Six more women have passed the first test to make it into the Army’s Ranger school this week, doubling the presence of women in the male dominated program. A dozen women finishing the ranger training assessment course — or RTAC — may seem small, but it is the first stepping stone in achieving gender equality in the military’s most elite programs.

The RTAC is a 16-day assessment that involves physical tests such as a two-mile run with equipment, water survival and obstacle courses. After passing the physical portion, students are then evaluated on their leadership skills. Of the 119 people who went through the exhausting two weeks of training in Fort Benning, Georgia only 31 passed. This proves that women can compete on the same level as men and qualifications do not need to be lowered for women to join.

The Army integrating women into its programs is a long time coming and should be a cue for other military programs to make the change. Gender exclusive programs like the Navy SEALs need to change, and fast. The argument that women can’t compete and news articles titled, “Navy SEALs: Can Women Cut It?” are old, unintelligent and above all, sexist.

The military has always been slow to modernize its policies on social issues, whether it be finally accepting women into military academies in the 1970s or repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell just four years ago. Today’s fight circles around the debate of whether or not women have a place in special operations teams.

“I like to say the SEALs are the greatest man club on earth. The loyalty and drive that flow from that are key to almost everything we’ve achieved. It’s just a fact,” said Rorke Denver, a Navy SEAL and star of the film “Act of Valor” in 2013. “Our unit cohesion is forged from testosterone, and look at what that’s produced: the most lethal, aggressive and effective assault teams on the modern battlefield, fighting their hearts out for America.”

These words are hurtful and prove women have an uphill battle when it comes to the military. If a man of Denver’s caliber — the co-author of The New York Times Bestseller, “Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior”— believes women can’t do the job, it proves how ingrained sexism is in the system. To claim that testosterone is the sole reason America has the most effective assault teams is ludicrous. How about the amount of time spent training together? Or the fact that these teams know their lives are in each other’s hands?

Earlier this year a former Navy SEAL, Ray “Cash” Care posted on Warrior.scout.com, “They’d have to have separate barracks, separate showers, more medical personnel. In cold weather survival training, we’re taught to sit “nuts to butts”. That’s where guys basically sit up top of each other to keep warm. How is that going to work with a woman in the middle?”

Believing that co-ed relationships cannot be possible because sexual drive will overcome the operation only shows that people will come up with any excuse to exclude women. Men and women can coexist and fight together. Just give women the chance to apply.

And next January the Department of Defense will have the chance to do just that. After looking over other branches that have started gender integrating, the Defense Department will get to make the call on lifting the ban for women; the only question in its mind should be ‘‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’

Julia Smith is a junior newspaper and online journalism and sociology dual major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at jcsmit11@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @jcsmith711.

Published on April 6, 2015 at 12:41 am