Race and Gender do Matter in the US Military
Race and gender have always matter in our military since the American Revolution. But even then blacks and women still did their part. During the Civil War 2/3 of the Union army were Buffalo units which were all black units and they served well. Although today the gap between races has mostly been met, there are still some work to be done like the acceptances of Muslims in our military. In an interview with PFC Tara, she stated that being a Muslim in the US Military is not great thing. She witness several other men in her unit that were Muslim get bullied for it. She did not come out with her religion to any in her squad for over two years. After being deployed for three times she finally told them that she too was a Muslim. Three members of her squad that she thought were her friends would not speak to her and then later requested a transfer. She was shocked and said that the US Military was not a great experience to her at all.
Women in Combat?
Women in combat roles as spark a lot of tension between service men today. All though women in the military is nothing new, they have been largely in combat roles in the US military. Although as 2013 the ban on women in combat was lifted there are still a lot of other issues that need to be resolved. According to the Nation Interest sexual assault and rape are the main problem with in combat that needs to be fixed. In a lot of studies done by the several Psychologist have found that the majority of infantry men are at the ages of 19 and 25 and other studies a shown that men at that have a high level of sexual desire, and may act on it in extreme situations. My boss First Sargent Bill Learby gave a list of people who are all girls are have served and are currently serving. I already talked about PFC Tara, but my third interview of the list he gave was women who had served in the guard but ask to remain anonymous in order to protect her. She told me that when she was in basic training she received a lot a harassment from her male CO (Commanding Officer). When she was assign to a barrack there were no rules yet for women and men living arrangements. She then told me in a very emotional statement that one night she was rape by her Platoon Sargent, and when she went to her Captain to report the attack. He simply looked at her and said. "If you can't handle playing with the boys then maybe you should quit." He then offered her a discharge form, she told me that she did not know what else to do than to take the deal. She said that she thought that the military would be a great experience but to her it was a nightmare.
Although her experience may not be for every woman currently serving, I do believe that just about all women soldiers who is an Officer has more than likely experiences what 2nd Lieutenant Sara Martin has. She is a Lt (Lieutenant) in the IL national Guard. She told me in an interview that she sometimes has trouble with making men under her command do certain task. They think that just because she is women that they don't have to follow her orders. A friend of my named Annie Sow is an Airmen in the US Air Force, she has to listen to inappropriate and crude jokes about women when she is with her fighter group. They both agree that their needs to be some guidelines in place for both men and women to follow, in order to prevent any more discrimination.