In January 2016, Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s announcement to lift the ban on females serving in combat arms units became a reality. For the United States Army, combat arms branches include Infantry, Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Aviation, Corps of Engineers, Field Artillery, and Special Forces. Since the creation of the Army, June 14, 1775, until January 2016, these branches were not open to female Soldiers. One reason the branches were only offered to men is because of the psychological differences between men and women. It is true, combat duties like scaling a wall or loading heavy artillery rounds are more difficult for women because of the 40-60% contrast in upper body strength between the two genders. It is also true that rucking or marching with a minimum of 35 pounds of military equipment, is also more challenging for women because of their smaller percentage of lower body strength in comparison to men. Despite the physical struggles female Soldiers face within combat arm environments, as long as females are meeting the standard and are physically fit enough to perform their tasks well, the Army has grown to accept females in combat arms branches. In fact, according to the first female four-star general, Ann Dunwoody, "if a woman can meet the same standards required for her male counterparts, there is no reason why she should not be able to do the job."

            Furthermore, the Army is continuing to research and pursue gender equality and gender integration. For example, in order to obtain research of first-hand experiences, a study was conducted in June 2021 on ten female officers and non-commissioned officers serving in combat arms branches within the Army, Army Reserves, and Army National Guard. The study concludes that the ten females all had similar experiences based around the themes of leadership development, acceptance, and being approachable/having emotional intelligence. The females shared about the importance of knowing their leaders had confidence in them. The ten females also had challenges with being in a combat arms unit that centered around the themes of adjusting to the culture, finding a work-family balance, and pressure to prove themselves. The women felt it was awkward when they first joined their units because the males expressed an attitude of disapproval. Even though the Army is working to have a more diverse team, every unit will have setbacks. The study proves the Army's intentions and both the positive and negative experiences that come with change. Overall, the allowance of female Soldiers to join combat arms units is moving towards their goal of gaining a more diversified, gender equal, and gender integrated force.

Works Cited

Campbell, Leona Cassandra. A Phenomenological Study of Female Army Leaders in Combat Arms Units. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2021.

Dunwoody, Ann E. "Equal Opportunities for Army Women?" Army, vol. 65, no. 6, 2015, pp. 18-19. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/equal-opportunities-army-women/docview/1683318219/se-2?accountid=13360.

U.S. Army Celebrates Women's Contributions and Service, 11 Mar. 2020, www.army.mil/article/233667/u_s_army_celebrates_womens_contributions_and.... Accessed 3 Nov. 2021.