Military Review English Edition March-April 2015 | Page 63
FEMALE ENGAGEMENT TEAM
Separately, none of the above would change the need
to open the door to Ranger School to all women, regardless of MOS. Currently, Ranger School is seen as the premier leadership development school available to young
soldiers and officers. Excluding women from the school
denies them the experiences, training, and recognition
that accompany graduation. This barrier ultimately
affects promotion rates, job opportunities, and perpetuates the feeling that women are “guests” in infantry units,
where they have not had an opportunity to prove their
credibility. By running a trial phase, providing training
opportunities for women, and maintaining high standards, it seems that the Army is handling this integration
the right way and tackling the challenge head on. It is
my hope that regardless of the outcome, the doors will
remain open to all those who qualify.
Conclusion
Although U.S. forces are closing the chapter on
Afghanistan, conflicts with Islamic extremists do
not seem to be going away anytime soon. The Army
should continue to prepare for situations in which
women will play a key role in engaging with the
population, interfacing with leaders, and satisfying
a tactical necessity. The nature of modern warfare
necessitates that women be trained and ready to fill
these roles within the U.S. military. The current situation, in which selection and training for soldiers filling
these critical roles are left to the unit, cannot persist.
It is time for the Army to identify key skills, standardize training, and create an MOS that will continue the
successes of past FETs and cultural support teams for
decades to come.
Ashley Nicolas is a teacher with Teach for America (AmeriCorps) in San Jose, Calif. She graduated from the United
States Military Academy in 2009 with a B.S. in sociology. A former Army captain, she deployed to Kandahar,
Afghanistan, as the officer-in-charge of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division’s female
engagement team.
Notes
1. Anna C. Coll, “Evaluating Female Engagement Team Effectiveness in Afghanistan” (honors thesis, Wellesley College, 2012), http://
repository.wellesley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1068&context=thesiscollection (accessed 8 January 2015).
2. Nina Strochlic, “The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen
Girls,” The Daily Beast online, 13 December 2014, http://www.
thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/13/the-new-face-of-boko-haram-s-terror-teen-girls.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=*Situation%20Report&utm_campaign=2014_Situation%20Report%20PROMO%20-%20# (accessed 8 January 2015).
3. Clark H. Summers, “Women: The Combat Multiplier of Asymmetric Warfare,” Military Review, 93(4)( July-August 2013): 71, http://
usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/Archives/English/MilitaryReview_20130831_art013.pdf (accessed 8 January 2015