US asks Congress to pass mandatory military registration bill for women

The US Senate Armed Services Committee on May 13 passed a bill to implement mandatory military registration for women starting in January 2018. If passed by both houses of the US Congress and signed into law by the President, this will be one of the biggest changes in the history of the US military, as military registration has traditionally been a duty reserved for men...

Senior military officials from all branches of the armed services expressed support for women registering for the draft during a congressional hearing, committee officials said. The House Armed Services Committee passed the bill by a narrow margin in late April.

Captain K. Grit at Ranger School, April 2015.

However, analysts say that although supported by both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, the bill is likely to face controversy when it is considered in both houses of Congress.

Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, who served in the Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, said that most Americans do not want women to register for military service and that not everyone in the US military is happy to work with women in combat.

Navy Chief Ray Mabus and Army Vice Chief Patrick Murphy expressed reluctance to support the move, adding that the issue required “a national debate” and legislative intervention.

Since 1973, the United States has not had a mandatory military service policy. However, all young men over the age of 18 must register for military service. This is a procedure for the defense agency to have a list of soldiers who can be mobilized in case of emergency. Meanwhile, female soldiers in the United States have been banned from serving in combat positions since 1994 and have rarely been considered for frontline duty since then except in special circumstances.

However, last year, the US Department of Defense announced that it would allow women to take on all existing jobs and positions in the military. According to US Defense Secretary A. Carter, there will be no exceptions. Women will be able to drive tanks, fire artillery, and command infantry on the battlefield. They can also join units such as: Rangers, Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Air Force paratroopers or any position previously reserved for men. This move will open up 220,000 job opportunities in the US military for women.

President Barack Obama welcomed the Pentagon's decision, calling it a "historic step" that would strengthen the US military. In 2013, the Obama administration ordered the military to accept women in all combat positions starting in 2016, including infantry, artillery, armored units and special forces. However, the White House leader allowed units to request exceptions. The US military currently has a total of 1.34 million people, about 15.6% of whom are women.

A female American soldier on duty (Internet photo)

Many opinions say that the most unfortunate thing for female soldiers, regardless of the difference in policies on the role of soldiers in the army, from Canada to the US, Australia or Sweden, is that they often face the problem of sexual harassment and rape in military establishments.

While female soldiers continue to brave the same dangers as their male counterparts, the danger comes from their male comrades on the battlefield. According to the Pentagon, only about 10% of sexual assaults are reported, much lower than the rate reported in civilian settings. However, the number of complaints about this problem is increasing. In the US military, there were 2,908 reported cases of sexual abuse involving members performing tasks on the battlefield.

In March, the U.S. military began recruiting women for combat roles, including the Navy SEALs. The military office said military bases have made necessary changes to facilities to accommodate female soldiers, such as bathrooms and sleeping quarters. In addition, units will monitor training, assess injuries, sexual harassment and conflicts between soldiers and come up with appropriate solutions.

Army generals say it will take up to three years for female soldiers to become familiar with combat missions. They insist the military will not lower combat training standards or other regulations to increase the number of female soldiers. Military agencies predict that only a small number of women will volunteer for the mission and that it is difficult for them to pass the training courses before joining the combat. The US Marine Corps estimates that about 200 female soldiers will transfer to ground combat each year. While the commander of the special forces said that very few volunteers for special missions. The US Navy confirmed that it has begun recruiting potential female candidates for the SEAL task force and will soon see female recruits or female junior training officers in September and October 2016.

At the end of April, the US Army welcomed its first female infantry officer in history. To become the first female infantry officer in the US Army, Captain K. Griest (Kristen Griest) had to undergo 62 days of extremely challenging and arduous training, eating only one meal a day and sleeping a few hours. K. Griest is about to become the first woman to command a combat infantry unit.

According to qdnd.vn