Integrating women into combat arms jobs is the uneasy hot topic facing military leaders today. It makes many leaders uneasy for good reason. People are creatures of habit. Few will welcome change in their daily lives, and even less are disposed to welcome such a controversial change. In 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women joining combat units. This was not the first time that women had served in combat. For the past decade, women served in units that deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and for some, that meant engaging the enemy1. Allowing women to join combat units can have a very tangible benefit. However, without well thought out policies and standards, there is greater potential for failure by degrading …show more content…
This fails to take into account the entire picture. FET members do receive more tactics and weapons training, but patrolling as part of the infantry is not part of their mission. Foot patrols are incredibly demanding. Soldiers and Marine infantrymen carry between 87 to 135 pounds on patrol. When they come under fire, they drop their rucks and still must shoot, move, and communicate with 60 pounds of gear4. There is no room for anyone that cannot perform in this environment. When a fellow Soldier or Marine goes down in combat, those around him must be able to move the casualty to cover to provide care. Once a casualty is treated and on a litter, others must then carry their brother in arms to a vehicle or suitable landing zone for medical evacuation. Evacuating casualties is critical to survival and a nonnegotiable mission. Sometimes, this means moving a wounded Soldier or Marine over rough terrain or up a mountain. If we are to successfully integrate women into the Army and Marine infantry and not detract from the unit’s combat effectiveness, then they must be able to perform alongside their male