American women, through their support and participation, have always played a significant role in American wars across the ages. In World War II, women became essential assets in nursing and providing medical assistance, but they still were not considered part of the regular military. Not until the mid-1970's were women integrated into the United States military, and they are still currently prohibited from serving in combat roles (D'Amico 67). In the eyes of the American public, some feel women do not belong in combat. The issues surrounding their argument range from physiological, psychological, and military-strategic, to the "nature of war-. Some debate a lack of logic and reasoning as to why women are not to be able to serve in a combat role alongside men; however, in today's society, women should be given the choice to serve in a combat environment if they meet the qualifications and are capable and competent enough to perform at the same level as their male counterparts. .
Those who feel women are not of equal physical strength foster heavy debate and are strongly substantiated. Numerous studies support the idea that women have be shown to be physically unable to compare to men. One of the main issues that the opposition argues is that the physiological strength and the structure of a woman will not enable her to participate in certain combat situations. The Center for International Strategic Studies took surveys asking young enlisted women and men if they believe women could effectively perform their job in a physically strenuous environment. The survey concluded, "fully two thirds of the males said no, they could not. Interestingly, nearly one half of the females agreed- (Springer). George Gilder, who defends the combat exclusion policy, argues, "women's smaller stature and lack of upper body strength' make them less useful combat soldiers than men- (D'Amico 68).
