Women In Combat
In the Marine Corps, there are three words that strike an overwhelming controversy. Are you ready for them? Well, here they are: women in combat. I am aware that this is a touchy subject, and it is not a subject in which everyone is going to agree. Recently, the decision was made to allow military women to serve in combat jobs, and as a member of the United States Marine Corps infantry, I greatly disagree with this choice. I cannot fully explain the controversy this creates among infantryman, as I would have to write a book on this alone in order to do so. It is the unfortunate truth that allowing women in combat creates more problems, more punishments, and the ultimate consequence- more casualties.
In July of 2014, The Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force (GCEITF) was created with the sole purpose of testing the effectiveness of allowing women to perform in combat. This study took place over a period of 14 months, with total costs around $36 million. During this time, males and females volunteered to undergo training that would help to determine whether or not women could perform in combat as well as men. After fourteen months of careful study, the results showed that all-male battalion landing teams significantly outperformed the GCEITF (male and female integrated teams) in every aspect.
This link further explains the study:
Although this study proved women to be less effective for combat, in January of 2016, the Secretary of the Navy made the decision to integrate the Infantry. Whether he knew it or not, he, through this decision, created more problems than he could have ever imagined.
The public does not see eye-to-eye when it comes to integration in combat roles. They often base their opinion on modern equality standards, believing that it is sexist to prevent females from joining the infantry. What they do not understand is that the decision of integration is not really a decision of equality or inequality. The general public, as a rule, does not fully understand how infantry works, or how any faction of the military works, for that matter. I truly believe that female integration will change the infantry as a whole, especially in the departments of morale, legal issues, and casualty rates.
1. Legal issues
Infantry is the largest MOS field in the Marines. Currently, infantry barracks are entirely male. Already, there is a high incidence of sexual assault in the Marine Corps, and a coed infantry will only raise this number. Surely this is a huge problem in the Marines, and there are many programs in place with the specific intention of reducing and eliminating sexual assault. However, since this problem still persists, placing females into an all-male setting is a risk on the females’ safety. Adding alcohol on the weekends raises the risk even higher. In fact, sexual assault incidents happen primarily when alcohol is entered into the equation by an overwhelming 80%. (I am not negating the incidence of sexual assault, but am just stating that partying together makes the risk of assault that much higher). That being said, the Marine Corps infantry is known for its drinking habits. If you think I am kidding, you should come to grunt barracks on a Friday night. The sad truth here is that placing females into an MOS that is primarily male and integrating them into male barracks is a compromising situation for the females, one that may often lead to sexual harassment and assault.
2. Emotional attachment can be dangerous in combat.
Studies have shown that biologically, men are generally hardwired to want to protect females. When females are added into a combat environment, men are likely to become less focused on the mission and more focused on the well-being of the females. If a female is injured, males may risk more to save them, possibly feeling that it is their duty to do so. This can create problems in the current combat standard of operations (SOP). When someone is injured, there are multiple steps we must go through before bringing that Marine to safety or risking his/her life. If a Marine is emotionally attached to an injured female, he may forget the SOP and risk more to save her. This can bring increased injury, and even death, to the entire platoon.
3. The female body is not as well-suited for combat.
Many studies have been conducted which have proven that physically, the male body is stronger than the female body. There are many differences, one being that the female body is not designed to carry mass weight. It is common for females who hike with infantry to develop hip problems rapidly, if they are able to keep up with the rest of the platoon. Biology has proven time and time again that, physically, men can endure more than females can. The truth is that we can carry more weight, faster and longer. As a member of the infantry, we like to feel comfortable knowing that our brothers have our backs. I can’t say that I could expect a female under fire to pick me up with a full combat load and drag me to safety. I just can’t, and that creates the potential for placing many Marines in compromising and dangerous situations. Some females may be able to perform on a high level in these areas, but the reality is that men tend to perform better in this field.
4. Infantry MOS school is designed to be passed, easily.
The infantry training battalion has been integrating females into infantry school for awhile now. When I was in MOS school, there were seven females in infantry school alongside me. All of them failed quickly, and were eventually dropped from infantry. The sad truth is that they could not hike, run, or perform as they were expected to. In some instances, females would fail out of the hike within the first 3 kilometers of 20! MOS school is designed to be passed easily, and since MOS training, I have gone through in-field training that far surpasses the difficulty of the MOS training. If females could not physically pass the basics, how could they be proficient in post-MOS training and the field, let alone combat?
Although significant research was conducted that proved infantry integration to be less effective, women are now allowed to serve with a primary mos in combat. I truly believe that this will atrophy the capabilities of the Marine Corps in combat. However, my opinion and the opinions of thousands of other infantrymen do not matter, as women are currently training and beginning to serve in combat jobs as we speak. As a result, you can expect to see changes that will affect both you and the lives of others.
This topic really has nothing to do with discrimination. I truly do not feel that performing in combat roles is a matter of equal rights. Comparing infantry to equal rights for women, such as voting and pay structure, is like comparing apples to oranges. This isn’t a game, and this isn’t a matter of bias. This is a matter of life or death for many of our armed forces.
