Informative Essay On Women In Combat

Women in Combat The roles of women in everyday lives continues to expand each year. As the push continues for equality, many workplaces are forced to reconsider their old policies and possibly implement new standards. The military is not immune to this, and in the past few decades women have gone from strictly serving in support roles to making decisions and executing missions in today’s modern warfare. These female servicemembers have been in harm’s way and run the same risk of being hurt as their male counterparts. But is this the best thing for the United States military? Does this make the armed forces a more lethal and efficient version of itself or does it hinder what we are capable of in combat? What used to be about who was the best

At that time, they took on roles such as nurses, seamstresses, and cooks. Some women worked as spies while others disguised themselves as men in order to serve in the fight. Over the years, women contributed as well as adapted to the many changes that took place in America and remained willing to take on new roles that helped make this country what it is today. Women began to serve officially in the military when the Army established a permanent Nurse Corps in 1901 (Women In Combat: Framing the Issues). While the Nursing Corps was recognized as an official unit, it was not regarded with the same status because women were given no military rank and did not receive the same benefits as men. By World War 1 over 25,000 women served overseas; the sacrifices of these women helped drive the way for the 19th Amendment which guaranteed women the right to vote (A Woman’s Struggle for Equality). Since 1973, the percentage of women serving in the U.S. military among enlisted ranks has increased seven-fold from 2% to 14%, and it quadrupled among officers, from 4% to 16% (Not A Woman). In 2012 there were 355,904 female service members who made up 16% of the total force (Women In Combat: Framing the Issues). Women are an integral part of the U.S. military and now have every opportunity to pursue whatever career path they

The Marines’ own research shows that mixed-gender units solve problems better and have fewer disciplinary headaches than all-male outfits (Time). To add to this, women are simply more effective in some circumstances than men. Allowing women to serve increases the talent pool for complex jobs that require interpersonal skills not every person has. A military with better access to more personnel can take its best resources and use them to end conflicts more effectively. Having women available and trained for these jobs only increases a unit’s chance for mission success. These are young professionals, and sometimes people do not give credit to the character and integrity of those that enlist in the armed forces. To instantly discount their ability to keep their urges in check does them a huge disservice and quite honestly, it is unfair to those young men and