Introduction
Army has always been one of the fundamental elements of the existence, formation, and development of any state. It protects the nation from all possible threats and can be used as the potent tool to impact the international intercourse and guard interests needed to empower a countrys position and contribute to its further rise. As for the USA, its history contains numerous events evidencing the unique significance of the army and its crucial role in its evolution. At the same time, from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terrorism, the US Army has passed a great way and undergone multiple changes and transformations to preserve its efficiency and the ability to remain one of the powerful tools of international policy. However, throughout all its way, ethics and diversity have always remained two central concerns.
Literature Review
The importance of the topic is evidenced by multiple research papers and books devoted to its investigation. The majority of them accept diversity as one of the key aspects that benefited the US Army and US Navy formation. For instance, Bell and Crow (2017) present a set of womens military stories showing the role females played in the most significant military conflicts. The central motifs of these stories are a significant contribution to the diversification of US forces in different parts of American history. Bell and Crow (2017) in their collection emphasize the fact that military women helped to destroy stereotypical patterns associated with gender roles and raise multiple ethical concerns related to the interrelations between soldiers and officers.
Susan Godson continues cogitations about the diversity in the US military forces and how women contributed to its becoming one of the most powerful armies in the world. The fact is that throughout all history, women have been trying to integrate with naval service to make their contribution to its development. The given process turned out a great success as it helped to eliminate barriers between officers and soldiers representing different genders and social classes (Godson, 2002). In the most crucial moments of American history, women also helped to protect the country and its interests, which contributed to the formation of the particular mentality and perspective on how the nation should work together to create the basis for the countrys rise and becoming one of the leaders at the international level.
Nevertheless, the large presence of women in the US Army contributes not only to the diversification and emergence of a particular ethical code. It also serves as the guarantee of the family support and creation of the positive image of Naval and other forces. Flair et al. (2015) state that one of the central strengths of the modern army which has to struggle abroad regarding the War on Terrorism is the existence of military families that help to generate community support by communicating with people and improve the morale of soldiers. At the same time, the complexity and challenging character of the majority of modern operations result in a high level of stress that can be decreased by appealing to the traditional family values and ethics.
On another hand, numerous fears come from the stereotypic belief that women in combat are less efficient than men. This approach became part of peoples mentality in many cultures because of the privileged position of men and their dominant roles in the army (Collins-Dogrul & Ulrich, 2017). However, as for the US army, the modern ethical code and diversity that results from the bright history and the inclusion of women in various services trigger the reconsideration of this perspective. In their research, Collins-Dogrul and Ulrich (2017) assume that womens categorization as inferior soldiers is erroneous and rests on the outdated ideas of the past. On the contrary, the sex-gender diversity peculiar to the US Army throughout its history and especially in the Global War on Terrorism provided women with the opportunity to prove their efficiency in complex situations.
Finally, the existing ethics peculiar to the US Army suggests a particular code of conduct that should be followed to avoid dishonesty. Wong and Gerras (2016) assume that diversity may contribute to the decreased number of situations that might trigger the development of undesired feelings and behaviors. At the same time, the presence of women has a positive impact on men and their behavioral patterns in critical situations. Trying to follow stereotypical patterns and demonstrate qualities associated with masculinity, they show better results. In this regard, diversification has a positive impact on the modern army regarding its complex tasks in different regions.
Conclusion
Altogether, the US Army has always been one of the most diversified formations of this kind globally. Peculiarities of the countrys historical development and the inclusion of women in military services contributed to the creation of the unique environment characterized by the existence of a particular ethical code that helps to increase the efficiency and improve the result. In such a way, from Revolution Wars to the Global War on Terrorism, the US Naval forces and other subdivisions cultivate diversity by providing all genders with an opportunity to serve and contribute to the development of their states.
References
Bell, J., & Crow, T. (2017). It’s my country too: Women’s military stories from the American Revolution to Afghanistan. Lincoln, NB: Potomac Books.
Flair, L., Fullerton, C., Cozza, S., Mash, H., McCarrol, E., Ortiz, C., & Ursano, R. (2015). Military families: Measurement of community resource adequacy. Psychological Reports, 117(1), 133-143. Web.
Godson, S. (2002). Serving proudly: A history of women in the U.S. Navy. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.
Collins-Dogrul, J., & Ulrich, J. (2017). Fighting stereotypes: Public discourse about women in combat. Armed Forces & Society, 44(3), 436-459. Web.
Wong, L., & Gerras, S. (2016). Lying to ourselves: Dishonesty in the army profession. Carlisle, PA: Department of the Army.