On Jan. 24, Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, confirmed the Pentagon’s rescindment of the rule banning women from combat positions. I was sitting with my husband when we heard the news.
“Looks like you’ll have to sign up for selective service, just like us guys,” he said.
“What?” I said. Selective service? The hell I’m going to do that, I thought.
“Every guy has to do it within 30 days of their 18th birthday,” he said.
“Well, I’m too old,” I said. “Surely, I’ll be grandmothered out.” Thank you, 34 years of life.
As committed as I am to equality for women in general, I’m not quite sure how excited I am about equal service in the military. It’s very personal. For any woman who wants to serve on the frontline, as a Navy Seal, an Army Ranger or in whatever other combat capacity, more power to them. As for me, I’ve never wanted to be more unequal.
I’ve always been happy to ignore those selective service forms at the post office. I’ve never had a desire to be drafted. I have no interest in boot camp. I don’t need to be yelled at by a commanding officer. I don’t want to march. I don’t want to disassemble and reassemble a gun in less than 60 seconds. I don’t want to hitch a ride to war on a C-17 Globemaster III or an LHA-1. I have no desire to shoot enemies, narrowly avoid land mines or dodge IEDs. Everything about war and combat is very, very undesirable to me and my gender has always been my protection.
I guess I’ll have to relinquish my feminist membership card. As much as I don’t want to be associated with the Phyllis Schlaflys of the world, I can see their point. In many ways, I like being perceived as the “weaker” sex and, since my relocation to Georgia, I can testify that chivalry is not completely dead. I enjoy having doors opened for me. I appreciate when my grocery bags are carried for me. I relish all men standing up when I approach a dinner table. I adore when my chair is pulled out for me. I love when my feminine honor is defended. If all these perks come with a ban against going to war, so be it. I love the idea of having babies and not dying on a battlefield.
I know. This unwillingness to serve my country in combat sounds pretty selfish. The truth is, I don’t want anyone to have to suffer the horrors of war. I want peace for male and female soldiers. I wish there was no need for armies and armaments. The only upside I see to women in the military is perhaps a stronger motivation for diplomacy. When braun hasn’t been on our sides in this world of men, we’ve always been able to use the strength of our brains. We notice what men don’t. We find compromise where men can’t. My hope is that female soldiers, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces will lead the fight for peaceful alternatives. I hope our need for war ends so that completing those selective service cards won’t matter for anyone.
