It’s official. The women rights movement from voting, equal pay has now marched again to the ?front lines? of our nations wars. In fact, all United States military combat jobs are now available to women or will be over the next few years. According to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, ?They?re fighting and they?re dying together and the time has come for our policies (DOD) to recognize that reality.”
But how will this change our combat abilities? Or will there be any change at all?
Let?s start with some common known and innate facts. Men tend to be more aggressive by nature. Thus such aggressiveness may be a plus in combat. Men tend to have more muscle strength. All to say, on average, men will ? by nature and again, on average ? be a more aggressive and a ‘stronger’ soldier. Thus and sadly, we have volumes of ?wife abuse? arrests everyday rather than vice versa.
But before rushing to judgment regarding if women can do the job or not, let?s take a peak at what other countries are doing.
Israel?s Women In Combat
This month the New York Times reported a startling story whereas a female Israeli soldier shot to death an terrorist attacker with two rounds to his head. Her comments afterwards were, ?Once you come face to face, at that very moment, you don?t think twice.? Of course and justifiably all the pro-women-in-combat advocates applauded her and considers this movement a success. However, the following day after these revelations, it was reported that the female soldier who radioed in the attack immediately afterwards fled and hid in the bushes for an hour and an half.
In reality, it is reported that only 3% of women actually serve in combat roles in the Israel Defense Forces. For example, paratrooper and other elite special forces military jobs like Golani and Nahal are not open for women.
The main combat unit for Israel?s women soldiers is in Caracal, where almost two thirds are female. However, this is considered to be ?safe? duty as they guard the borders of Jordan and Egypt.
Can Women Keep Up? Really?
Regardless of your position on this issue, the momentum is clear and precise. More and more women will be fighting alongside the front lines of men.
With that, Army General Martin Dempsey said ?This means setting clear standards of performance for all occupations based on what it actually takes to do the job. It also means ensuring that these standards are gender-neutral in occupations that will open to women.?
As of now, women can choose if they want combat. But how about tomorrow? or the next decade? What if a United States President signs a progressive draft bill requiring women to serve combat duty? After all, whoever thought that our country would borrow 40 cents of every dollar that we spend.
Military Jobs: Who knows the future?
No one can deny the upward trend of the women in combat movement. With that, the needs of our country have tended to always been met. Thus Newton’s first law of motion and this movement will continue to move stronger as the needs of our nations combat manpower mounts.
Right or wrong, true or false, son or daughter? the outcome of all this should not be dictated by politics or any movement with predetermined political agenda but by equal benchmark qualifications standard for all without any watered down combat readiness tests. Otherwise, not only will our combat units suffer? but the over ambitious female soldier may someday pay the ultimate sacrifice.