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The Exclusion of Women from Combat: Is There a Legal Justification? Sandra G University of Baltimore Law Forum Volume 24 Article 3 Number 1 Summer, 1993 1993 The Exclusion of Women from Combat: Is There a Legal Justification? Sandra G. Pike Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/lf Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Pike, Sandra G. (1993) "The Exclusion of Women from Combat: Is There a Legal Justification?," University of Baltimore Law Forum: Vol. 24 : No. 1 , Article 3. Available at: http://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/lf/vol24/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@University of Baltimore School of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Baltimore Law Forum by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@University of Baltimore School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EXCLUSION OF WOMEN FROM COMBAT: IS THERE A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION? Sandra G. Pike aws preventing women from serving in military com­ between women and men as to characteristics which are bat positions reflect the complexity of laws treating relevant to job performance and social roles. They argue that L women and men differently. Although the United individuals should be free to choose careers and social roles States Constitution does not require that all individuals be based on individual abilities and inclinations rather than on treated in the same way, the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal the basis of stereotypical perceptions of female and male Protection Clause explicitly guarantees that no state can capabilities. Although recent legislation and court decisions deny any person "the equal protection of the laws.") This have reflected the impact of the women's movement, many principal is extended implicitly to the federal government by laws still reflect biological determinism based on outmoded the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause.2 The idea of stereotypes. classification, treating one class of people differently from One of the most hotly debated areas involving gender­ another based upon those differences, is fundamentally based classification concerns the role of women in the based upon inequality. Thus, courts have struggled with the military. Central to the resolution of this conflict is the meaning of equality and application of the equal protection determination as to whether there are differences between concept. men and women which legally justify the exclusion ofwomen In an attempt to resolve the constitutional problems from combat positions. Such an examination provides a created by the deliberate categorization of social groups, the microscope through which to view equal rights application United States Supreme Court has espoused the doctrine of and the question of how laws should address gender differ­ reasonable classification. This concept prohibits the govern­ ences. ment from making unreasonable classifications.3 A reason­ Part I of this article will examine the current law. Part n able classification is one which includes all persons who are will provide concrete experiences to illustrate ways in which "similarly situated."4 Therefore, the Fifth and Fourteenth individuals are affected by the law. 9 Part III will postulate a Amendments guarantee that people who are similarly situ­ hypothetical constitutional challenge to the law and define ated will be treated similarly by the federal and state govern.,. the methodology of analysis to be employed. )0 Part IV will ments. The difficulty, of course, is that women and men individually analyze the reasons most frequently espoused to differ from one another and are therefore not always "simi­ justify sustaining the current law. larly situated." It is clear from a constitutional perspective that laws and Situations in which individuals are not similarly situated policies which exclude women from all combat positions are often the product of legislative and judicial creation. violate the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause by denying Historically, legislators and judges thought it reasonable to equal treatment under the law in the areas of employment classify persons according to their sex. Denial ofadmission opportunity and participation in vital acts of citizenship. to the legal profession,5 denial of the right to vote or hold None ofthe reasons given by the military would be sufficient public office,6 and denial of the right to have women jurors 7 for a civilian employer to legally close jobs to women. Only are only a few examples of unequal treatment of women one constitutionally valid reason exists for excluding women which were justified because of differences between women from a limited number of combat positions. That reason is and men. to provide the constitutional right of privacy. However, the Since the 1960s, the women's movement in America has current law and policies are not narrowly tailored enough to challenged biological determinism, the theory that attempts achieve this goal with as little infringement as possible on to justify