings. As far as women making decisions in combat, well why can't a women be just as (or more) acceptable for that job?? Women are typically more emotional, yes but not all. Some see a very clear purpose in what they are doing and i don't think that all women should be labeled in the way that they won't be able to follow out their duty's because of that.
Delete(Just so you know, I fully respect your opinion on this topic, even though by stating mine, might contradict that. Just because we don't agree doesn't mean that either of us are right or wrong. We cannot help how we feel, and I think that the points your making are great. These are' all things that have to be considered)
DeleteI guess that women that want to serve in combat should be aloud to serve their country with free will. If they want to be in combat then they should be aloud too, I think that our country should not be the judge if a women wants to participate in serving our country.
ReplyDeleteI think if a women is up to serving in combat she should be allowed to. this will help make our army grow also. but if a women doesn't want to be in a war then she shouldn't have to be. I dot think it would hurt our army, it will only strengthen it, as long as the women have to be doing the same physical training as the men(same sit ups, push ups, pull ups, etc.) if the women cant meet that physical goal they cant join the army, just like tons of men who fail the physical training test.
ReplyDeleteI think that women should. Some women are insanely strong and I believe they could go through the training with flying colors. We should ALL have a choice on whether or not to serve our country in the military. A large amount of men and women are too afraid to even swat a fly.
ReplyDeleteI think women should be able to participate in combat. As for the drafting that everyone is talking about, if a draft is a must then I think it should be a requirement that one of the parents be drafted --they can choose who, but someone should stay behind with the kids. If it's a single mom or single dad, I don't think they should be drafted. I am all for women who want to serve this country but I don't think the military should lower the standards just for us girls. If the women can't handle the requirements then they shouldn't be allowed to participate. I'm sure there will be many who can make it and some who can't, just like there are many men who make it and some who can't either. If a women has the desire to be in the military though, I think she should have the chance.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's good for women to be in front-line combat for basically one reason. Frankly, I love women and don't like seeing them dead (not trying to be weird here). I feel that women need to be protected and that allowing them to enter the army would not benefit them. I could never get used to seeing women in body bags. There are also major issues with men and women being in such close proximity with each other all the time. Sexual assault is a major, major problem these days, and I just don't think allowing women to put themselves in that position is okay.
ReplyDeleteThat is so right! :) Also, the fact that many men who come home from war get PTSD, if women came home with that to, it would make it harder for them to have a "normal" life.
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