Dear Madame/Mr. President:

In today’s society, we as a country  want equality. It is possible to have complete equality?  When will women get the same post-war treatment as men? Will all parties get along with the each other in the actual war zone? Will women be trained to get the job done cleanly and efficiently? Will all training standards be equal? The only way to find out is to implement it. Put women in the war zone and see how they handle it. Not all men make it, nor do I believe all women would make it either, not everyone is created to handle a war zone. At the end of 2015, the government lifted the ban on men only combat roles (Baldor, 2015). This allowed letting women try out for Special Forces, Delta, Marines, Infantry, and Rangers and allowing them to try for any position. Recently two women made it through Ranger school and are part of one of the best forms of infantry in the Military. I am a senior in high school who has been looking into the military for a while and believe that women can be great assets to the combat aspect of the military. Other countries have already taken the step to let women choose their jobs for combat or even special forces operations.

Our country is far behind on letting women be in combat roles, but we are making great strides. Other countries have been allowing women in combat for over 10 years. For example, Germany, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Israel, New Zealand, and Norway all have been letting women serve in combat roles and have been effective. Is the change slow to happen because society is fearful of change or is it the government holding society back? When things change, people question every detail and assume it will not work. However this country was founded on the love of freedom, and society will support a woman's freedom of choice for her career. This country will continue to change as society's needs change. According to Lolita Baldor (2015), a PBS news journalist, the Marines asked to keep women out of certain infantry because they question the belief that they will be as effective as men. This question the Marines posed cannot be answered with anything other than bias and sexism because women have not been given the opportunity to show what they can do. In order for this question to be answered the military and society need to have an open mind in regards to gender roles. According to Baldor (2015), a survey was given to members of the Infantry and Special Operations Forces, who agreed with the Marines that they thought it would hurt their effectiveness as an elite unit. The real question is, how could they be not as effective as males? If they go through all the same training, skills, combat readiness, and other special training as the males, then why would they not be able to be up front in combat, if they feel they can do it? Women can be just as effective as men in any situation if given proper training.

Now aside from all of the thoughts about what could work and be effective, how would they be treated after the fact? Will they be treated equally, get the same treatment necessary, or even would they be discriminated against? I personally believe that if we allow women to be Infantry, Marines, Special Forces, or any area they choose, women could prove to be effective and even excel above some of the men in the field. If women want to be on the front lines, I say let them. How can the government choose what is the right place for women in the battlefield, when they are out in the workforce, in society, and doing the same jobs and men and excelling in some areas faster and stronger than men. It is not our place to provide unequal opportunities for women. Our country has come a long way since the 1920’s when women were allowed to vote, and in the late 1960’s where there was an influx of women in the workplace (Women's History In America, 1995). My bottom line is to provide women with the chance to do what they feel drawn to, whether that is combat, other areas of the military, or not. Just don’t discriminate because they are women.

Sincerely,

Cody