CNN
By Chris Lawrence, with reporting from Barbara Starr
The U.S. military is ending its policy of excluding women from combat and will open combat jobs and direct combat units to female troops, multiple officials told CNN on Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will make the announcement Thursday and notify Congress of the planned change in policy, the officials said.
"We will eliminate the policy of 'no women in units that are tasked with direct combat,'" a senior defense official said.
The officials cautioned, however, that "not every position will open all at once on Thursday." Once the policy is changed, the Department of Defense will enter what is being called an "assessment phase," in which each branch of service will examine all its jobs and units not currently integrated and then produce a timetable for integrating them.
I think that it is a bad thing that women would be in combat. Women could get tortured. Some of them are mothers or they could be pregnant. The mother and the child could be killed.
ReplyDeleteAshleyOtto p2
I disagree with you ashley. If a woman knows that she is pregnant, Then she should not be in the military. That should just be common sense
DeleteMatthew Hodek
Per. 3
Well i think it's great that they are finally letting women fight. Some women might have wanted to join the military, and fight for they're country, but they sign up thinking they will see combat, and they never do.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Hodek
Per. 3
I agree with Matthew no women should be on the field if they're pregnant? And yeah they have children, but so do the men? I don't know what you're trying to get at Ashley.
ReplyDeleteDavid Hoang per 3
I think it is wrong for the women to fight because if u think about it the women will be searching for love and that isn't good when they are trying to fight for their own country.If the women is pregnant they shouldn't be in the service because they should be focusing on the baby and trying to give it a wonderful life.The people who said that women can go to combat,they should think about what the girl has to do when it is her time of month and when the sexes join together that creates love and that creates all the other stuff that goes on in a relationship.Sometimes i don't understand about what happens in life.I just hope for the best of both men and women.
ReplyDeleteChelsey Jensen
p.3
Chelsey, what you're saying is ridiculous. I dont think that a woman would be interested in "searching for love" in the military. If they were looking for love, they'd sign up at match.com or zoosk.com; not the military. Just because someone is a female doesn't mean that they shouldn't fight. Women are just as capable as men in controlling their feelings. I know many strong women who would give their lives to fight for the country they love. Also, obviously a pregnant woman wouldn't be allowed in the service... that's a given.
DeleteMadison Goulet
P.3
i think its good for women to start going into combat it'll show the men what we got. i disagree with you chelsey because women should pick for them selves wherever they want to go to combat or not, to stay home. its good that we are getting out in the feld at lease a little.
ReplyDeletehaley armstrong
per 3
I think that if women want to be in the military, no one should be able to stop them. If they are pregnant, I do not think that she should fight or train in the military. I think that every person, no matter race, gender, height, weight, etc.
ReplyDeleteJared Streiff
per 2
I think it's okay that women fight but if they have kids; who would watch them. Plus, if both their parents are in the military and they both don't survive. Where are their kids going to go? They will be left without their parents and possibly other relatives. So, if women joined the military they would have a lot of thinking to do before they joined. Do they really want to do it? Do they really want to risk not being able to see their family again? Do they?
ReplyDeleteChenise Ehlers
Period 2
What if a male soldier has kids? Being a parent is not exclusive to being a woman any more than being a soldier is exclusive to being a man. We need to grow up and move past these gender stereotypes. They're only holding us back as a nation.
DeleteAndrew H. Period 3
Chenise, I don't think that it's a different decision for either a man or woman. Men may have families too. They all have to decide for sure if they want to join the army.
DeleteAndrea W. Period 2
We can't force someone not wanting what they want. If they want be in front lines getting shoot at. Go ahead but my thinking is, women shouldn't fight a guy's war. Yes, women can do same things as we can as guys but you gotta think, girls are lot different from guys, not saying we're stronger(I know couple girls that can kick a guys butt)...Can't really put it in words but girls have show more feelings. What happens when your unit gets attacked from all over, can that girl handle that pressure like us guys?
ReplyDeleteTappe p7
A guy's war? Really? So the outcome of the war won't affect women at all, just men? That's absurd. Everyone has feelings, and you're just perpetuating the stereotype of women as emotional and weak and men as cold and heartless.
DeleteAndrew H. Period 3
Ryan, your comment is downright rude. Last time I checked, a war fought by the United States affects all citizens, not just males. So calling it "a guy's war" is outrageous. This isn't the 19th century, women shouldn't be expected to sit at home and clean the kitchen because they can't handle the pressure that a man deals with. Females are just as capable of executing military operations as are males.
