“Combat exclusion kept women from the most hazardous positions for many years. The most dramatic shift to more combat related duties came from pushes on several fronts, including the National Organization for Women (representing the desires of women in the military), The Defense Advisory Committee for Women in the Service (DACOWITS) and the Department of Defense Task Force on Women in the Military."
"Those organizations pushed for greater career opportunities, responsible positions, etc., to help women be more competitive for promotion. However, with those opportunities came increasing risks to life and limb."
The author forgot to add a line or two about the increasing risk to those organizations when a woman succeeds and reaches new heights of position and power, but has a different ideology that is in conflict with the supporting organization. This can threaten the leadership of the organization, forcing the leadership to either abandon the woman (subsequently discrediting her to protect the organization, and yet displaying an ulterior agenda) or support the woman (thus displaying and acting in accordance with the stated goals of the organization). Depending on how the organization reacts will determine the genuineness and legitimacy of the stated goals. The risk can be susbstantial to an organization that acts against the stated goals and agenda.
What valid organization would allow someone with a different ideology than that of the group as a whole (regardless of gender) to rise to a leadership position where they could potentially have such great effects?
Or, if the person changed beliefs once in the position of power, how does their gender affect what steps should be taken if they are no longer fulfilling the role they were intended to fill?
I agree on the allowance of women in combat posititions as long as the standards are the same across the board for men and women without sacrificing the intent of the standard.
The DoD will have to work around caveats like making equal ratings points for PT scores for men and women.
The whole pregnancy thing is also a force diminisher when it comes to some job descriptions, but I don't have an answer for that one yet.
