Quote Originally Posted by former_0302 View Post
While I don't disagree with your hierarchy of values, none of those are why people who could have joined the military tell me they didn't join the military. They talk to me about not wanting to be told what to do all the time, and that they don't want to get blown up in some far away land. Maybe you hear different things...
There's a whole range of reasons, some of which actually seem quite petty in the 'big picture'; i.e. "peer pressure". I've heard those reasons you've listed, as well as having better pay/benefits elsewhere, "my friends won't approve", etc. Incidentally, the military is regularly ranked as one of the highest regarded government institutions in public opinion polls. So there's a disconnect somewhere; people generally admire the military but don't want to do it themselves. I've heard the "I'll join when the military when it needs me" reason a number of times too.

The military already offers a diverse range of benefits and incentives - some of the services are more flexible than others. From the perspective of the Army, I think it would be more effective reforming itself as an institution (in regards to culture, advancement, etc) than increasing the amount of kind or benefits.

I suppose, then, that you would agree that there is a substantive argument that, let's say, the average football/basketball/whatever team will be improved by replacing half of its members with women?
I think this is a cultural (and subsequently structural) question, not a sex or gender one. History is replete with examples of fierce and capable female warriors and/or soldiers. But women have for the better part of history been regulated to specific roles in society, usually far from any battlefield. I doubt that very much has to do with women being less capable of fighting - I think it's more true that if women are less capable of fighting than men, it's because women in general have been regulated into that position by social structure. I haven't read the literature in depth, but I'd be interested in a discussion of the role of women in the Soviet armed forces during world war II as soldiers, snipers, partisans, etc. Someone on this board may have extensive knowledge on it.