Running Head: FEMALE RANGERS

Female Rangers
Michael Villalobos
University of Texas At El Paso

FEMALE RANGERS

Abstract
This is a literary Review where I will cover
females and their roles in the Army. Just recently two female
soldiers have passed the very difficult and prestigious Ranger
school. This is the first time in history that any female has been
allowed to try out and actually pass any sort of school of this
caliber. They face the future and if they will be allowed to work in
such units. In this review I will also bring some opinions of an
infantryman. In my opinion if the females can keep up with the
standards then by all means join specialized units but do not
expect the standards to be changed.

FEMALE RANGERS

In history females have been looked at as lesser

then men. Not allowed to do the same activities as men.
Throughout time this has been slowly but surely changing this is
evident through womens rights, womens rights to vote, and
being able to hold the same job titles as their male counterparts.
This is through a civilian standpoint but through the eyes of the
military women are still viewed at as not equal as males in some
aspects. This is most evident through the lack of allowance of
females in specialized combat units such as infantry/Army
rangers/ Navy seals and other units in the military. This is all
changing in todays age for instants the first two females in
history have been allowed to pass the very prestigious Army
ranger school and another female is said to complete it as well at
the end of this month. There are still questions on whether or not
the Army will allow these females to be in the ranger battalion.
The backbone of the army is known for being
brutal and very deadly this M.O.S is known as the infantry. These
are the men who you see on tv in a firefight or sadly mostly
getting killed. The infantry has been open exclusively to male

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soldiers females are not allowed to join the infantry. Recent

debates have sparked the conversation of whether or not females
will be allowed to join the infantry. People outside of the military
are very

skeptical about allowing females to be in the infantry let alone in

other specialized units such as rangers or the seals. Well on
August 21 2015 the first two females in history were honored
with the ranger tab. They completed the 9 weeklong course and
earned the tittle of ranger. I asked a infantry Sgt. What his
thought were on the two females passing ranger school were and
he replied with I have served with some tough women I am not
shocked that two females have passed ranger school in fact its
about time they start letting females try out for units likes that. (
Sgt. First Class Welch) I then processed to ask Sgt. What his
thoughts were on females in the infantry. He then said When we
got in a fire fight just outside of a city in Afghanistan a couple of
female soldiers were driving the convo when we got hit the got
down and started to fight along right with us infantrymen. I have
no doubt in certain females to step to the plate when the time is
needed so if they can keep up with us there is no reason not to

FEMALE RANGERS

let the join the infantry with us. But the standards should not be
lowered in any form for females.
In infantry there is many jobs a soldier has to do
such as clear houses, take prisons, and staying out on the field at
weeks on end is just one of the things they do regularly. If
females were allowed in the infantry would they be doing the
same thing as the males? Or would they have to make certain
exceptions to accommodate females and their monthly cycles
and other needs females might encounter during a deployment. I
asked my Sgt. how would infantrymen react to females by their
side on the battle field? he responded with The infantry is a
brotherhood we go through a lot of rough patches together and
we endure hardships if a female soldier thinks she can come in
and do the stuff we do then there is no reason why one of my
soldiers should look at her differently then they would if it was a
male. On the same token the females need to perform just as a
male would no lowering standards and no special exceptions for
any infantrymen male or female.
Soldiers are now being mobilized to Syria, only
certain units are getting deployed over there. Units such as
Special Forces, Rangers, and seals. This again brings up the topic

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on weather or not the US will send females with these units. As of

now the answer is still no the army has said the females will not
be allowed to join this deployment but the army continuous to
talk and debate on the subject but one thing is for sure, the
united states will get into a war in the near future. The question
is, Will this be a new age of war? One with females as infantry,
Ranger women or the same old conventional war with only men
fighting in these units.
Females have proven that they are capable of
passing one of the hardest schools the military has to offer but if
they are allowed to serve in these special units is still a huge
debate. We will see in the near future whether or not they will be
allowed in the Infantry, Rangers, or other specialized units.

Resources
Senators commend first female Ranger School
grads. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2015, from
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/capitolhill/2015/09/10/senators-commend-first-femaleranger-school-grads/71999334/
Was It Fixed? Army General Told
Subordinates: 'A Woman Will Graduate Ranger
School,' Sources Say. (2015, September 25).

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Retrieved October 20, 2015, from

http://www.people.com/article/female-ranger-schoolgraduation-planned-advance
Cox, J. (n.d.). Ranger School officer
combats rumors about how women passed in pointed
Facebook post. Retrieved October 20, 2015, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/w
p/2015/08/20/ranger-school-officer-combats-rumorsabout-how-women-passed-in-pointed-facebook-post/
First Female Soldiers Graduate From
Army Ranger School. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20,
2015, from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwoway/2015/08/21/433482186/first-female-soldiersgraduate-from-army-ranger-school