However, women have served in several different branches as fighter pilots, leaders, gunners, doctors, trainers, clerks, and many other roles. Private Erika Lopez is one of these women who dedicated her life to fight. Unfortunately, Erika went AWOL after failing to show up to her training after her leave and as a result, she was discharged from the army. Her story reinforced many people, including this women Nicole Russell, a journalist for Conservative Review, to believe that women should work elsewhere in the military rather than the front lines. Her article “Why Women Shouldn’t Be in Combat” discusses the several reasons that she believes in her claim; such as, women are physically weaker, especially their skeletal muscle mass and upper body strength. Russell provides facts and a study to prove that, if necessary, women are incapable of carrying a “210lb man wearing body armor out of harm’s way” (Russell) and that a women’s presence can harm a military operation rather than helping it by causing men to “ignore his primary duty (even if only for a moment) to “protect” the women fighting next to him” (Russell). This reason is a huge detractor for some because carrying fallen soldiers is a very common routine, especially during a gun fight. Russell further explains that these instances are more than rare …show more content…
Angela Farnell is a prime example of a women who encourages women to fight on the front lines. She wrote a dissertation for Women’s Policy Journal of Harvard about the advantages of having women in combat and gave several examples of women proving their capability during fights. She begins with a historical perspective of women in the military and provides the fact that “by the end of World War II, roughly 280,000 women were in uniform” (Farnell). She argues that women provided the nation with the much needed man power to protect the country and that as time went on, women became more competent, stronger, more well- trained, and extremely skilled. She continues with the example of having women help in middle eastern countries are typically essential because of the different culture and the fact that a foreign man is forbidden to talk to a woman. “These duties entail exceptional risk and frequently necessitate engaging with or being engaged by the enemy” (Farnell). These tasks are no less dangerous than gun fights and she concludes by arguing that women “and men are professionals, and, as long as they are trained and qualified to do a job, they are perfectly willing to work side by side…” (Farnell). Women who do fight in combat are usually successful and perform heroically alongside their male