The Citizen-Soldier Tradition and Gender Integration of the U.S. Military

Abstract

Building on James Burk's contention that militaries must not only protect society from external enemies but also help sustain democratic values, this article reframes debates about women in the military that too often polarize conservatives who stress military effectiveness and liberals who advocate women's rights. Calling upon the citizen-soldier tradition, the article discusses gender integration in light of these civic premises: a) as democratic citizens, women are the civic equals of men; b) therefore, they must share responsibility for the military service; c) which is necessary to defend the United States of America against any forces, foreign or domestic, that threaten to undermine its democratic values. The article uses this "civic perspective" to analyze a variety of issues surrounding gender integration with a particular emphasis on debates about basic training.