FREE ESSAY ON WOMEN IN COMBAT

WOMEN IN COMBAT

Women In Combat
"From Kelly Flinn to G.I. Jane, controversy has raged in recent months over whether women
are fit for military service" (Brown 326). In the articles "Women Unfit for Combat? Au
Contraire!" and "Women are not a Warrior Class," both authors convey their thoughts on
women in combat. Both authors give many reasons why or why not women should be allowed to
fight in combat. Timothy Brown, the author of "Women Unfit for Combat? Au Contraire!"
gives many more strong examples to argue his case than the author of "Women are not a
Warrior Class" and, consequently, has a more persuasive essay. 
In an effort to discourage women from considering combat rolls in the military, Paul 
Hackett, one of the authors of "Women are not a Warrior Class," made this bold statement
in his 
argument, 
"Can women master the skills and strategies of combat as well as men? 
Yes. Can women mentally endure the rigors of combat as well as men?
Yes. Can women meet the physical rigors of combat at the level
required by the U.S. forces and in particular the U.S. Marine Corps? 
Absolutely not!" 
Is it fair to assume that women are incapable of having the stability to fight in combat?
Brown 
uses the women commandos of Nicaragua who fought for their country to argue his point
that if 
given the opportunity and encouragement, American women could effectively perform well in

combat. 
Since the beginning of time, women have been viewed as the weaker sex. Through the years,
the stature of women in society has grown, leading a way for women to become not the
male's possession but his equal. This is not true all the time, especially when dealing
with women in combat. James Collins another author of "Women Unfit for Combat" argues
that when women are put in life threatening conditions, many of them would rise to the
challenge, but he doesn't believe that women should be allowed to be on the front line in
combat. As Brown explains, anyone who wants to fight on the front line for his/her
country should be able to, regardless of sex. Women have proved themselves to be fully
capable in doing most jobs a man can do. It's not an issue of who is better. "In terms of
the demands of infantry warfare, women have proved themselves capable of fighting under
even the most arduous of conditions" (Brown 327).
According to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "all men and women are created equal" (WIC). Brown
supports this statement made by Stanton by using personal experiences of women such as
Angelica Maria. "A legend among her male peers, Angelica Maria then continued as
commander of her almost all-male platoon until, wounded in combat for a seventh time, she
was forced to seek medical attention" (Brown 326). Hackett on the other hand says "The
marine Corps grunts are the Olympic gold medallists when it comes to combat. If for the
sake of diversity and political correctness we want to include a women in combat, then
consider the cost of that decision: the silver medal in combat is defeat" (Hackett 329).
The reality that Hackett can actually believe that a woman in combat would lead to defeat
is absurd and degrading to the entire female population. As Brown believes, women should
be able to fight for their country, without being demoralized while doing so.
Not only does Timothy Brown convince his readers that woman in combat is more than just
about women's rights and morals. He convinces his readers that women in combat are about
the ability to make dreams come true is what really matters. By doing so, he is paving
the way for many other men and women to speak their mind on this very important issue and
also helping women progress in the field of combat.
Bibliography
Work Cited
Brown, Timothy C. "Women Unfit for Combat? Au Contraire," The Structure of Argument.
1994. Bedford/St. Martin's
Collins, James, Paul L. Hackett, Bill Norton. "Women are not a Warrior Class," The
Structure of 
Argument. 1994. Bedford/St. Martin's
The New American Desk Encyclopedia
Penguin Group, New York, 1998
Women's History in America
Presented by Women's International Center (WIC)
www.wic.org/misc/history.htm