The Infantry, Women and the Army

Photos by Jim Purcell

Women in the Infantry: It is a reality of everyday life in uniform.

By REV JIM PURCELL

There is a new initiative from the Department of Defense that women should be included in the ranks of all combat arms components in the United States military. There are supporters of this measure and, of course, detractors as well.

I served a substantial amount of time in the Infantry during my military service and can see where critics of this move can find fault with it. Being a "grunt," a term of affection by infantryman for infantrymen, comes with a rigorous lifestyle, which can include combat with enemy forces when the United States is at war. The Infantry is, by definition, a very hazardous way to make a living in the world.

The Army I served in during the 1980s was a reflection of the society it safeguarded. The Army is always reflective of the country it protects, the people that afford it and the nation that fields it. Would women infantrymen be welcome in the 1980s? No. They would not have been welcome or wanted in Infantry units, I believe. However, that was then.

Soldiers qualify on the M2, .50-caliber machinegun.

The Army today represents a people very different than America under President Reagan, before the Internet or self-driving cars. Things change and, like everything else, the Army changes with it. There was a time when Blacks were disallowed from serving with white soldiers. There was a time when women could not serve in the Army directly (or any other service) but served the cause as part of the Women's Army Corps, which supported Army operations. The first female paratroopers were not allowed to serve until the 1970s.

So this new personnel move by the Armed Forces represents yet another evolution of women in the service, and the military service itself. This change and the realities it will create should not be argued about because it has happened. It will not be undone or the hands of the clock turned back on this one.

Will there be challenges? You bet. There will regrettable incidents and I do not expect the transition will go flawlessly. At times, people may gnash their teeth and say, 'How did this ever happen!?' And then, they will get over it and do whatever needs doing and women will continue to serve in the Infantry.

I have already heard old soldiers grumbling about the prospect of female grunts. The last thing our female warriors should have to contend with is static from those who served in the Infantry back in the day, or civilians whom they protect, or legislators at any level of government anywhere in our great land.

A new day has dawned and, as in the case of every new morning, each of us has the choice to live that new day as a part of the solution or a part of the problem.