Women in War

You’ve just been recruited to serve in the Iraq War along with two random people you don’t know: an average man, who according to Wikipedia is approximately 191lbs, 5 feet 10 inches tall, and an average woman- approximately 161lbs, 5 feet 5 inches. After arriving and going through proper training with your new comrades, you're given your very dangerous first assignment; you'll be heading into the front line of war. You have the option of choosing one of the two to come with you: the woman or the man. Instinctually, the man would be a better first choice. Not only are men naturally larger, but also are stronger. Women have time and again proven they're far more prone to stress, and obviously much more sensitive especially when it comes to subjects such as death. Women should not be allowed to be present in combat situations because not only are they inferior to men when it comes to fighting (combat), but they aren't mentally as resilient to face such situations. First and foremost in factors that matter in combat is physical ability. On average, one would naturally be prone to thinking that men have more muscle. They'd be right. Men are born with a specific hormone: testosterone. Livestrong.com, partners with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, reports that testosterone increases muscle mass. Even though women have testosterone, men's levels overwhelmingly surpass the small amount a woman's body holds - specifically 6-8 mg in comparison to a woman's 0.5 mg. Testosterone provides numerous anabolic effects, including a significant growth of muscle, which naturally provides a man with greater strength. Men not only have more testosterone, but also have larger lungs, which grow a considerable amount during puberty. This provides men with a greater capacity for cardiovascular endurance. Being stronger and having better cardiovascular is very important when you are involved in combat as it requires being able to do certain things with a limited period of time. The amount of gear one carries while in combat averages 90-100lbs, depending on the mission, says an Iraq War veteran who posted on Ask.com. In a combat situation, you should ask yourself if you would rather a man or a woman carrying a hundred pound pack while simultaneously attempting to protect you- when the man is perfectly fine and while the woman is bending over panting from the excess weight she’s carrying. Secondly is the mental portion of the job. If you had a choice to join the army would you? Being on the front line of battle is something that traumatizes people. In 2008, the Society for Women’s Health Research concluded that 17% of all veterans from Iraq have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 14% being women and just 3% being men. That means for every 100 people who returned from the war only 3 men were diagnosed with PTSD and 14 women suffered. Steve Nums, a sniper who fought in the Iraq War, said, “For [women] to adopt a mentality of doing the same thing every day - 'eat, sleep, patrol, and kill' - it's very hard for them. Being a veteran and witnessing this first hand, I know that they can’t handle seeing death so often." A veteran woman anonymously posted on a blog of “Why Women Shouldn’t Be In Combat saying, “The mindset needed to kill someone on a daily basis is not one that would effectively allow women and men to serve side by side without strong risk to the bonds of fraternity that are vital to the military functioning as a unit.” Not only did a man- a veteran- assert that women shouldn’t fight, but a woman veteran of the war agreed. Similarly, the Society for Women's Health and Research conducted a study that showed that “In general women have greater frequency and intensity of negative emotions. Women have more startle modulation and autonomic responses to aversive content; all of which can make women more susceptible to developing PTSD.” Women have proven to be far more sensitive and at risk of long term trauma from war, and therefore should be kept out of the battle lines if not for the safety of the men around them, but for their own mental wellbeing. Granted, there may be women who disagree with these statements, asserting that women and men are equal and have equal rights. While this is perfectly legitimate, rights do not change the physical or mental capabilities of a woman. The point being: women aren’t physically strong enough or emotionally competent for combat, and should keep away from combat in order to prevent unnecessary deaths or trauma. The Department of Defense itself stated that "less than 25% of the women were capable of performing the tasks" that were needed in regular training when men completed at a much higher percentile (the exact value was not given). Along with the concern of women being not as strong as men, they also are proven to have "less dense [bones], and more prone to breakages” according to Wikipedia. Would you want your female partner to get a hairline fracture simply by tripping on the harsh terrain? Finally, you return from combat and your partner, the male, saved your life. Aren’t you glad you picked him? If you picked the female the chances of her performing at the same level of a man would have been at a far percentage, because she is most likely not as strong. Men naturally have more muscle and can exercise longer than women before going into oxygen debt and beginning to struggle. Something else that lowers that percentage is women's difference in mentality. Their frame of mind can cause them to have PTSD and other lasting mental affects far more easily than men. Even in training women have proved less capable than men; naturally one can assume the percentage gap would stretch even wider given a real world situation where conditions are not as forgiving. Women should not be able to serve in combat as they don't have the necessities to be a sufficient fighter and addition to the armed forces.