Gender and The Military

Military wives and husbands differ dramatically. When I think of someone in the military’s spouse, I often think of a wife. This is simply because our culture has portrayed men as strong and powerful. Our culture associates men with weapons and violence, not women. However, women are becoming more and more powerful in today’s society. They are now capable of fighting in the military. Still, there is a huge contrast between men and women and their spouses. In my opinion, I think men fear for their wives when in the military because there are so many other dangerous factors for women in the military. For instance, women in the military are more likely to be sexually assaulted. It is vital that our culture raises awareness to these dramatic differences so that women can be seen just as powerful in the military.

The article, "Pentagon issues handbook on sex change in the ranks" was interesting to read. It shows how the military does not raise awareness to gender conformity. For instance, the article mentions how the military has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy for transgenders. However, in another article, it mentions how this policy ended in 2011. This additional article I read mentions that "the decision comes as the military has witnessed major changes in the role of women and the inclusion of gays, lesbians and bisexual service members in recent years."The military is becoming more diverse which is a positive aspect of the military because males, females, and transgenders bring different qualities that help the military to succeed.