Women have held a long and honorable role in the military and armed forces; from legendary heroes who are surrounded with just as much fiction as fact, like the Chinese Mulan and the French Joan of Arc to the roles of battle nurses that well-known heroes such as the English Florence Nightingale and America’s Red Cross nurses. Countless brave ladies have taken up the call to defend their country; war has never been solely a man’s fight.
In modern times, however, the aspect of women joining the military is still a newfound one, with critics and supporters from various political sides.
Now, American women will be facing a new outlook on wartimes and enlisting.
During the Tuesday, June 14 session of Congress, an expansive military bill was approved that, amongst other matters, starting Jan. 1, 2018, women from the ages of 18 and 26 will be required to register with Selective Service, the same as their male counterparts.
This ruling had faced much fierce opposition from conservative lawmakers and interest groups, but had a surprisingly large amount of support among Republican leaders and women from both political parties.
After numerous attempts at voting to close the bill, it was finally approved.
The role of women in wartime history is changing now, women will be looking at future wars through different eyes.
Only in 1973, following the end of the Vietnam War’s military draft for men, did an all-volunteer military form, creating the opportunity for women to move from non-combat positions such as nurses, ambulance drivers, pilots, mechanics and administrators into combat-related roles. In 1976, the first female attendants of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Air Force Academy were permitted. In 1991-1992, during the Persian Gulf War, more than 41,000 women were deployed into the combat zone.
Despite those advances in allowing women onto the battle field, in 1981, the Supreme Court ruled that women did not have to register for the draft, as they were not facing the same requirements as male enlistees, since they were not deployed on the front lines on combat.
In December of 2015, those jurisdictions changed when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter stated that the Pentagon had opened the opportunity for women to fill all combat jobs.
Now that women are allowed to hold the exact same roles as men in the military, there seemed to be no further need to restrict women on entering the Selective Service.
“The fact is, every single leader in this country, both men and women, members of the military service, believe that it’s fair since we opened up all aspects of the military to women, that they would also be registering for Selective Services,” said Republican Arizona Senator John McCain, who is also chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
Under the Senate bill, women who turn 18 on or after Jan. 1, 2018 will be forced to register for Selective Service, just as men are required. Like men, if they fail to comply, they could face the loss of various forms of federal aid, including Pell grants.
The policy will not affect women who turned 18 prior to 2018.
Also included in the new bill is the order to create a commission to determine whether or not the Selective Service is still required, as it has not been used since 1973.