Mothers in Combat Boots - Mary Eberstadt

Although women in general may have been well integrated into military service this does not necessarily mean that mothers should take part in active combat. Before the 1970s, women with dependent children were not allowed to enlist in the military and pregnancy would prompt a discharge. Nowadays, however, the armed forces frequently send ‘mothers and soon-to-be mothers in harm’s way’. This morally questionable practice can, says the author, be traced to the scarcity of ‘warm bodies’ able to serve and, in addition, a progressive equality agenda. By pointing to numerous statistics illustrating the adverse effects on children and families of mothers in combat, the author calls for a thorough reassessment of military policies towards women.

© Policy Review (Washington, D.C.)