Women in Combat Compendium

Abstract

This compendium resulted from a request by Colonel Michele Putko for sponsorship of a "Women in Combat Study" as a multistudent elective alternative. Dr. Douglas Johnson agreed on the condition that the perspectives of male officers who had commanded units with women in them be specifically included, as their views might provide a different evaluation of performance. The topic of Women in Combat has been one of great emotion, but uncertain factual content until recently. The rules created to deal with the fact that women want to serve in the armed forces have ranged from silly to serious, but the factual bases have changed. These facts are: Women comprise approximately 15 % of the U.S. Army today; as of this writing (September 2007), 70 Army women (including three Department of the Army Civilian women) have been killed and a significantly larger number wounded; the American public is vaguely aware of this state of affairs and has raised no outcry. The nature of the current battlefield makes it impossible to apply strictly the existing rules for excluding women from combat without serious reduction in combat capabilities, degrading the professional development and thus status of women, and producing a potentially serious reduction in overall readiness. reader should take away two major points--the nature of combat for the U.S. Army has changed, and the existing rules governing the employment of women do not fit this new situation; and there is not the slightest doubt that women can perform their assigned duties in the combat zone, including engaging in combat actions essential to their personal and unit's self-defense, with skill and valor equal to their male comrades. From the Survey, the reader should note continuing ambivalence about assignment to direct combat units, but strong support for revising the existing employment rules. No attempt has been made to examine a host of other gender-related issues. These officers asked simply, "Did the women do their jobs?

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA476126

Entities

People

  • Douglas V. Johnson Ii
  • Michele M. Putko

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Artillery
  • Business Administration
  • Climate Change
  • Combat Operations
  • Combat Support
  • Deployment
  • Employment
  • Law
  • Management Personnel
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Women's Health and Cancer Risk Research: African American Women and Pregnancy Outcomes.