That title is my reaction to Syria and discussions about “boots on the ground”, and I decided to look at the current status of Women in Combat. Some important changes coming in 2016. First, a screenshot of the Selective Service website (their emphasis; but note “male immigrants, whether documented or undocumented” are also required to register):
Virtually all male U.S. citizens, regardless of where they live, and male immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, residing in the United States, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service.
The law says men must register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. That means men are required to register with Selective Service sometime during the 30 days before their 18th birthday, their 18th birthday, and the following 29 days after their 18th birthday – that is a 60-day registration period.
Women Already Serve in Combat — On January 24, 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed the 1994 ban on Women in Combat; however, not all combat occupations were opened at that time — those that still exempt women are “mostly in the infantry, armor, artillery and Special Operations”. Currently, a Quarter Million Military Jobs remain closed to women. The deadline to fully integrate women into ground combat is the end of 2015. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter recently said:
...he has all the reports from the services on whether to open up all military jobs to women but that he won't be making any decisions until January [2016].
When these combat occupations become available to women, it becomes more urgent for Congress to determine whether or not women (18-25) are required to register for Selective Service. That, then Army Secretary John McHugh stated, should be a “pretty emotional debate and discussion”.
"If your objective is true and pure equality then you have to look at all aspects" of the roles of women in the military, McHugh said, and registration for the draft "will be one of those things. That will have to be considered."
. . .
However, as more military occupational specialties are opened to women, the debate on Selective Service System registration was inevitable, McHugh said. "If we find ourselves as a military writ large where men and women have equal opportunity, as I believe we should," he said.
My original title for this blogette was — one of these days these boots, from Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots are Made for Walkin’”. Primarily to point out the service and sacrifices women have made since the American Revolution. The Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN):
The 19 year-old ban on women serving in combat roles has resulted in a legacy that has prevented women from gaining access to the most prestigious assignments and being promoted to the highest echelons of military service, a phenomenon known as “the brass ceiling.” In spite of the ban being officially lifted, the vast majority of restricted occupational fields in the military still remain off limits to women.
This remains a critical readiness issue. In order to attract and retain the best and brightest into the military, women must be given the opportunity to serve in every occupational field. Having women in greater positions of institutional leadership will also have the added benefit of bringing about a positive cultural change within all branches of the military.
No. I do not want to deploy troops to fight (thanks Bernie) in a quagmire of a quagmire. Continuing to clarify the role of women in combat should preface this discussion.