Women in Combat

By Corinna Goins

Did you know?

• Over 90% of military jobs are now open to women who serve in the U.S armed forces.

Women are able to serve as…

• Doctors• Engineers• Lawyers• Paralegals• Psychologists

Jobs that are off limits are in…

• Infantry• Artillery• Armory• Special Forces

Women also serve in different Military Occupational Specialties…

• Civil Affairs• Logistics • Military

Intelligence• Military Police

Women during World War II…

• Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp established in 1941

• Became Women’s Army Corp in 1943

• First women other than nurses to serve in the army

Other women organizations…

• Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (W.A.V.E.S)

• Women Air force Service Pilots (W.A.S.P.S)

“The Direct Combat Assignment Policy”

• Introduced in 1994 excludes women from units that engage in combat

• They are barred from artillery, infantry, Special Forces, and other combat positions

The Jessica Lynch Story…

• She was the first woman prisoner of war rescued in American history

• She received a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and a Prisoner of War Medal and was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003

People show broad support…

• 53% of New York respondents favor women joining combat units

• Feminist groups complain that men and women should have identical capacities

• Soldiers were interviewed across Iraq, and some thought that women should at a minimum be allowed to be assigned to combat units or better yet let them qualify to join infantry

Women are essential to military effort…

• Women are truck drivers, helicopter pilots, and gunners on military vehicles and they have disposed of explosives

• They have patrolled bomb-ridden highways shouldering M-16 rifles and searched Iraqi women for weapons something men could not do for cultural reasons

Different countries…

• Canada has recruited women and has sent them straight to Iraq

• In Israel, women serve two years, volunteer for combat assignments, and serve as snipers

• Soviet women, who have been elite in combat aviation since World War II

Public figures who disagree…

• Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, was against women in combat

• She stated that if a male soldier were wounded on the field and needed to be carried to safety and the only one there was a female soldier she would not be able to do it

Deployment…

• It is normal to be deployed overseas once the decision is made to enlist into the armed forces

• There is also the absolute possibility of being shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan

Sexual Harassment…

• In a study done in 2008 there was an eight percent increase in sexual assaults against women, with about 3000 total cases reported

• According to a recent survey, a female soldier is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than die by enemy fire in Iraq

Pregnancy…

• Up to ten percent of active duty women personnel in the US armed forces are unavailable for call-up and duty due to pregnancy

• In 2007, only one percent of women were released due to pregnancy

Public Perception…

• Women are viewed as the caretakers of the family

• Women have the babies, take care of the house, and make sure they support their families

Physical, Mental, and Emotional Trauma…

• May suffer night terrors and remember horrible and life-threatening experiences

• They may be shot at, see a buddy or fellow comrade shot, or see death

• They may also be physically traumatized because they may have lost a limb or been injured severely

Conclusion…

• In the future, women should be able to serve and protect their country despite their gender and physical capabilities

• They are trying to break down the barriers and prove that they can do the same thing a man can

Any Questions?