Women should have the opportunity to fight alongside men in front line combat and should register for Selective Service for the United States.
On Jan. 24, 2013 former Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta lifted a 1994 ban on women serving in combat and stating that all combat jobs and direct combat units will be open to women.
Implementation of this rule is still ongoing, with the Pentagon allowing until Jan. 2016 for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard to make a decision on whether or not they will let women enter combat.
Four out of the five branches are willing to comply with the exception of the Marines, with research being made to see whether opening up combat positions to women would be beneficial.
I believe that women should be able to partake in front line combat alongside men, and in addition, should be able to register for Selective Service.
I would like to preface this with the fact that I am a man, and I acknowledge that I do not wholeheartedly understand the difficulties of women.
That being said, I understand that women are equal to men, and not the stereotypes that have plagued womanhood in American culture.
Women account for 16.3 percent of the total Army, and serve in 95 percent of all Army occupations.
They may be the minority, but women have as much passion for serving their country as their male counterparts.
Keeping with that, the issue of military conscription should also be addressed.
If men are required to register for Selective Service, then women should as well.
Men at 18 have to register for selective service and failure to do so restricts their ability to receive financial aid and federal employment.
Requiring women to register at 18 along with men for Selective Service is fair.
This means no one gets discriminated against and it eliminates gender inequality in possible future drafts.
Women in the military want to fight for our country and have taken measures for them to do so.
As of Oct. 12, three women have completed the elite army ranger course at Fort Benning, Ga.
These women have adhered to the same standards the men have, and I’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who denies their strength.
Even with the three who have completed the rigorous exercises proving their strength, women have had a hard time proving they can perform the same tasks.
Throughout American culture, women have not had the same privileges as men, and even today, there are things we tell our daughters that we would not tell our sons.
Women are fighting the patriarchy and setting the path for future generations.
Women will see those fighting alongside men in Afghanistan and Iraq, and feel proud to show them that they can endure high-intensity situations.
There are women at Citrus College who are ex-military, and they are prime examples of womanhood holding its own and making America proud.
Whether you were born a boy or a girl, what should matter is your ability, work ethic and the pride you hold to fight our enemies oversees for democracy and for the United States of America.
I thank anyone who gives their all for their country and for freedom.
