ABSTRACT
American men have an inclination to protect women, which may lead to poor decision-making in combat. Following the reduction of United States military activity in Iraq, the training program for cultural engagement units was halted, shrinking the opportunities for women in naval special warfare. Nearly everyone agreed that the integration of women into Sea-Air-Land and special warfare combatant-craft crewmen units creates social stress for members, and it disrupts the existing culture. Some people who had experience of working in military settings that included men and women indicated that sexual behavior poses a potential disruption to performance. Myriad people have fretted about team cohesion and how it might be negatively impacted by integrating women. Some people worried that having an injured woman on the team would impact men emotionally, possibly increasing risks to the entire team. Male trainers may not be as hard on female trainees for fear of sexual harassment charges or to reduce the rates of injuries.
