THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

10

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE SUPPORT OF THE REPEAL OF COMBAT EXCLUSIONARY RULES.

 

 


     WHEREAS, the United States military has an epidemic rate of rape in all branches of the armed services; and

 

     WHEREAS, in her book, "The Lonely Soldier:  The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq", Helen Benedict refers to several studies of the military funded by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to these studies, thirty per cent of military women are raped while serving, seventy-one per cent are sexually assaulted, and ninety per cent are sexually harassed; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United States Department of Defense acknowledges the problem, estimating in its 2009 annual report on sexual assault, that approximately ninety per cent of military sexual assaults are never reported; and

 

     WHEREAS, the combat arms specialties of the United States military continue to foster misogynist attitudes such as those expressed in this still-popular Jody call:  "Who can take a chainsaw, Cut the bitch in two, F*** the bottom half, And give the upper half to you..."; and

 

     WHEREAS, military policy provides that women cannot be assigned to units whose primary mission is to engage the enemy; these policies are not based on women's proven abilities; and

 

     WHEREAS, where and how women serve in the military should be based on ability and training, not gender; and

 

     WHEREAS, in today's all-volunteer force, women have accepted the challenges, responsibilities, and dangers of military service, and have proven themselves time and time again; and

 

     WHEREAS, closing combat specialties do not keep women out of combat or safe; and

 

     WHEREAS, women have been toting M60 machine guns and M16 rifles into the forefront of battle zones for decades; and

 

     WHEREAS, these combat exclusionary rules keep women from promotion, in contrast to exclusively male combat specialties that are often fast-tracked; and

 

WHEREAS, there is a failure of leadership with regard to women on and off the battlefield; and

 

     WHEREAS, women and gay service members are harassed and assaulted as too many male commanders tolerate such abuse; and

 

     WHEREAS, senior military leaders of both genders have stated that combat exclusionary rules degrade both morale and readiness; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, that the President and the United States Congress are requested to immediately repeal the combat exclusionary rules as contrary to good order and discipline and as the humane, ethical thing to do; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States of America, the Secretary of Defense, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

Repeal of Combat Exclusionary Rules