Women in combat.

• Author: Wilson, Heather

THE INTEGRATION of women into the American military has been a gradual process punctuated by historic milestones: the 1967 decision to lift the restrictions which prevented women from rising above the rank of lieutenant colonel; the entrance of women into ROTC in 1969 and pilot training in 1973; the expansion of opportunities for women to serve at sea which began in 1972; and the admission of women into the service academies in 1976. Over the last twenty-five years, women in the military have increased in number and migrated away from the traditional roles of nurse and clerk, into positions of greater risk and responsibility.

This evolution went largely unnoticed until the Gulf War, when CNN brought us images of a military force which had gone co-ed. 40,000 American women served in the Gulf War; 2 were POWs; 11 were killed in action. For the first time in our history, America's leaders spoke routinely about "our men and women" in the Armed Forces.

The Gulf War highlighted the jobs women already do in the military and the laws and policies which continued to circumscribe their participation. In the wake of the war, a debate ensued about what women in the military can do, and what they should do. Over the last year and a half, Congress, a Presidential Commission, and the Department of Defense considered the evidence and argued the merits. In December 1991, the 1948 law prohibiting women from flying in combat was repealed. In April of this year, the secretary of defense directed the services to change their policies and open combat aircraft to women. With the public support of the Chief of Naval Operations and Secretary of Defense Aspin, Congress will probably consider lifting the one remaining law that limits the authority of the Department of Defense to assign women, Title 10 U.S.C. 6015, which prohibits women from serving on combat ships for longer than 180 days at a time.

While many Americans continue to have concerns about allowing women in ground combat, the Services are ready to open combat ships and aircraft to women. Women can do these jobs, and, as a society, we should not prohibit them from doing so.

Can They?

IN 1973 the first group of women entered naval pilot training and the Air Force opened pilot training in 1976. Training and standards are the same for men and women. While the Air Force has not allowed women to fly combat aircraft other than as test pilots, the Navy has interpreted the law more liberally, allowing women to fly...