WOMEN IN COMBAT

摘要

More than 200,000 women serve in the US military-roughly 15 percent of the force. These women lead convoys down Afghanistan's dangerous dirt roads. They risk their lives every time they diffuse an improvised explosive device. They dodge bullets as they provide medical care to wounded troops. They fly fighter jets and drop bombs. Three female airmen have made the ultimate sacrifice since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began. Twenty-three more have been wounded in action. After more than a decade of fighting two simultaneous counterinsurgency wars, the front lines have become blurred. One thing is clear: Women have proved capable in combat. "It's clear to all of us that women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military's mission of defending the nation," said then-Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta in January as he announced plans to open up more roles to women in combat. He continued, "They're serving in a growing number of critical roles on and off the battlefield. The fact is that they have become an integral part of our ability to perform our mission."