On Thursday January 24, 2013 history was made. Our women in arms took a step forward to the same level as the men they trained along side. It was announced by Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense, that the front lines are now open to the women that are an “integral part” of our military. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, Panetta and the White House all endorsed the decision. Since being banned in 1994 women have unseen on the front lines, but now they will finally retake the scene almost two decades later.
Like anything that has to do with women being equal to men, there are questions and debates weighing the pros and cons. Women not having the same strength, mentality or ability as men are the main topics of many rants, but only time will tell if the decision was made for the best or not. Women have just about half of the upper body strength as men which proves to be a problem when lifting and loading a tank with a 65 pound shell. Stress fractures rates are higher in women than in men. Gen. Dempsey recently said as much: “If we do decide that a particular standard is so high that a woman couldn’t make it, the burden is now on the service to come back and explain to the secretary, ‘Why is it that high? Does it really have to be that high?’”
This is an issue for many men because they feel like it is not such an honor to meet the qualifications if they are not the same for everyone. In this case, equality among the two is a bit misleading, but even so, women will be seen on the front lines. Their help will be much appreciated and welcomed in our armed forces. January 24th will be an important part of our history as a nation.