the subordination of women as a direct and natural other constitutional rights. Therefore, if extreme deference consequence ofbiological differences.8 The women's move­ were not given to Congress in deciding military affairs, the ment has emphasized a legal theory ofequal rights: the right exclusion of women from all combat positions would not of each individual to equal treatment based on equal perfor­ pass constitutional muster. Having been granted this defer­ mance. Feminist legal scholars have challenged biological ence, Congress should reform the law so that the only determinism by postulating that substantial overlap exists positions closed to women would be those for which a constitutionally valid justification exists. Hoist and other auxiliary ships sail the same waters and are as likely to be fired upon as combatant ships. The difference I. EXISTING LAWS AND POLICIES is that combatant ships can defend themselves. To progress No law bars women from engaging in combat, yet women above the rank of lieutenant, her career path requires an are excluded from nearly one-half of all military positions. I I officer in her position to serve on a mine countermeasure ship All of these exclusions are based only upon one post-World (MSM). MSMs are closed to women. Moreover, rescue and War II era statute and upon military policy.12 The only area salvage ships and explosive ordinance disposal ships are of combat service from which women are excluded by law is being phased out to be replaced in the coming years by more service on combat vessels. 13 MSMs. Without change, Ensign Ritter's highly specialized There is no statutory restriction to the assignment of skills will be unusable. Although she has proven her ability women to combat' positions in the Air Force. 14 However, to perform the responsibilities ofher position, Ensign Ritter's regulations drafted by the Secretary ofthe Air Force exclude career progression will end because she is female. women from combat positions in the Air Force, U.S. Air First Lieutenant Beth Martin, an instructor pilot at Co­ 5 Force Reserve, and Air National Guard. I Similarly, there is lumbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, watched men who no law restricting the Army's assignment of women. How­ ranked lower than her in pilot training go to fighter training ever, the Secretary ofthe Army has established policies that though she could not. 24 On April 28, 1993,however,Defense exclude women from combat positions. I 6 Secretary Les Aspin announced the removal of restrictions The Department of Defense does not have a directive or barring women from being fighter pilots. As America's first regulation excluding women from combat female combat pilot, Second Lieutenant positions. Its general policy is to "provide Jeannie Flynn began training on an F-15 women with full and equal opportunity ... to Only eleven Strike Eagle, one ofthe most sophisticated serve in all roles except those prohibited by combat planes in the United States mili­ combat exclusion laws and polic[ies]. "17 women hold tary arsenal on May 19, 1993.25 The Secretary of Defense issued the Risk the rank of Captain Kristen Newman, also an in­ Rule in 1988 to standardize positions closed structor pilot at Columbus A.F.B. who to women in the armed services.ls Thus, the general or flew KC-135 Strato-tankers during Op­ policies excluding women from combat po­ eration Desert Storm, said that her career sitions are based upon this one law which admiral decisions were made on the premise that precludes women from serving on combat­ out of she could not fly combat aircraft.26 Jen­ ant ships.19 nifer Eaves, a policy analyst with the a total of Center for Strategic and International Stud­ II. THE EFFECTS OF THE LAW ies and an ensign in the Naval Reserve, A. Discrimination in Employment Op­ 1,021 positions believes that it will probably be ten to portunities and Advancement in all branches. fifteen years after women are allowed into For women in the military, one of the combat positions before women will be in most obvious disadvantages of the combat combat leadership positions?7 Lawrence exclusion is the denial ofequal opportunities J. Korb, former Assistant Secretary of for advancement. Speaking candidly to the Armed Services Defense under Ronald Reagan and now a senior fellow at the Committee, General Merrill McPeak, the Air Force Chief of Brookings Institution, said that "women have the worst of Staff, conceded that a double standard exists. In his opinion, both worlds .... They can't go into those jobs with the highest "combat-exclusion law is discrimination against women that probability ofpromotion to the top of the organization. But ... works to their disadvantage in a career context. ''20 they are still in danger."28 Only eleven women hold the rank of general or admiral out ofa total of! ,021 positions in all branches. 21 Because the B. Encouragement of Sexual Harassment of Women in system of military promotion favors officers with combat the Military service, most women are excluded from the higher echelons An even more difficult problem than inequality in em­ ofmilitary service.
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