[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN IN THE MILITARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 11, 1997

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, June 11, 1997, into the Congressional Record.

                         Women In The Military

       The case involving Air Force First Lt. Kelly Flinn has 
     refocused national attention on the role of women in the 
     American military. Women have become an integral part of our 
     fighting force over the last 20 years. The percentage of 
     women in the military has increased from less than 2% in the 
     early 1970s to over 13% today. Women today serve in a wide 
     range of occupations in the services, and have participated 
     with distinction in every major military action, including 
     the Persian Gulf War.
       There are two main reasons for the increasing role of women 
     in the military. First, our armed forces need women. Our 
     national security would be diminished by excluding half of 
     the talent and courage from the defense of the country. Prior 
     to 1973 the military could rely on the draft of young men to 
     fill positions in the services. But after the draft was 
     abolished in the wake of the Vietnam War, the services have 
     had to recruit women to meet personnel needs. Second, our 
     society has insisted on greater opportunities for women in 
     the workforce, including the military.
       The U.S. military has, for the most part, succeeded in 
     integrating women into the armed forces. The U.S. is the pre-
     eminent military power in the world today, and its fighting 
     force remains the best-trained, best-equipped and most 
     effective. There have, however, been challenges. The first 
     set of challenges centers on the role of women in the 
     military. Women have traditionally filled clerical, support 
     and medical positions in the services, but there has been a 
     push for women to assume new roles, including combat 
     positions. The second set of challenges relates to sexual 
     conduct among service members. The military has strict rules 
     on sexual misconduct, but has arguably enforced those rules 
     inconsistently.


                            Women in combat

       Current law gives the Secretary of Defense and the service 
     secretaries discretion over whether women may serve in combat 
     positions and over which assignments may be opened to women. 
     In 1994 the Defense Department opened more than 80,000 
     combat-related jobs to women. Consequently, more than 92% of 
     the career fields and 80% of the total jobs are now open to 
     women. The Defense Department, nonetheless, continues to 
     restrict certain combat assignments for women, particularly 
     service in ground forces where the risk of direct physical 
     contact with the enemy is high. The Air Force has opened 
     relatively more combat positions to women than have the other 
     services.
       There continues to be debate about whether the services 
     should open more combat positions to women or restore pre-
     existing law which barred them from serving in many such 
     jobs. Those who support opening more positions to women argue 
     that women service members cannot advance to the top 
     positions in the military without combat experience, and make 
     the further point that women who have the ability and desire 
     should be given the opportunity to serve in such positions. 
     In contrast, those who oppose women in combat contend that 
     national security has been and would be jeopardized because 
     women are not as strong or aggressive as men and their 
     presence would impair the effectiveness of the fighting 
     force.


                           Sexual misconduct

       The sexual misconduct cases which have been in the news in 
     recent months have fallen into two general categories. The 
     first group involves cases of sexual harassment and abuse. 
     The most serious scandal has occurred at Aberdeen Proving 
     Ground in Maryland, where 12 drill sergeants have been 
     charged with harassing or abusing female trainees. The 
     services have adopted a policy of ``zero tolerance'' toward 
     harassment, and have prosecuted the Aberdeen and other cases 
     with vigor. Some in Congress are calling for segregating 
     women and men during basic training to reduce the risk of 
     misconduct, while others say such a change would mark a step 
     backward.
       The second group involves cases of adultery and 
     fraternization, which generally refers to relations between 
     officers and enlisted personnel. Adultery and fraternization 
     can be crimes in the military, although a commanding officer 
     has broad discretion in handling such cases. Disciplinary 
     actions range from administrative remedies, such as 
     counseling, to court-martials involving possible fines, 
     demotions, and sentences. Several senior officers where 
     charged with both in recent weeks, as was Kelly Flinn, who 
     was also charged with lying and disobeying orders. The 
     Pentagon says that such conduct erodes discipline and order. 
     Critics contend current policy is too harsh, intrudes greatly 
     into the private lives of service members, and is 
     inconsistently applied.


                               Assessment

       The military, like the civilian workforce, is adjusting to 
     the large influx of women into its ranks. In many respects, 
     the Pentagon has handled effectively this transition to a 
     mixed-sex force. The U.S. fighting force, as demonstrated in 
     the Persian Gulf War, continues to be the best in the world, 
     and, overall, the military has adapted well to a changing 
     society.
       The military, however, continues to face difficult 
     questions on the role of women in the armed forces. I believe 
     women deserve the opportunity to serve in certain combat 
     positions if they meet service requirements and 
     qualifications for those assignments and if doing so is in 
     the best interest of national security. I do think, however, 
     that these changes should occur incrementally and with 
     extensive consultation with military leaders.
       The cases of sexual misconduct raise difficult questions. 
     It is, of course, appropriate for the services to prosecute 
     vigorously cases of rape and harassment, and take every step 
     to keep our recruits safe. The rules on adultery and 
     fraternization are problematic. The military is a highly 
     structured institution, lacking many of the freedoms of the 
     civilian world, and requiring unusual intimacy from close 
     bunks to showers and a strong emphasis on discipline and 
     morale. My impression, however, is that the rules have been 
     arbitrarily applied and that some individuals are punished 
     for behaving in ways others get away with. The military's 
     purpose in dealing with these relationships must be to ensure 
     the good discipline and morale of its troops, not to try to 
     enforce morality. What is most important is that the rules be 
     clearly explained, consistently enforced, and applicable to 
     all, regardless of sex, race or rank.

     

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