In Ancient Egypt, China and Greece, women fought alongside men in wars for reform, justice and land. During World War II, warring nations hurting for manpower turned to their female citizens. In the United States, women were asked to support the war effort behind the scenes working in logistical positions. The Soviets, however, took a more forward approach and deployed a total of 800,000 women into battle with 70 percent of them seeing combat.
In the last 100 years, women in the United States and around the world have fought for equal civil rights. With the constant struggle to prove men and women are equal, the lines have become more blurred than ever. Men and women’s roles in the household, workplace and society have transformed the modern world. With almost no stone left unturned, the last restriction women face is the fact they cannot fill combat-arms military occupational specialties.
Current conflicts in Iraq have made it necessary to utilize women due to the cultural and religious rules of the region. Since men are not allowed to search Iraqi women at security checkpoints, it has become necessary to employ female service members to conduct body searches at security check points. The recent surge in women with rifles has more service members and civilians asking: Why can’t women fight in combat alongside men?
Countries like Canada, France, Germany and Israel already allow women to serve in combat roles. History shows women can and will fight, leaving some asking, why not allow women to engage in combat if they really want to. Oppositions argue that in a combat environment things like female presence would be a distraction and harmful to unit cohesion. Maybe the argument’s answer has nothing to do with opinions and emotions but more with science. According to Wikipedia, women on average have 25-30 percent less aerobic capacity and 45-50 percent less upper body strength. With the female skeletal systems being less dense than males, the argument quickly becomes less of a civil rights case and more an issue of physical logistics.
On Feb. 26, a group of women Marines gathered to take the photograph that would accompany this article. Before any shots were taken, the ladies were asked whether or not women should be allowed to fight in battle like men.
“It’s not appropriate for us to answer questions like that,” said Master Sgt. Sherri L. Stevenson, power plant division chief. “As a Marine, it’s not our job to debate whether things are fair. It’s our job as Marines to stay the course and follow our duties.”
On that note, the group of women shared what it meant to be a woman Marine and why they joined in the first place.
“I wanted to one-up my brother who is in the Navy, so I joined the Marine Corps,” said Cpl. Rachael Moore, broadcaster with American Forces Network.
Sibling rivalries clearly were not the only reason the women joined. They joined, like anybody else, to be a part of something bigger and to challenge themselves, in a way only the Marine Corps can.
“It’s important to remember those initial reasons why we all joined,” said Sgt. Kaylenne M. Holmes, career retention specialist for Headquarters and Headquarter Squadron.
Why they all joined was very similar, but when they joined was a different story. The group of women, diverse in age as they were in rank, compared thoughts on what training was like in the Corps when they all joined. In a matter of just 15 years, it was amazing to hear how the Marine Corps had changed.
When Stvenson joined in the early nineties, women were just getting on the rifle range and were still restricted to wearing skirts in dress uniform.
“I’m glad that we can wear trousers now,” said Stevenson. “But I also appreciate the fact that the Marine Corps, unlike the other services, allows us to still look like ladies.”
It’s fascinating to consider the prospect of being a Marine and a lady at the same time. Though these roles seem to be polar opposites, this group of women mix them quite well, finding a balance in what it means to be a woman and a Marine. As they continue the discussion, Stevenson interjects, “Oh, I’ve got to go. It’s my daughters birthday,” making it all the more clear on how much they really have to juggle.
Before all the ladies dispersed, Holmes brought up one last point.
“We all joined knowing what we were getting into,” said Holmes. “We all understood that there would be sacrifices. None of us here have been to battle so we can’t exactly say how we would react, but we have confidence in how we have been trained. Like every other Marine, we have trained to be a rifleman. If the situation ever comes down to me being in combat, I know what to do.”
When the discussion came to an end, a unanimous expression of satisfaction came from the ladies with the work they do in the Marine Corps. Whether they are on the front lines or not doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they are trained like every other Marine. They may not be physically the same as men, but as Marines, they are built the same. Just like their male counterparts, they understand the true meaning of honor, courage and commitment.