Since the Revolutionary War women have partaken in numerous roles vital to the success of our nations military. Most of these jobs included clerical and administrative positions. Many of the women were also nurses, often times they found themselves close to the battle working at Mobile Air Support Hospitals (also known as Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals or M*A*S*H for short.) Although women have played an active role in the military, it was not until recently that women began to push for equal rights in Americas fighting force.
With women's rights organizations pushing for gender equality in the military, it has proven to be anything but equal. Integration has proved that women are not capable physically emotionally or mentally of the standards and rigors of a military culture. These factors all come into play when training our nations marines, airmen, soldiers, and sailors. By allowing women to enter the military we have seen weakened standards while simultaneously trying to transform them into disciplined warriors. As a result recruits fresh out of basic training are lacking skills and proficiency in a variety of areas. If this erosion of military standards is to continue it is possible it will undermine military discipline, morale, and readiness of the U.S conventional fighting forces.
When one thinks of the term "warrior" the first thing that comes to mind is probably not a woman, especially a woman with children. It seems as if the military has always been identified with masculinity. The heroic warriors who defeated the enemy and protected society during the times of war were from which the male identity was based upon or formed. I remember growing up as a boy; one of the first toys I received was a UH-1 Huey attack helicopter with my fathers squadron painted on the side. As I grew up I received G.I. Joes, the Marine Corps mascot (bulldog) and many other militaristic like toys.
