WomenInTheMilitary

DestineeEdwards

Ms.Simon
AdvancedResearchMethods
March1,2015

Therewereasmallnumberofwomenwhowereinvolvedincombatduringthe
Revolutionary,CivilandMexicanWars.ThefirstAmericanwomansoldierwasDeborah
SamsonGannettfromPlymouth,Massachusetts.SheservedseventeenmonthsintheContinental
ArmyduringtheRevolutionaryWarunderthenameRobertShurtleffSamsonin1782.In1847,
ElizabethC.NewcumefromFortLeavenworth,Kansas,dressedinmaleattireandservedten
monthsintheMexicanWar.Clearlythesewomenhadtodisguisethemselvesinordertobe
accepted.Eachwerelaterdischargedaftertheirgenderswerediscovered.
Almostseventyyearslater,duringWorldWarI,theU.S.NavyandMarineCorpsfinally
allowedwomentoenlist.InWorldWarII,threehundredfiftythousandwomenservedinthe
U.S.MilitaryMorethansixtythousandservedasArmynursesandoverfourteenthousand
servedasNavynurses.LaterontheNavy,MarinesandCoastGuardestablishedreservesfor
women.AsoftodayfourteenpercentoftheU.S.militaryismadeupofwomenMorethanone
hundredsixtyfivethousandwomenareenlistedandactiveinthearmedserviceswithover
thirtyfivethousandadditionalwomenservingasofficers.
Ittookaverylongtimeforwomentoevenhavethepossibilitytoenlistinthemilitary.
Theprocesstookwellovertwohundredyears!Yettherewerestilllimitationsonwhattheywere
capableofdoing.Oncewomenhadtheabilitytojointhereservesandenlistinactivedutythey
thenhadtoprovethemselves.Theyhadtoprovethattheycouldworkuptoamansphysical
ability,hadasturdymentalityandwereabletorepressemotions,necessitatingwomentodo
whatevertheycoulddoinordertopreservetheirqualitiesoffemininity.Consequentlythe
militarywasachallengingexperienceforwomenandcontinuestobe.

NomatterwhichbranchofthemilitaryNavy,Marines,Army,AirForce,orCoast
Guardwomenhavetoprovethattheyarecapabletoworkuptoaman'sphysicalability.Even
thoughthequantityofstandardsaredifferent,eachgendermusthavetheabilitytohandle
pressurecomingfromanyangle.
Duringbasictrainingyouarescoredbywhatyouarecapableofattaining.Thephysical
abilityscoresdependontheaveragecapacityofyouragegroup.Thestandardpushup
expectationsforfemalesages1721,isthirteenforascoreoffifty.Forascoreofhundredthey
areexpectedtodofortytwo.Malesages1721aresupposedtodothirtyfivepushupsfora
scoreoffiftyandseventyoneforascoreofonehundred.Nowforsitups,bothmalesand
femalesareexpectedtodofortysevenforascoreoffiftyandseventyeightforaonehundred.
Thelastscoreobstacleisthetwomilerun,femalesmustfinishinfifteenminutesandfortysix
secondsforascoreofonehundredandnineteenminutesandfortytwosecondstoscorefifty.
Malesmustfinishinthirteenminutestoscorehundredandsixteenminutesandthirtysix
secondstoscorefifty.
Itisclearthatfemalesareconstantlyincompetitionwiththemales.Theyhavethemale
standardshigherandmakewomenfeelliketheyhavetoworkhardertobeaccepted.Giving
themtheBeinginthismasculineenvironmenthavingtocontinuouslyshowhowstrongand
trustworthythereare,preventsthemfrombeingquitefeminine.Withthisthecasebeing,when
womenfeelrestrainedtheypullofflittlethingsinordertokeeptheirfeminineattributes.
Thereareafewsimplethingswomendoinmaintenancetotheirfemininity.Suchas
orderingfancyunderweartowearwhentheyaredeployed.Wearingcosmetics,nailpolish,
earringsandcutesocks.Holditrightthere!Yes.Womendogettowearcosmeticsandnail

