Cja 324 Personal Dilemma Research Paper
Personal Dilemma
Evan C. Acree
CJA/324
February 21, 2015
Yolonda Johnson
Personal Dilemma
A minimum of forty-nine push-ups within a two minute time frame, fifty-nine sit-ups within a two minute time frame, a five mile run within a forty minute time frame, and six pull-ups (Smith, 2015). These are the United States Army’s Ranger physical fitness test standards for any male who wants to attend the Army Ranger School no matter the age or background of the person. These physical fitness standards are very challenging for most men, but will they soon change? The former Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, has given all the United States Armed Forces until January 1, 2016 to fully and successfully integrate women into combat arms military occupational …show more content…
specialties (USA Today, 2013). This poses many ethical problems and dilemmas, and many of these will be highlighted throughout this excerpt. The nature of the dilemma posed by women being able to serve in combat roles will be explained, why the ethical decision was made to enable women to be able to serve in combat roles will be highlighted, the alternative courses of actions that could have been taken will be discussed, and lastly the outcome of the situation will be analyzed as it pertains to women serving in combat military occupational specialties.
Ethics is the study of right and wrong, good and evil. Who makes the decisions of what is right and wrong is a question many people struggle to understand every day. One person may view something is right and another person may view the same situation as wrong. The way ethics applies to women serving in combat roles is majority of men in combat military occupational specialties believe women cannot do the job sufficiently or efficiently. Women have been fighting since the Mexican War in 1846 to serve in combat arms military occupational specialties (Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., N.D.). Most people do think it is ethically wrong to assume and tell a certain person, group or category of people they cannot do something without physically and scientifically proving they cannot. This was the ethical dilemma with women serving in combat military occupational specialties, being told they cannot when some women know they can.
On January 24, 2013 former Secretary of Defense states, "Women have shown great courage and sacrifice on and off the battlefield, contributed in unprecedented ways to the military 's mission and proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles,” and he later states the Department of the Army goal is to make sure the United States Armed Forces missions are met with the best qualified and capable individuals regardless of gender (USA Today, 2013). This ethical decision made by Leon Panetta is the correct one, although the public and military outcry is on the opposition. The United States executive government branch fully supports the decision made by Leon Panetta. The Joint Chiefs of Staff believes it will enhance the United States’ Armed Forces combat readiness and give it more strength (USA Today, 2013). The ethical decision made is aligned with the United States Army’s motto, an army of one.
The alternative action that could have been taken to slowly start to integrate women into combat arms military occupational specialties would have been to change the physical fitness test standards, and make the standards even across the board for males and females. This would be just to ensure women were just as physically capable as men. The next thing they could have done was to change the army technical guide 281. It states women should have access to bathing facilities daily with hot and cold running water (U.S. Army, 2010). Men do not have this luxury. Once again, the standards need to be the same across the board. The alternative action should have been just to make certain things the same standard for men and women, and then this would be an easier transition for the military.
In conclusion, the ethical dilemma was no one in the military physically or scientifically checked if women were capable to even serve in combat arms military occupational specialties.
The ethical decision was made by former Secretary of Defense was to let women serve in combat roles since they have contributed to the military tremendously already. The alternative action would have been to make certain things the same standard for all before allowing women to serve in combat roles. The outcome from all this is still ongoing because they have now just started integrate women in to combat roles, but once the smoke clears and everyone accepts it, it will not be a problem. America will soon see there are women in the world with the same intestinal fortitude like Elizabeth Newcom and Dr. Mary Walker (Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., N.D.).
