Should women serve in combat roles? I think they should. And with the passing of the law which opens the frontline to those of the female gender, the debate is even fiercer than before.

The opposition to women in combat has produced many strong points which they argue over furiously. Here are some of the most debated points.

Point 1: Women do not have the physical or mental strength to endure the stresses of combat.

Admittedly, women are less physically strong than men. But this gap has been successfully reduced through exercise. Not to mention, physicality is not the only characteristic of a good soldier - at least I hope not!
On the other side of the coin is the fact that there are more reports of cases of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from women than from men. But this report fails to take in account the fact that women are more likely to report PTSD and be treated for it than men.

Point 2: Putting women into the team picture destroys unit cohesion and the traditional military brotherhood.
Really. Women have served in units with men in Iraq with no such problems. They were a respected and appreciated part of the team. Also, soldiers attest that the behavior of their comrades in battle is what really matters. There is no question that women have shown courage under fire.

Then, of course, there is the argument over the traditional role of women. Killing is the man’s realm, and not for the gentler woman.

I believe that if most of you honestly asked yourselves if you would be completely comfortable with killing a person, most of you would answer negatively, regardless of whether you are male or female.

I’m sure that most of you would rather help and rescue people than kill, maim, and destroy them – whether you are male or female.

But I’m also sure that when the need arose for you to defend your values, ideals and fellow humans you would to the best of your abilities. I don’t believe this sentiment is purely male.

I also believe that for different individuals “to the best of your abilities” manifests itself in different ways, in different people. For some, it is doing those little things in your community that really matter, for others it’s serving on the frontlines.

This is why I don’t think that the question of women in combat is a question of women breaking into the last male stronghold. I don’t think it is a question of gender roles. I think it is the question of individual rights. If one believes that nothing short of fighting the enemy face to face is falling short – who are they that would stop them?

Just American History has proven the futility of keeping women out of combat, from the female soldiers of the American Revolution, to the disguised snipers of the Civil War, to the thousands of women who answered the call during World War II - doing as much as they were permitted and longing to do more.

Who are they that would stop them?