Women In Combat

of women is significantly shorter than that of men; thus, on average, men are 21% faster than women are (Epstein et al. 2684). This could potentially slow troops down. Epstein’s article also determines that women do not hold up as well in extreme heat and cold as men. Since combat can take place anywhere from deserts to the tundra, it could be dangerous to allow anyone who cannot tolerate the conditions to be there. They conclude that even the strongest woman could never be as strong as the strongest man. As Billingsley puts it, “A woman’s best is not good enough” (157). All of the statistical information points to this statement being true. Since women are at a disadvantage in terms of strength, speed, injury susceptibility, endurance, and adaptability, it

Women can and have made significant contributions in the United States military in all the positions they have held. But there are very specific sectors of combat that would likely diminish the effectiveness of combat units if women were included. The living situation in combat are also much different than what women are used to. Living in confined spaces, with little to no privacy. No spacious sleeping spaces or private restrooms. If we mixed men and women in these situation there is bound to be any issue. Confining men and women in these combat and training environments and expecting there to be no sexual interaction is naive. Some will engage in consensual sexual interactions, which is against protocol, but it will still happen. The issue of sexual assault and rape is also a severe consequence attributed to these living situations. There is no issue with a female soldiers intelligence or values as a human being. It can be argued that women are often more responsible and more clever than men in many instances. In the military areas that don’t require physical