Staff Writer
The Pentagon revealed its plans to fully integrate women into
front-line and special combat roles in the military, including the elite Army
Rangers and Navy SEALs. Beginning in early 2016, the ban on women in combat
will finally be lifted. The previous 1994 rule had banned women from earning higher
positions in combat due to the preposterous idea that women could not handle
such responsibility and challenge in war. Because women now make up roughly 15%
of today’s military and have faced the reality of combat in Iraq and
Afghanistan, leaders believe that it is time to broaden their opportunities by
lifting the ban.
Top leadership embraced the concept despite some discomfort with how
they think women might handle the more rigorous physical demands. It is
definitely time to break down the walls between genders and eliminate the ban
on combat for women. Why shouldn’t women be taken more seriously and given more
responsibilities that they can clearly handle? Women that meet the requirements
and capabilities should most definitely be allowed to fight in front-line and earn
high ranking military positions without judgment. In order to qualify for top
positions, incredible strength, focus, and determination is required. Women
will have to go through a standard Navy boot camp if they intend on later
qualifying for the SEALs. In order to become an Army Ranger, women will have to
go through a rigorous Ranger training camp. Not everyone can meet the strict
requirements, but they should all certainly be entitled to the opportunity.
Some fear that sexual assault in the military will increase. Although
this is a definite concern in today’s military, enforcing harsh consequences
would likely diminish the number of assaults. Doing more to prevent and punish assault
crimes would substantially help it decrease. As President Obama said in a
recent speech to newly commissioned officers, “Those who commit sexual assault
are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that
makes our military strong.” In today’s generation, we should already be far
past sexism and gender inequality. It’s time for military women to receive the
recognition they deserve and earn a fair chance to fight in combat and represent
the elite forces.
