F-16 Thunderbird flown by Maj. Caroline Jensen at Battle Creek Airshow 2012
Women were needed in wars long before they were aloud to serve
Women first participated in the military during the Revolutionary war. According to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Women nurses were often preferred over men because every woman nursing meant one more man freed for fighting in the line (Danyluk). Their aid as nurses keeping hospitals and patients clean.
Other women have served in the war on the front-lines. Deborah Sampson was one of the first women to disguise herself as a man. She eventual achieved the rank as corporal under the name Robert Shurtleff.
No matter if any women in past times choose to assist at hospitals or pretend to be a man, they all made a difficult decision; They chose to give up the security of home and embark on a journey that offered discomfort, hardship, and danger (Danyluk). The same idea is still true today when both men and women fight for our freedom.
Other women have served in the war on the front-lines. Deborah Sampson was one of the first women to disguise herself as a man. She eventual achieved the rank as corporal under the name Robert Shurtleff.
No matter if any women in past times choose to assist at hospitals or pretend to be a man, they all made a difficult decision; They chose to give up the security of home and embark on a journey that offered discomfort, hardship, and danger (Danyluk). The same idea is still true today when both men and women fight for our freedom.
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Information from UniteWomen.org
Women struggle to be equal with men in the military
As women become more and more involved in the nation’s military defense, more problems seem to arise. According to Alter Net, “the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense both conduct general studies of sexual assault’ (Aguilar). But if the government is overseeing assault, why have they not taken action to the military personnel who committed the terrible crime? As an increase in media coverage emerges over these offenses, the number of officials trying to crack down increases. USA Today writes, “The Army suspended 55 soldiers last summer after an initial review. Then investigators combed through more records of 20,000 others and disqualified 588 soldiers in total” (Brook).
Military women not only have to deal with the risk of physical attack, but the idea that they are not as robust as men. Many jobs, including Navy SEALs and special operations, are restricted to women due to their physical demand. Combat careers are restricted to men currently, but within the next two years, officials plan to create gender-neutral standards, starting with the Army. Fox news states “The decision reflects a reality driven home by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where battle lines were blurred and women were propelled into jobs as medics, military police and intelligence officers who were sometimes attached, but not formally assigned, to battalions. So even though a woman could not serve officially as a battalion infantryman going out on patrol, she could fly a helicopter supporting the unit or be part of a team supplying medical aid if troops were injured”.
The military’s plan to begin jobs in field artillery, engineers and infantry are to be scheduled in 2015. The problem they face is the cost of opening certain jobs to women. Many Navy ships, submarines, frigates and mine warfare are not equipped with the privacy need for women (Military Plans). Also, the new standards they set for both men and women must meet the requirements for either gender to adequately complete.
The military’s plan to begin jobs in field artillery, engineers and infantry are to be scheduled in 2015. The problem they face is the cost of opening certain jobs to women. Many Navy ships, submarines, frigates and mine warfare are not equipped with the privacy need for women (Military Plans). Also, the new standards they set for both men and women must meet the requirements for either gender to adequately complete.