Women in Combat: Two Men's Reactions

Hundreds (thousands?) of articles, editorials, videos and blog posts have been published since last week's announcement by SECDEF that the Pentagon is lifting its ban on women serving in combat. Wherever you stand on the issue, you can find dozens of commentaries supporting your view. Personally, former Marine grunt Thomas James Brennan's Op-Ed in the New York Times hit the bulls eye for me.

Here are two quotes from the editorial that I found particularly poignant:

Being an infantryman isn’t just about uncomfortable living situations. It’s kill or be killed, blood, entrails and fear. We are a brotherhood; a collection of ragtag men who hunt and kill the enemy and travel to undesirable places to do even more undesirable things. Maybe women can join the infantry and succeed, but many of us are not sure. There’s more at stake here than equal opportunity and political correctness.

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Integrating women into the infantry is asking to shift a cultural norm. It is not something that is impossible but it will take much effort and training to be successful. I, for one, am torn.
 

I, too am torn. I enthusiastically and emphatically endorse women in the military and even in some combat roles, but question the efficacy of having women integrate into certain elite, specialized combat units. But I also realize the decision has been made and will not be rescinded.  We as a society have turned a corner from which we'll never go back.

I can only hope the generals and admirals take their time to implement this historic decision prudently without undue influence from political groups, civilian members of DoD or even Congress. It's the war fighters (and not bureaucrats or civilian appointees) who should set the timetable and boundaries for allowing women into combat units. My fear is this won't happen and, instead, the military will succumb to political correct pressures which inevitably will result in a less effective and lethal fighting force. For the sake of every Marine, Sailor, Airman, Soldier and Coastie--and our nation as a whole--Service chiefs and DoD, please prove me wrong!