polish,butithastolooknaturalandcomplementnotonlytheircomplexionbuttheuniform.
Lipstickandnailpolishcannotbeextremecolorsforinstanceredororange.Theywouldmost
likelycauseadistractionincomparisontoatanuniform.Clearpolishorevennudepinkwould
betoacceptable.Naillengthcannotexceedone/fourthofaninchandmakeupdesignatedto
coveruptattoosisprohibited.Whichisquiteunderstandable.
Theuniformisnotworntwentyfour/seven.Aftercompletingyourdutyhoursthe
pleasureistobetakenadvantageof!Whengoingoffcampusbase,womencanwearany
hairstyletheywouldlike,whateverattiretheychooseandwhicheverdesigntheywanttheir
makeup.Butofcoursethisdoeshaveafewlimits.Whenwearingcivilianclotheswomenmust
wearablouseoratopthatprovidesconservativecoverageconsideredappropriate.Thesame
goeswithshorts.Noclothingexcessivelytight,looseorbaggy.Clothingshouldappearwell
maintained,fittedandshouldbewornandpresentedneatly.Withthatbeingsaid,definitely
nothingtornordirtyisacceptable.Nohalfshirts,abbreviatedshirtsandnoathleticitems
designedtobewornasundergarmentsuchasasportsbraforexample.Thatisnottootoughand
yetagainitisunderstandable.Therearehigherstandardsprescribedforspecialeventsand
activities.
Enoughwithappearances,hereisachallengewomenfacethatismorecommonlyhear
of.Abuse.AccordingtoWyattOlson,writerfromStarsandStripes,Ratesofsexualharassment
andassaultvariedbybranchofservice.Forexample,therateofsexualharassmentforwomenin
theAirForceandNavywasthelowestat5.8percent.ThatrateintheArmywas10.3percent,
withtheMarineshavingthehighestat13.3percent.Asindicatedinthearticle,thelevelof

lifethreateningenvironmentsarehighandtheabuserisusuallylessconcernedwiththe
consequencesandlesslikelytobeheldaccountablefortheiractions.
Whileabuseisthecruelorviolenttreatmentofapersonthiscancomeinthreetofour
differentforms.Thereisfinancialabuse,verbal/emotionalabuse,andphysicalabuse.Thesecan
causealotofbehavioralchanges.Whichcancausestressonwomenwhoarealreadytryingtobe
restraint.
Financialabuseisnotanythingcommoninthemilitary.Sergeantsmaysaycertainthings
thatcanbeconsideredverbalabuse.Buttheydothisforareason.Thepurposeistobring
soldierstogetherandformasupportteam.alsotobreakdowncivilianattitudesandtoughenup
thesoldiertotakepunishmentuncomplaininglybecausethat'swhatsoldiersneedtodo,follow
orderspromptlywithoutquestionandignorepaininordertoaccomplishthemissiontheyare
given.Theprocessinvolvesfrighteningthetraineesandkeepingthemoncoursewithfear.The
systemisharshbutworkswelltoaccomplishtheendresultofturningoutcapablesoldiers.
Nowphysicalabusehasnopurpose.Morespecificallysexual.Itissaidthatoneinthree
womeninthemilitaryhavebeenraped.Thirtysevenpercentoffemaleveteranshavereported
beingrapednotjustonce,buttwiceattheleast.LavenaJohnsonandKamishaBlockaretwo
victimsofphysicalabuseinthemilitarywhichuntilthisday
Themilitarycontinuestocoverupcasesregardingabuse.
InMayof2005,justoneyearaftergraduatinghighschool,19yearoldLaVenaJohnson
wasdeployedwiththe129CorpSupportBattaliontoBalad,Iraq.Eightweeksafterarrivingin
Iraqandeightdaysshyofher20thbirthday,LaVenaJohnsondiedundersuspicious
circumstances.LaVenabecamethefirstwomansoldiertodiewhileservinginIraqor

Afghanistan.Themilitarytoldherparents,Dr.JohnandLindaJohnson,thatLaVenadiedfroma
selfinflictedgunshotwound.Herdeathwasruledasuicide.Dr.JohnsonfeltthatLaVenas
suicidewasntasuicideatall.Heandhiswifebecameconvincedthattheirlittlegirlwas
murdered.
`

TheJohnsonfamilywastoldthatLaVenawasupsetbecauseherbrandnewboyfriendof

twomonthshadbrokenupwithherviaemail.ThemilitaryallegesthatLaVenaprintedthe
emailsout,stuffedtheminherpocket,slungherM16serviceweaponoverhershoulder,and
wenttobuyM&Msandasixpackofsodaatamilitarystorewithanunnamedmalefriend.
Accordingtothemilitary,thedistraughtLaVena,only51,foundacanofaerosolandlitthe
breakupemailsonfireandthentheentiretent,putthe40M16intohermouthandfired.Dr.
JohnJohnsonarguesthatthisisnotphysicallypossible.
TheUSMilitarysautopsyshowedthatLaVenasustainedabustedlip,brokenteeth,
scratchmarksonherneck,butnoseriousinjuries.ThebulletthatkilledLaVenawasneverfound
andthemilitarysownresiduetestsindicatethatshemaynothaveevenhandledtheweaponthat
supposedlykilledher.Evenmoretroubling,herwhitedressgloveshadbeengluedtoherhands,
concealingthirddegreeburns.Overthenextfewyears,throughtheFreedomofInformationAct,
theJohnsonsslowlybegantoobtaininformationaboutwhathadreallyhappenedtoLaVena.
Oncethemilitarywasforcedtohandovercolorphotosofthecrimesceneandtheautopsy,more
informationcametolight.Thephotosshowedthathisdaughterhadbruisesandscratchesonthe
upperpartofhertorsoandteethmarks.Sheappearedtohavebeenbadlybeatenandtherewas
evensomethingthatDr.Johnsonbelievedtobeachemicalsubstancehadbeenpouredonher
vaginalarea,mostlikelytoeliminateanyDNAevidencefromrape.Therewasatrailofblood

