The Daily Gamecock

US ground warfare policy needs revision

Women soldiers able, willing to fight

It’s about time women in the military were allowed to join ground warfare. Yes, you read that correctly. Even though they have been valiantly fighting in the military for years and are trained the same way as men, their superiors would rather they avoid direct combat. Several decorated female service members working with the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, and for good reason.
Air National Guard search-and-rescue helicopter pilot Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar engaged in ground combat after she and her crew were shot down while rescuing three soldiers, and she was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, yet is still excluded from advancing upward in rank.
Women have been officially and permanently allowed to be part of the military since 1948, although not allowed to obtain the same positions as men. In 1994, after the first Persian Gulf War, they were excluded from assignments below the brigade level. Women are also excluded from special operations units like the Navy SEALS.
Women have been fighting without the consent of their male counterparts for years. Historical figures such as Joan of Arc have even led men into battle with great success. There is no one better equipped to defend the country than those who have protected and cared for its men since birth.


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