DeleteMadison Goulet
Period 3
I'm on both sides with this one. I don't like how women can be involved in combat. Back then it was just the men that could do that and now women can too? I like it better when men can just fight instead of having women do it too. Why change the policy just so women can be involved? I'm also agreeing with it because its another job for the women that they can apply for when they are 18.
ReplyDeleteMcKenna Butler
Hour 2
Are women the only ones who look for love, Chelsey? Are men the only ones who can die for freedom, Ryan? And just what exactly do you mean by a "guys war"? Women have nursed men, taken care of their families, even operated farms during war times. But since only men have been allowed to fight thus far, I guess it is a "guys war". And as to women being too emotional to fight? What is training for? I think it would be a good thing, if they were trained to use their emotions properly. They could be willing to die for their compatriots, or willing to do anything to save them. And I know a lot of emotional guys, and some very unemotional girls. It's not fair to say all women are emotional and would do a horrible job. I think this is a good thing. Democracy is all about the people's rights, and if a women wants to fight alongside her fellow man, then she should be able to.
ReplyDeleteAbby Johnson
Period 3
It's a GREAT idea to allow women to fight. I don't like saying "allow" because I feel like we should all have the same rights. Men and women alike should not be judged about how "emotional" or anything else that they are able to do. We should all be given the right to fight for freedom. We're all for the same cause!
ReplyDelete-Andrea
Period 2
It's great that women are finally being "allowed" (as much as I hate how that word implies men being a superior power) to fight. If a person, be they male of female, wants to fight for freedom or a chance to make a difference ALL people should have a right to do so. There's no middle ground on this issue- a lack of equality IS sexist and discrimination. I don't think children should be an argument in this situation. Just because women bear the children doesn't mean they are solely theirs. Also, women aren't the only gender to have feelings. Does anyone truly believe that it doesn't hurt a sane man to shoot another human being? What in the world makes anyone think that ALL women cannot handle the same sort of pressure as even the weakest man? Chivalry is dead and buried for a reason. Why don't we try common sense and decency towards each other in it's place? I feel like that would be a much better option.
ReplyDeleteShelby Huseth -Hr 3
Israel already have women in their army so why can't we? Then again I don't really care who's in the army as long the join in on free will. You can pay someone to shoot, you can pay someone to kill, but you can't pay someone to believe in fighting for one's or someones else's county.
ReplyDeleteP:7
P. Kevin Bouphasavanh
I say that it's about time that women are allowed (for lack of a better word) in direct combat now. Honestly, it's not like women have not participated in combat before. If I'm not mistaken in past American wars (such as the Revolutionary War) women have even posed as men to be able to fight. Some even took the places of their wounded husbands on the battlefield. When it comes to the issue of family, that does not only apply to women. Men also have families, wives, children, etc. There are men that tend to be very family based. As for emotions, all people have them. It's a fact of life and the idea of humanity. Both men and women are equally as capable as being overemotional or cold and merciless. Any one is capable of fighting, despite anything like gender, race, etc.
ReplyDeleteMorgan A-B, Hour 2
I think it is about time that women are allowed into combat. Women have not been given a fair chance to prove themselves and that is just sexist of us. Saying these such as, women are to emotional to be put in tough situations is a typical stereo type. If women want to be put on the line to protect America I think nothing should stop them. I hope to see women strive in success over the next few years in this position.
ReplyDeleteJared Bethune
Period 2
I believe that the ablility to fight in direct combat has nothing to do with Gender. Saying women shouldn't be allowed to fight is like saying Mexicans can't fight, which is completly wrong. It wasn't helping anyone by having that law, I think it's good that they ended the policy.
ReplyDeleteSydney M. P2
I think it is great that women can serve in direct combat. I however have read that the women will be able to op out of a combat role if their ship or regiment are going to combat. Men however can not do this. If women want to be treated equally then that stipulation should be removed. An example of this would be if a ship was going to war the women could go to a different ship. I believe that this would created resentment.
ReplyDeleteBrian Snyder
P:3
I don't think that women should be able to fight in open combat. But i do think that women should have a choice wether or not they fight. i just think as a man that i wouldn't be able to watch a women bleed to death. I'm not saying that it would be easy to watch a man bleed to death. Its just i do think it is the mans choice to protect the women, but this is a free country and they have the right to do what they really want to do.
ReplyDeleteMitchell Roberts
P:3
LAST COMMENT!
ReplyDelete