Integration of Women into the Armed Forces Essay - 2103 Words

Todays military includes women who train at boot camps, serve on warships and fly combat planes. Women currently represent fifteen percent of military personnel, and their presence is increasing among new recruits, up twenty-five percent in the A ir Force. Among officers and enlisted personnel, fifty five percent, or 107, 733 women report some form of sexual harassment. Recent accusations of sexual misconduct against drill sergeants at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, and a separate case against Ser geant Major Gene McKinney of the US Army, have some people questioning whether integration of women in the military has been successful. In addition to sexual harassment, gender integration issues include ingrained cultural patterns,†¦show more content†¦The Army examination of the drill sergeant selection sys tem found it did not consider a candidates maturity or complete a thorough background check. There was no close investigation of instances where drill sergeants had beaten their wives, which was a particular problem with some of the accused at the Aberd een Proving Ground. The militarys position is that the problems of sexual harassment int eh military can be attributed to a lack of leadership, detailed in two army investigations (Barry and Thomas 49; Schitt A1, A19). Opponents of the militarys lack fo leadership reasoning believe the problems lie in how the military environment facilitates sexual harassment, in addition to making it difficult for women to resist or report instances of sexual advanes. They fee l the creed of drill sergeants, the power of the military structure, and the fat that military women can not just walk away from their jobs contributes to drill sergeants having powers over women that result in sexual harassment. These issues are explain ed by civilian psychiatrist Major Elsbeth Ritchie in testimony at the court martial of a drill sergeant from the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Ritchie explains that fear of sexual harassment in the military is elevated due to a drill sergeant creed of I am Mother, I am Father, and God to recruits (qtd. Sciolino, pg. A14). Furthermore, the military structure is soShow MoreRelatedThe United States Armed Forces Essay865 Words   |  4 PagesThere are currently 2,204,836 people serving in the United States Armed Forces. Females currently make up 16.2% of those currently serving equating to 358,156 this number includes both enlisted, reserve, and the officer corps. While the Armed Forces has downsized, the percentage of females serving has increased with females now making up 17.8% of all active duty personnel and roughly thirty-nine thousand serving as active duty officers. With the increasing diversity of the military, Secretary ofRead MorePolicy Introduction And Identification Of The Military Services And United States Special Operations Command1453 Words   |  6 PagesIdentification In January of 2013, the Department of Defense set aside the â€Å"1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule† (Carter, 2015). This takes all restrictions off women allowing all who meet the qualifications to hold a combat role in the military. The Armed Forces have opened over 110,000 positions to women and have set their standards. Anyone, who can meet operationally relevant and gender neutral standards, regardless of gender, should have the opportunity to serve in any positionRead MoreGender Roles Of Women s Roles971 Words   |  4 Pages In recent years, the roles of women have changed greatly in American society.   For example, women have earned more power in education, the workplace and especially the military (Cordes). Yet, when it comes to women being fully integrated in the military, many males still question female competency. This situation needs to be addressed because women are physically, emotionally and socially suitable to experience complete mi litary integration. Performances of women serving in the U.S military in theRead MoreWomen in the Military Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pages Women have fought alongside men in the United States Military in every major battle since the American Revolution. The roles of women in the military have evolved over time to allow the incorporation of women in expanding military career fields. Women have proven themselves to be an asset to the military despite some of society believing women would weaken America’s military effectiveness. Today more than 200,000 women are active-duty military, this is about 14.5% of all military. Currently, womenRead MoreA Report On Verification Of Forces1333 Words   |  6 Pagescombatants with the support of the UNAMID Ceasefire Commission using DDPD. 3.1.2.1 Verification of Forces The respondents informed that the verification of units was based on lists of personnel strength and military equipment provided by LJM and confirmed by UNAMID. The information was also supposed to be used by the Ceasefire Commission for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and integration planning and used as a prerequisite for the provision of non-military logistic support, in accordanceRead MoreThe Training For Volunteer Emergency Service1570 Words   |  7 Pages In 1942, the United States Navy implemented what it considered an emergency program. The WAVES or Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service was established to bolster the Reserve component with competent personnel. In 1948 women allowed permanent status in the Armed Services. The Armed Forces are now gearing up for the full integration of women into all aspects of the Armed Services by 2016. There are serious practical barriers, which if not approached in a deliberate manner, could adverselyRead MoreWomen During World War II1674 Words   |  7 PagesIn World War II, women contributed in many ways by entering the battle. Some of the jobs the women held were Army nurses, Red Cross members, factory work, etc. The United States were one of the few countries that put their women to work and was ridiculed for it. In 1948, President Truman signed the Women s Armed Services Integration Act which authorized regular and reserve status for women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. These women showed true leadership by becoming leaders in battleRead MoreEqual Opportunity in United States Armed Forces: Minorities and Women785 Words   |  4 Pagespioneer in bestowing equal opportunity for all of its uniformed members. I am going to study the Equal Opportunity in United States Armed Forces with a particular emphasis on Minorities and Women in the Military. The United States Armed Forces has the most diverse labor force in the World. There are five branches of the United States Armed Forces: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. The demographic profile of the all volunteer United States Military has changed dramatically overRead MoreWomen in Military1248 Words   |  5 PagesWomen in the United States have long fought for the right to be included in many facets of society such as the right to vote to breaking into professions like the medical field and getting females elected to major government offices. But one of the most intriguing questions of integration has yet to be fully answered. Apart from all others is the battle to allow women the right, the honor, and the privilege of serving and defending their country as part of the United States Armed Forces. Being inRead MoreWomen in the Military1458 Words   |  6 PagesGender integration in the military has always faced the question of social acceptance, whether society can accept how women will be treated and respected in the military. Throughout the history of the military, our leadership has always sought ways in how to integrate without upsetting th e general public if our females were captured as prisoners of war, raped, discriminated or even blown up in combat. My paper will discuss three situations pertaining to the first female submariner, fighter pilot