Women on the Front Lines

Since then, many women have signed on for once-forbidden roles. They’re driving tanks, throwing grenades, leading troops into battle—and making history. Last spring, a group of women became the first to graduate from U.S. Army infantry training, a milestone two centuries in the making. And in September, the first female Marine completed the Corps’s infantry officer program, one of the toughest in the military.

The progress doesn’t surprise Montalbano.

“I have seen women knock out pull-ups like it was nothing and take down a male during hands-on training,” she says. “We are all trained the same.”

Still, the gender integration of the military is far from complete. Though hundreds of women have earned combat spots, they still make up just a small fraction of U.S. combat troops. Some elite military groups, such as the Navy SEALs, haven’t yet had a woman qualify. And some people continue to argue that women have no place on the battlefield at all.

Since then, many women have signed on for once-forbidden roles. They’re driving tanks, throwing grenades, leading troops into battle—and making history. Last spring, a group of women became the first to graduate from U.S. Army infantry training. It was a milestone two centuries in the making. And in September, the first female Marine completed the Corps’s infantry officer program. It’s one of the toughest training programs in the military.

The progress doesn’t surprise Montalbano.

“I have seen women knock out pull-ups like it was nothing and take down a male during hands-on training,” she says. “We are all trained the same.”

Still, the gender integration of the military is far from complete. Though hundreds of women have earned combat spots, they still make up just a small fraction of U.S. combat troops. Some elite military groups, such as the Navy SEALs, haven’t yet had a woman qualify. And some people continue to argue that women have no place on the battlefield at all.

According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 167 women have been killed in action since 2001. More than 1,000 have been injured.

When the Department of Defense opened combat roles to women, military leaders emphasized that positions would be filled based on ability, not gender. The 18 women who became the first to complete Army infantry training in May 2017 met the same physical requirements as their male counterparts. They hurled grenades 100 feet, marched a dozen miles at a time shouldering heavy packs, and single-handedly dragged a 268-pound dummy across a battlefield.

“They carry what everyone else carries. They walk the same amount of mileage. They push, they pull, they sweat, they bleed just like everybody else,” Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Sapp, a drill sergeant, told the Army Times about his female infantry recruits. 

The first female Marine infantry officer also completed the same grueling 13-week course as male hopefuls. “The significance of her achievement cannot be overstated,” wrote two retired Marines.

But not every woman who tries for a direct combat position succeeds, of course. In the first co-ed Army infantry boot camp, 44 percent of the women who started ended up dropping out. For men, the dropout rate was 20 percent.

According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 167 women have been killed in action since 2001. More than 1,000 have been injured.

When the Department of Defense opened combat roles to women, military leaders emphasized that positions would be filled based on ability, not gender. Eighteen women became the first to complete Army infantry training in May 2017. They met the same physical requirements as their male counterparts. They hurled grenades 100 feet, marched a dozen miles at a time shouldering heavy packs, and single-handedly dragged a 268-pound dummy across a battlefield.

“They carry what everyone else carries. They walk the same amount of mileage. They push, they pull, they sweat, they bleed just like everybody else,” Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Sapp, a drill sergeant, told the Army Times about his female infantry recruits. 

 The first female Marine infantry officer also completed the same grueling 13-week course as male hopefuls. “The significance of her achievement cannot be overstated,” wrote two retired Marines.

But not every woman who tries for a direct combat position succeeds, of course. In the first co-ed Army infantry boot camp, 44 percent of the women who started ended up dropping out. For men, the dropout rate was 20 percent.

The disparity is more obvious in special forces training, which is more demanding. In 2015, 19 women were the first to attempt Army Ranger training. Just two finished. And one woman began the long process to become the first female Navy SEAL this summer, only to quit weeks later. (About 75 percent of male SEAL hopefuls drop out.)

For people who oppose allowing women in combat, those stats point to a key argument: Most women simply aren’t as physically strong as most men. 

“Even though some exceptional women might qualify, the fact remains that most women cannot meet physical standards for combat units, while most men can,” says Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness.

A recent Marine Corps study found that all-male squads can climb walls and other obstacles faster, move wounded comrades more efficiently, and shoot more accurately than co-ed squads. Female troops also get injured twice as often as male troops, the study reported.

Marine Captain Katie Petronio experienced the physical demands of the front lines firsthand. She served in combat in Afghanistan. By her fifth month, her legs often buckled, her agility declined, and her response time slowed, she recalled in an essay arguing against allowing women in combat. 

“The rate of my deterioration was noticeably faster than that of male Marines,” Petronio wrote.

The disparity is more obvious in special forces training, which is more demanding. In 2015, 19 women were the first to attempt Army Ranger training. Just two finished. And one woman began the long process to become the first female Navy SEAL this summer, only to quit weeks later. About 75 percent of male SEAL hopefuls drop out.

For people who oppose allowing women in combat, those stats point to a key argument: Most women simply aren’t as physically strong as men.

“Even though some exceptional women might qualify, the fact remains that most women cannot meet physical standards for combat units, while most men can,” says Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness.

A recent Marine Corps study found that all-male squads can climb walls and other obstacles faster, move wounded comrades more efficiently, and shoot more accurately than co-ed squads. Female troops also get injured twice as often as male troops, the study reported. 

Marine Captain Katie Petronio experienced the physical demands of the front lines firsthand. She served in combat in Afghanistan. By her fifth month, her legs often buckled, her agility declined, and her response time slowed. She recalled her experiences in an essay arguing against allowing women in combat.

“The rate of my deterioration was noticeably faster than that of male Marines,” Petronio wrote.

Physical challenges aren’t the only issues female troops face. Even with all combat roles open, the battlefield is not even, some troops say. One example: Most body armor and helmets are designed for men and not always a good fit for women’s bodies.

Military leaders say they’re aware of the challenges and are working to adapt. The Marine Corps, for example, has agreed to integrate all parts of its boot camp training so that men and women participate together by as early as next spring. The branch—which has the lowest percentage of women—aims to have women make up at least 10 percent of its forces by 2019. Other branches are stepping up female recruitment as well.

Physical challenges aren’t the only issues female troops face. Even with all combat roles open, the battlefield is not even, some troops say. One example: Most body armor and helmets are designed for men and not always a good fit for women’s bodies. 

Military leaders say they’re aware of the challenges and are working to adapt. The Marine Corps, for example, has agreed to integrate all parts of its boot camp training. The move will allow men and women to participate together by as early as next spring. The branch has the lowest percentage of women. It aims to have women make up at least 10 percent of its forces by 2019. Other branches are stepping up female recruitment as well.

The more women who move into combat positions, the more others will follow, military experts predict. And holding those jobs may offer a faster path to leadership positions. Serving in combat has historically been critical to career advancement in the military, and women have argued that the combat ban had long stopped them from competing with men for top spots.

Montalbano, for one, remains optimistic that women’s role in the military—and in direct combat—will continue to grow. “Baby steps have turned into great leaps,” she says. “We have come a long way.”

The more women who move into combat positions, the more others will follow, military experts predict. And holding those jobs may offer a faster path to leadership positions. Serving in combat has historically been critical to career advancement in the military. Women have argued that the combat ban had long stopped them from competing with men for top spots. 

Montalbano, for one, remains optimistic that women’s role in the military—and in direct combat—will continue to grow. “Baby steps have turned into great leaps,” she says. 

“We have come a long way.”