ABSTRACT
The United States is the only major country to consider seriously the question of women in combat. Sexual egalitarians point approvingly to the heroism of Sovier women during World War II and to the combat role of women in the Israeli army. Israeli commanders found that Arab forces fought with greater determination against female units to avoid the humiliation of being defeated by women; as a result, casualties on both sides were higher. The American military has grown increasingly dependent upon women to meet its "manpower" requirements in the volunteer force. Traditionally, the service academies have prepared officers for leadership positions, chiefly combat ones. But in evaluating the performance of women at the academies, supporters stress women's academic performance, while minimizing the effect of changes in the physical training curricula.
