Marine study stirs debate on women in combat: Your Say

A Marine Corps study found that all-male ground combat units performed better than ones that included women. Letter to the editor:

As founder and program director for Soldier’s Heart programming for women troops and veterans, I have some reflections about why it may be that gender-integrated military units don’t perform as well as all-male units (“Marine study finds all-male infantry units outperformed teams with women”).

It seems that those interviewed assume that women are the problem, despite their superb performance. What the article doesn’t question is the military culture itself and how it might contribute to the problem.

Perhaps men don’t perform as well with women in the unit. That is worth examining. Furthermore, women often have to put up with sexual harassment by fellow troops. They report being treated like they are second class in the good old boys’ club that the military is. I am not sure a credible “study” of gender differences can come from an institution that routinely makes it clear that females are not welcome.

Kate Dahlstedt; Belchertown, Mass.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

That’s because men and women are different, and people can’t get it through their thick skulls that not everything is equal. Women’s activist groups take it too far. Women have other talents and thought processes. Why do we need to be the same?

— Mary Knowles

What did people expect? The average male soldier is going to be bigger, stronger and tougher than the average female soldier because of basic physical characteristics. So what?

How did the teams’ shooting scores compare? I care more about that and their ability to react quickly and think on their feet than who can climb a wall faster or do more push-ups.

— John Rookwood

The summary of the report says the females did not shoot as well in most tasks and were more prone to injury.

The facts highlighted in this study make it clear that women in combat units have a negative impact on those units.

— Ray Sears

Many women are, granted, not as strong as men. However, some men are weaker physically, and some women are amazing physically.

Women who can do the job and meet the same requirements should not be refused access to combat units solely for being female.

— Ravan Damien

You can’t trust a study about anything that was conducted by its own people.

The result will be whatever the group wants it to be.

— Adam Cross