“Do you remember the last advertisement that gave you goosebumps? I do. During my failed search for the remote last night, I saw a United States Marine Corps (USMC) recruitment commercial and I was captivated. The entire ad presented one single narrative of a young bully-confronter, turned bad ass rugby player, turned combat Marine and community builder. And ___ encapsulates all of the desired values that the USMC holds dear.”
What do people picture when they think of the word military?
For most, the image of a tall, bulky man dressed in camouflage is probably the image that has been burned in their brain. And for those of you who read the beginning paragraph, it was probably natural for you to fill the blank in with a he. However, for Emerald Archer, that blank was a she, and the image burned in her brain is that of women like Captain Erin Demchko of the United States Marine Corps.
It was no surprise to Archer that one commander of the USMC “publicly declared that the USMC is not interested in training female recruits who once played with Barbie dolls.” Nevertheless, it is clear that women have made an impact in the U.S. military.
Having a diversified military means having a representative military. It means having a military well-trained for any circumstance, situation, or mission. Archer discusses many ways including women in the military has enhanced progress, yet generalizations of the military being male are still relevant. Why?
In my opinion, women are assets to the military. I think the generalization should be that military personnel are amongst the strongest, most courageous, and most intelligent people in the United States, not the most male.
“New narratives and accounts of warfare that include women as stakeholders, combatants, and peacekeepers will emerge when we all agree that women are strategic military assets”
“When will this change?”
Kara Chipiwalt