Beyond the Band of Brothers: The US Military and the Myth that Women Can't Fight

by Megan H. MacKenzie

Women can't fight. This assumption lies at the heart of the combat exclusion, a policy that was fiercely defended as essential to national security, despite evidence that women have been contributing to hostile operations now and throughout history. This book examines the role of women in the US military and the key arguments used to justify the combat exclusion, in the light of the decision to reverse the policy in 2013. Megan MacKenzie considers the historic role of the combat exclusion in shaping American military identity and debunks claims that the recent policy change signals a new era for women in the military. MacKenzie shows how women's exclusion from combat reaffirms male supremacy in the military and sustains a key military myth, the myth of the band of brothers. This book will be welcomed by scholars and students of military studies, gender studies, social and military history, and foreign policy.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2015

About the author

Professor MacKenzie is the Simons Chair in International Law and Human Security, Simon Fraser University. Feminist trying to understand how to end war.

Reviews

[Mark Bauby · Rating 1 out of 5]

this....was not a good book. I was assigned this book for my capstone class and we had to do discussions and critique. needless to say thus book served as an example of what NOT to do when pursuing research. I wanted to like this book, I really did, I'm a infantry vet and her hypothesis is extremely interesting and in the beginning I was interested in her ideas...but as I went further into the book the sources used/quality really started to bring down her argument, cherry picked would be an understatement. Chapter 3 was a huge culprit of this, the whole chapter felt less like an analysis of the "emotional arguments" against women in combat, and more of a rebuttal to a book written in the 1980's and some military theorist from Australia...oh and a anti-feminist actress...all hardly primary/quality sources to make a good argument.

Its just a shame, because I believe that an analysis of us military culture needs to be done, but not like this.
it says a lot that my entire class hated the book, including a self proclaimed "militant feminist" who thought the book made her "side" look bad. Do not buy this book, borrow it or check it out from the library. Oh and just to highlight how not good this book is, somebody in my class double checked one of her sources in chapter 5/6 (cant remember which), but she messes up a quote by getting the person who says it wrong. All in all, the entire book comes off as a 200 page blog rant and not a serious academic work.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five years ago, I finished my dissertation on women's integration into the US military during the Cold War. At this moment, I'm revising that into a book and in the process, discovered this work. While this is very different from the work I'm doing - and doesn't actually examine the long history of women in the military - this is an excellent examination of the combat exclusion policies and the myth of the band of brothers, or the idea that only men can fight alongside men. Very informative for me and useful in continuing to think through elements of what my book is doing.

[Ayushman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor Mackenzie explores and then deconstructs the myths around the ability (and inability) of women to serve in combat roles in militaries. The book in that regard is perfect, but my one gripe was the myths addressed in the book - nearly all of them are unmerited even at face value and is it really the best of the other side that the author found? I’m sure that’s the case and my ignorance on this is my failing alone; perhaps that’s also the most appropriate comment on the arguments of those who believe that women don’t ‘belong’ in a military.

[20hrsinamerica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. A slightly different approach to researching women and the combat exclusion that points out the exclusion repeal won't suddenly make women equal in the military's eyes. Great for discussions of gender and/or the military.