Women have been serving in the US military for decades. But is it time to include them in ground combat units?
New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez believes so — but then, he seems to think that the prime role of the military, even in wartime, is to serve as a job-training center.
“I am concerned about the inconsistency that the combat-exclusion policy presents for women in our armed forces,” he says.
By which he means that women must be given the same training and career opportunities as men — and he says he’s preparing legislation to do just that.
But that’s getting out ahead of the equality game.
First, Menendez needs to fix it so that every 18-year-old female in America has to register for the draft — just like the guys.
Even though the draft ended in 1973, all males (including resident aliens) must sign up with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday, as a preparedness measure should conscription be reinstated — as some, like Rep. Charlie Rangel, have proposed.
Failure to do so subjects one to five years’ imprisonment, denial of many federal benefits (as well as a driver’s license) and a fine of up to $250,000.
Practically speaking, there’s scant likelihood that the draft will be reinstated. The military doesn’t want it, and there’s no public appetite for it.
Symbolically, however, if equal rights are at issue, equal responsibilities should come into play, too. Right, Sen. Menendez?
Fact is, there are valid and important reasons why women as a rule should be excluded from ground combat. And they are rooted in the general physical differences between the sexes.
Yes, some women can handle combat, just as some men can’t. But the substantial physical distinctions make a real difference when it comes to engaging in sustained ground combat — or even training realistically for it — as repeated studies have demonstrated.
As distressing as this may be to all the Bob Menendezes out there, biology sometimes really is destiny — and pretending otherwise can have fatal consequences.
In the end, of course, Menendez doesn’t care about true equality. If he did, he’d amend his proposal to make women subject to the draft.