References
Smith, S. (2015). Military.Com. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-special-operations/army-ranger-pft
Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc.. (N.D.). Women 's Memorial. Retrieved from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html
U.S. Army. (2010). Army.Mil. Retrieved from http://phc.amedd.army.mil/phc%20resource%20library/tg281finaljuly2010.pdf
USA Today. (2013). USA Today. Retrieved from
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/24/women-combat-change-panetta/1861995/
Evan C. Acree
CJA/324
February 21, 2015
Yolonda Johnson
Personal Dilemma
A minimum of forty-nine push-ups within a two minute time frame, fifty-nine sit-ups within a two minute time frame, a five mile run within a forty minute time frame, and six pull-ups (Smith, 2015). These are the United States Army’s Ranger physical fitness test standards for any male who wants to attend the Army Ranger School no matter the age or background of the person. These physical fitness standards are very challenging for most men, but will they soon change? The former Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, has given all the United States Armed Forces until January 1, 2016 to fully and successfully integrate women into combat arms military occupational …show more content…
specialties (USA Today, 2013). This poses many ethical problems and dilemmas, and many of these will be highlighted throughout this excerpt. The nature of the dilemma posed by women being able to serve in combat roles will be explained, why the ethical decision was made to enable women to be able to serve in combat roles will be highlighted, the alternative courses of actions that could have been taken will be discussed, and lastly the outcome of the situation will be analyzed as it pertains to women serving in combat military occupational specialties.
Ethics is the study of right and wrong, good and evil. Who makes the decisions of what is right and wrong is a question many people struggle to understand every day. One person may view something is right and another person may view the same situation as wrong. The way ethics applies to women serving in combat roles is majority of men in combat military occupational specialties believe women cannot do the job sufficiently or efficiently. Women have been fighting since the Mexican War in 1846 to serve in combat arms military occupational specialties (Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., N.D.). Most people do think it is ethically wrong to assume and tell a certain person, group or category of people they cannot do something without physically and scientifically proving they cannot. This was the ethical dilemma with women serving in combat military occupational specialties, being told they cannot when some women know they can.
On January 24, 2013 former Secretary of Defense states, "Women have shown great courage and sacrifice on and off the battlefield, contributed in unprecedented ways to the military 's mission and proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles,” and he later states the Department of the Army goal is to make sure the United States Armed Forces missions are met with the best qualified and capable individuals regardless of gender (USA Today, 2013). This ethical decision made by Leon Panetta is the correct one, although the public and military outcry is on the opposition. The United States executive government branch fully supports the decision made by Leon Panetta. The Joint Chiefs of Staff believes it will enhance the United States’ Armed Forces combat readiness and give it more strength (USA Today, 2013). The ethical decision made is aligned with the United States Army’s motto, an army of one.
The alternative action that could have been taken to slowly start to integrate women into combat arms military occupational specialties would have been to change the physical fitness test standards, and make the standards even across the board for males and females. This would be just to ensure women were just as physically capable as men. The next thing they could have done was to change the army technical guide 281. It states women should have access to bathing facilities daily with hot and cold running water (U.S. Army, 2010). Men do not have this luxury. Once again, the standards need to be the same across the board. The alternative action should have been just to make certain things the same standard for men and women, and then this would be an easier transition for the military.
In conclusion, the ethical dilemma was no one in the military physically or scientifically checked if women were capable to even serve in combat arms military occupational specialties.
The ethical decision was made by former Secretary of Defense was to let women serve in combat roles since they have contributed to the military tremendously already. The alternative action would have been to make certain things the same standard for all before allowing women to serve in combat roles. The outcome from all this is still ongoing because they have now just started integrate women in to combat roles, but once the smoke clears and everyone accepts it, it will not be a problem. America will soon see there are women in the world with the same intestinal fortitude like Elizabeth Newcom and Dr. Mary Walker (Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., N.D.).
References
Smith, S. (2015). Military.Com. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-special-operations/army-ranger-pft
Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc.. (N.D.). Women 's Memorial. Retrieved from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html
U.S. Army. (2010). Army.Mil. Retrieved from http://phc.amedd.army.mil/phc%20resource%20library/tg281finaljuly2010.pdf
USA Today. (2013). USA Today. Retrieved from
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/24/women-combat-change-panetta/1861995/