Women's ties to military draft debated

“I really feel that military women in the service are a big asset,” said Navy veteran Ginny Hanson, from North Kingstown, Rhode Island. She served in the mid-1960s, around the time the Department of Defense removed a 2 percent ceiling, which limited the number of women who could be on active duty. Currently, women make up around 15 percent of the military.  But last month, the U.S. Senate approved their version of the National Defense Authorization Act with a vote of 85-13 that, among many other things, would require women to register for the military draft after their eighteenth birthday, starting in 2018. Though men are already required to sign up for the draft, this would be the first time in U.S. history that women would have to join them. The draft has been inactive since 1973. Hanson believes that if the men get a draft, women should be drafted, too. She looks back to her time of service with fondness. Hanson came from a military family and grew up wanting to join the service. Her father served in World War II and her brother served in the Vietnam War. So when Hanson turned 18, she eagerly went to her local army recruiting station. Unfortunately, she didn’t like the reception she received from the army. “You could tell they were very discriminated, so I walked out of there,” Hanson said. “Across the street was the Navy and the Marine Corp recruiting stations, so I walked in the Navy.” After Hanson signed up for the Navy, she went to an all-female boot camp in Bainbridge, Maryland. “But after boot camp, practically most of the places I went, I was the only female,” she said. Hanson became stationed in Newport, Rhode Island during her first year, where she served in the military police section. Though she liked her job, Hanson really wanted to serve in Vietnam. But because of her gender, she was not allowed to. “Women couldn’t go over there unless you were a nurse,” she said. At that time, women in the Navy were not allowed to board ships or be stationed in many places overseas. They also could not have a family or get pregnant. “There were so many restrictions on women but you know what, the women still joined and the women still served,” Hanson said. Currently, about 1.5 million male recruits register for the draft every year, and that number would likely double if women were required to register. Sociologist Dr. Schwartz-Barcott, who resides in West Greenwich and served in the Marines during the Vietnam War, thinks all able-bodied citizens should be registered for the draft. But he also voiced a concern brought up by his wife, Dr. Donna Schwartz-Barcott, who is a professor at the University of Rhode Island. She thinks that requiring women to register for the draft may increase the likelihood or willingness of U.S. governmental leaders to engage in warfare. “That might encourage some government leaders to say to the president, ‘Well Mr. President, we might not be able to defeat Nation X with only 1.5 million recruits, but we sure as hell can beat them with double that.'” Schwartz-Barcott said. Possibilities of increased warfare aside, military historian Dr. Richard Kohn said this is an issue of status and equality. “You are discriminating against women by not requiring it or you’re letting them off the hook by not requiring it,” he added. Providence local Rachelle Destine said as a feminist, she thinks requiring women to register for the draft is the right thing to do. But thinking about herself in that scenario — that’s another story. “I’m completely pro whoever wants to choose that path for themselves, but I personally would not want to be put in that position because I would never want to be in the military, that’s just a personal choice of mine,” she said. Providence resident Karen McHugh does not think drafting anyone, especially women, would be a good idea. “There are single women in Rhode Island who don’t have family to take care of their children. They’ll have to rely on other resources.” McHugh’s father, along with three of her uncles, were all in the service. She even thought about joining the Navy herself, as a teenager. The government has attempted at least three times in the past to require women to register for the draft, but has never been successful. Often times, the reason for rejecting the policy was that women were banned from serving in combat roles. And opponents would cite the 1981 Supreme Court case Rostker v. Goldberg. In this case, several attorneys, including Robert Goldberg, argued that Congress’s ruling for the military draft to apply to only men was unconstitutional. But the court ruled that there was no violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment because the purpose of draft registration was to acquire a “pool of combat troops” — and since women were ineligible for such assignments, they were not needed in the event of a draft. But in January 2013, that all changed when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced plans to finally lift the ban. “It’s clear to all of us that women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission of defending the nation. The fact is that they have become an integral part of our ability to perform our mission,” he said during the press conference. “Not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier, but everyone is entitled to a chance.” After Panetta’s announcement, the Pentagon assessed fitness standards to see if any positions should stay closed to women. But back in December, it became official: all combat jobs would be open to them. Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse voted in favor of the requirement for women to register for the draft back in June. “Step by step, those walls are coming down. Women can’t go into combat, but now they do. Women can’t fly fighter jets, but now they do,” Sen. Whitehouse said. His colleague Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who is a military vet himself, also supported the measure. The vote, in general, was supported by both parties. And just last week, the ban on transgender people openly serving in the military was lifted. Kohn said this new measure calling for women registration is part of the larger push toward women’s equality in the armed forces — something that women have been fighting for for decades. Women have served with the army for centuries, but were unable to serve in the army until the 19th century. During World War I, most women worked in a civilian capacity, meaning they were not in active duty but served in roles that supported the military. Only the Marines gave women full military rank and status. But during World War II, more women were taken into the military due to a shortage of manpower. Finally, in 1943, a bill was passed to create the Women’s Army Corps, in which members gained full military status — though their roles were limited. And, as mentioned earlier, around this time, a 2 percent ceiling was put in place on the number of women on active duty. Women’s role in the military started to shift during the early 1970s, coinciding with mass protests against the Vietnam War, and the eventual end of the draft. It was during this time that women were finally assigned to non-traditional roles, such as those in maintenance, mechanical or electrical, as opposed to health care occupation or administrative positions. “The abolition of the draft — the switch to a more volunteer armed force — would have crashed if the military hadn’t opened up so many jobs to women,” Kohn said. Even though much has happened for women’s equality in the military over the past few years, this latest measure to require women to register for the draft has a long way to go before it’s signed into law. It’s just one section of a massive $602 billion defense spending bill. And in the House’s version of the same bill, the provision about women registering for the draft didn’t even make it. David Armor, professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University, said that if the House didn’t want the provision, “it’ll probably be dropped.” And he thinks if anything, passing this legislation would be a symbolic gesture, since the draft, in his opinion, will never return because the number of people volunteering to serve is so high. “The registration is a relic. I don’t know why Congress has kept it around. There’s no prospect that we’re going back to a draft,” he said. Erica Carson, from Providence, agrees that the draft should be abolished. “I think the draft is probably more deleterious to our military readiness than having a smaller, but all volunteer force who are actually passionate about what they do and want to be soldiers,” Carson said. She added that a draft situation would lead to lower morale and skill level. Plus it mean dealing with “draft dodgers” — people who avoid being recruited by the military. “Both of my parents were in the military and they were both volunteers,” she said. “So I think a professional all volunteer force is pretty vital to our defense.” Carson does believe though that both sexes should participate in a draft, if there was one. But for now the possibility for gender equality when it comes to draft registration still remains. Sen. Whitehouse said the bill’s next stop will be the House Committee on Appropriations, and ultimately, the President. While Obama has not said whether or not he would sign legislation that would require women to sign up for the draft, he has voiced opposition for other proponents of the defense spending bill that may lead to a veto.