In a recent Senate Armed Services committee hearing, both the Army and Marine Corps chiefs publicly stated that women should be required to register for the Selective Service. For those of us who have been actively engaged in a fight for equality in an integrated military, this came as a no-brainer. But opponents of gender-integration saw this as their metaphorical last stand rather than as a natural extension of the removal of the combat exclusion policy.
In attempts to rally the emotions of the American public, the anti-integration crowd has drummed up graphic imagery about war, pandered to a false sense of essential male protectorship, and relied on emotional tropes of “our daughters” going off to fight wars. While these arguments are high on emotion, they are shallow on fact, and deny the reality that including women in the Selective Service is the right move, right now.
It’s about Equality in Citizenship
Dating back to the ancient Greek writings of Thucydides, military service has been tied to citizenship rights. In modern times, military service has been used as a means of gaining citizenship rights. Equality in the ability to fight and die for one’s country translates to equality in citizen expectations. Military service levels the playing field. Including all citizens — regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation — in the selective service includes that there is no protected or privileged class when it comes to expectations.
The fact that women were not required to register for the selective service on its inception in 1973 says more about the fact that women were largely not regarded as full equal citizens than it does about women being a group that should be protected from the horrors of war.
It is worth noting that registering for the selective service is a largely symbolic move towards equality in citizenship. The reality is that the Selective Service is not “the draft,” but a list of qualified citizens to be called up in dire circumstances where additional (wo)man power is needed. This issue has been crafted around “the draft” in order to evoke emotional responses in the place of rational fact. For as hard as the opposition tries to present pictures of young girls being dragged to their deaths at the hand of a brutal enemy, this simply is not reality.
Given the U.S.’ all-volunteer force structure, there is currently more than a generation of young men who have registered for the Selective Service and never seen a day of war. This has occurred while the U.S. has been involved in the longest armed conflict in its history. For the past 15 years, those young men who have not volunteered to fight for this country were not lying awake at night fretting over whether they will be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan the next day. Advancements in military technology and tactics have created a present reality where the military can successfully rely on less than 1 percent of the population.
Registering for the Selective Service is thus not close to a death sentence. Registrants are not being dragged to war the next day. But it is a symbolic step at recognizing the equity in expectation and opportunities for all citizens.
It’s about National Security
Requiring all citizens to register for the Selective Service will have a two-fold positive effect on national security. First, if the nation is ever required to rely on a draft in the future, it will ensure a more diverse, talented and capable force. Scientific evidence has pointed to the fact that diversity makes groups smarter and more effective. Modern warfare relies more on brains than brawn, and gender diversity has proven essential in tactical successes.
Given this reality, why would we, as a nation, chose to sacrifice security for some outdated gender-based policy? If the U.S. were ever in a situation that required calling on the totality of its citizenry to engage in war, it is essential that the most qualified individuals are called for the job.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, a more inclusive Selective Service is more likely to promote diplomacy and deliberate foreign policy. It has been said that if there is any law in foreign relations, it is the democratic peace. A primary tenant of this law is that citizens constrain their leaders form fighting unnecessary wars because they do not want to bear the cost. A more inclusive Selective Service means more citizens have the potential to be impacted. War is something that should not be entered into lightly. Having to potentially bear the cost should lead to a more informed and engaged citizenry, promoting deliberative foreign policy action over hawkish reactions.
It’s Time to Drop the Emotion
Much like the initial debate on fully integrating all Military Occupational Specialties, the current debate on including women in the Selective Service is rife with emotional arguments in the place of reason. While these arguments do well to tug at the heartstrings of parents of daughters, and evoke gruesome images of wars past, they are not reflective of the today’s reality. Including women in the selective service is not a subversive message to “draft our daughters.” It is an essential policy change to do right by all citizens and ensure our nation’s security.
Kyleanne Hunter is a PhD student at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and a research fellow at the Sie Chou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy. She served over a decade as a Marine Corps Officer. She was a cobra pilot by trade and combat veteran. She also served as the Marine Corps’ liaison officer to the House of Representatives. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
