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Women Describe Their Struggles With Gender Roles in Military
In his article, Benedict Carey, a New York Times reporter, writes about the struggles that female soldiers face in the intensely male world of the United States military.
According to Army data, female soldiers are more likely than male soldiers to report depressive symptoms, and women are 10 times more likely than their male counterparts to have reported serious sexual harassment after deployment. The risk of suicide among female soldiers tripled during deployment.
In 2014, The Times asked female soldiers and veterans to share their experiences in the military. More than 150 people responded. Here is a selection of their words:
“My male counterparts were deemed competent and capable until they proved otherwise, where on the other hand it was often assumed that I was incompetent until I proved I was not.”
Diana Kramer. She has been deployed overseas five times, most recently in Qatar. She was the only woman assigned to her unit in four of her five deployments.
“Because we are female, a lot of respect slips through the cracks and we are treated as though we aren’t worth as much as a male. ... We work twice as hard to get half as far.
Marylin Woodman She was deployed overseas three times, each time serving in units where women made up 10 to25 percent of the squad.
“As a female in a war, it’s you against the world. You have to be doubly aware of your environment, not only outside the wire but inside the wire as well.”
Jeanette Martinez. She was one of three women deployed to a military base in Afghanistan.
“I learned to blend in with the guys. I changed the way I talk and eliminated many so-called feminine characteristics so as not to draw attention to myself. I cut off all of my hair, and I worked hard to be and do as much as my fellow male soldiers did.”
Sonia Kendrick. She was deployed to South Korea and Afghanistan.
“Deployment is stressful for everyone. However, as a female officer, I take pride in doing the job right. I don’t ever want to be anyone’s example of why women should not be in the military.”
Jennifer Bennie. She was deployed twice in the Persian Gulf. On her second deployment, she estimates, 30 percent of her crew were women.
“I thought I was resilient, but war shredded me, and I found myself constantly trying to prove myself to two countries without betraying my values.”
J.L. Chamberlain. She was deployed to Afghanistan as an engineer. She was one of three women in a unit of 81.
“I feel that it’s safe to say females had to do double duty protecting themselves, both against enemies outside the wire and soldiers with war-torn brains and unmet sexual needs inside the wire.”
Susanne Rossignol. She was deployed to Iraq in 2004-05.
“I wish I could say there was a special camaraderie among the females, but the truth is that I had few female friends. Most are very competitive with little interest in friendship. There is also the issue of making one another look weak. One works so hard to hide any weakness; if you’re seen socializing with a weak female it can have bad repercussions. Any friendships with males are automatically perceived as sexual in nature.”
Stephanie Christopher. She was deployed in Iraq twice as an officer in an artillery unit and says she “was consistently the only female on regular convoys.”
“At one point, my supervisor was so concerned that he suggested that I wear my belt backward so that a rapist would have more difficulty pulling down my pants. As a female officer, this inability to do the simplest of things for fear of being raped was demeaning and demoralizing.”
Vanessa M. Remus. She was deployed to Iraq in 2010-11 with the California Army National Guard to provide logistics support for southern Iraq.
“Fighting the notion that women do not belong in the military is stressful. A woman’s individual actions are considered as a reflection of all females. No successful female sailor wants to be ‘that woman.’”
Charlene Basden. She was deployed on the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“My deployment happened to be a less stressful one, but the main thing for women compared to men is that women are more willing to talk to each other or others about their thoughts, feelings and situations.”
Rachel Evans. She was deployed in Iraq for 10 months. Half of the soldiers in her support battalion were women.
“The environment was extremely stressful, and you cannot display any emotion: It is not only seen as a weakness, but it does cloud your judgment, which you desperately need to function.”
Alexandra Stokman Brackett. She was deployed to Iraq twice as the only female officer in her company.
“The women I have served with in the Marine Corps are some of the smartest and strongest individuals I know. We are a distinct type of individual embedded within a warrior culture; we bring emotional leadership to an organization where it is greatly needed.”
Lauren Grigsby. She was deployed on two tours of Al Taqaddum, Iraq, as a second lieutenant and then as a company commander.
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