leadingoutsideofthetent,suggestingthatLaVenahadbeendraggedintothetentafterthe
attack,andthenthetentwassetonfire.CBSpaidforasecondautopsyanditwasfoundthat
LaVenasneckwasbroken.Partsofhervagina,tongue,andanushadbeenremoved.
UntilthisdayLaVenasparentscontinuetofightfortheArmytoreopenthe
investigationregardingtheirdaughtersdeath.TheyhavemetwithCongressrepresentatives,
whohavecalledmeetingswithrepsfromtheArmysinvestigationsunit.Whenconfrontedwith
thecasescontradictions,theArmyrepresentativeswereunabletoprovideanyanswers.They
continuedtoinsistthatLaVenakilledherself.ButonlyLaVenaknowswhat
really
happened.
Kamisha,asitturnsout,gotinvolvedwithanabusivemantowhomshereportedwas
StaffSergeantPaulBrandonNorris,whichisanonointhemilitaryandhasgottenpeople
discharged.Hissuperiorslookedtheotherwayashetransferredunitstobeclosertohis
girlfriend,threwfitsandactedincreasinglyjealousintheweeksbeforeshootingher5timesina
rage.Armyofficialstoldherfamilythatshewaskilledbyfriendlyfire.
Notaccordingtoherroommateandothersoldiersonthebasewhohavewitnessedthe
aggressivenessofBlocksboyfriend.EarlysignsofNorrissangerperpetratingwashewastaking
hisangeroutonpotentialrivalsandKamishaherself.Chokingacorporalsubsequentlygrabbing
herbyherthroatandshovedheragainstthewall.Shewantedtobreakthingsoffandthenone
dayNorrisorderedherroommateJenningsoutofthetrailerandbeganyelling.Finallyfiringhis
weaponintothewalltoscareKamisha.That'swhenherroommateranbackin.Norriswheeled
andpointedtheBerettaatJennings,whojumpedbehindanearbybarrier,thenranforhelp.It
wastoolate.InsidethetrailerNorrisunloaded,shootingKamishaBlockfivetimes,including

roundstohershoulder,chest,andhead.TherevisedreportthattheArmydidrelease,wasso
heavilyredactedandmissinginformationthatBlock'sformerCongressman,hadtopressurethe
DefenseDepartment'sinspectorgeneraltoinvestigatetheinvestigation.
Bothofthesewomenarestilldeadandthemilitaryisapparentlyhidingthingsinevents
ofphysicalabuseandmurder.NojusticeisbeinggiventothefamiliesandonlyKamishaBlock
andLaVenaJohnsonknowthetruthbehindtheirdeath.
FourpointthreepercentoftheUnitedStates'activedutywomenstillsaytheywerethe
victimsofunwantedsexualcontactinthelastyear,whichisdownfromsixpointonepercentin
2012.In2012,justoneintenvictimsreportedthoseassaults,andby2014,oneinfourdid.
Victimsofsexualassaultcanfile"restricted"reports,whichallowsthemtoaccesshealth
serviceswithoutlaunchinginvestigationsandlegalproceedings,or"unrestricted"reports,which
dotriggerindependentinvestigations.In2014,thePentagonsaid,19percentofthevictimswho
filedrestrictedreportslaterdecidedtomakethosereportsunrestrictedandpursueinvestigations
thehighestfigureithaseverrecorded.Reportshavemademajorincreasesinrecentyears
fromthreethousandsixhundredandfourin2012tofivethousandfivehundredandeighteenin
2013andthenfivethousandninehundredandeightythreein2014.
Theexperienceforwomeninthemilitaryischallenging.Itchallengestheirmind,
emotionsandphysicalabilities.Onechallenge,ishavingtoworkuptoamansability.The
informationfrommysourceswasusefulbecauseinthebeginningIknewthattherewere
challengingexpectationsforwomenbutIdidntrealizeintheperspectivethatbeingina
masculineenvironmentforalongperiodoftimecanrestraintheirfemininity.Ihaveperceived

thatinordertomaintaintheirfemininequalitiestheydodifferentthings.Sothesewomendo
differentthingsinordertomaintainthisattribution.