Women in Combat

So no shit there I was, running with my platoon around the "hill" on Fort Riley, Kan. We had made it just about a quarter of the way around the circle when a female officer began to pass us. I remember hearing my platoon's section sergeant yell, "you better not let that female pass us." Based on the speed with which she was passing us, I derived two things. One, she was an excellent runner, in better shape than 75 percent of my platoon. Two, it didn't really matter. I let the platoon take chase for a few hundred meters, then the formation began to break down, and soldiers began to fall back. The section sergeant yelled a combination of obscenities that would make the devil blush, so I said, "look at that soldier, she is clearly a better runner than most of the platoon. Today's workout wasn't supposed to be an all-out sprint, so let's get back in formation and finish it the way we planned it." He agreed, and we finished the run.

Over the last few years, the Army has revamped its physical fitness program and there was a short-lived discussion that males and females would have the same standards. Many combat arms soldiers became outraged, because this seemed like a first step to allowing women in combat units. So I figured I'd make a comment from my own opinion.

There is no evidence that there exists a difference between men and women when it comes to making tough decisions. So in terms of tactical skills, I do not think there can be any differences. This also goes for shooting a weapon. Given the same amount of training and time with weapons, I think we'd see a draw again.

There are drastic differences in physicality. Statistics have shown that men can do more push-ups, pull-ups, they can run faster, and can carry more weight on their backs. There are, however, many women who are just as fit or more fit than the average male soldier. There are significantly fewer of these female soldiers, but they do exist (i.e. the female officer who outran my platoon). So to say that every woman is not as physically fit as men would be incorrect.

I do see a problem with fraternization possibilities. There are many units with both males and females, and as you might imagine, those are the places where we see a great deal of problems with inappropriate workplace behavior (remember, these are 18-year-olds we are talking about). This is just going to be part of the game.

There are also skills that women can bring to the combat environment that men don't have. Most specifically, women can question and search female civilians much more effectively, without breaking cultural boundaries. This is critical for a counter-insurgency fight.

The biggest issue that I see today has nothing to do with a woman's capabilities; it has to do with the country. America is just not prepared to have its daughters fighting on the front lines (though it happens every day). My evidence is the case of Jessica Lynch. If you recall, she was captured following an ambush in March 2003, and was quickly rescued by US Special Operations (all caught on camera). There was a huge media circus surrounding the incident. But most people forget, or don't even know, that five male soldiers were captured with her, and eleven soldiers were killed in the ambush. The media amplified the dire situation by focusing on the female soldier, and America bought into it.

That scenario happened eight years ago, and there have been many stories of the heroism of female soldiers in combat situations. Yet, despite the reservations of my soldiers (which would go away) and the lack of physical limitations for those especially fit women, I have no problem with including women in combat arms. Unfortunately, the nation is not yet ready for the same.