Joan of Arc’s Modern Day Struggle
In France, Domremy was home to a small girl around 1412. She was the child of a peasant and rural family. Her small village was ravaged by raids. She was functionally inliterate throughout her entire life. Joan of Arc was born from this tiny girl. Joan of Arc would go on to become a national hero, and one of history’s most notable women. Modern military women still feel the pain of Joan’s peril. I will look at her life and compare it with modern-day military practices.
Europe was not a desirable place at the time she was born. England and France were in an endless war for control that was so long it was called the Hundred-Years’ War. The English wanted control of France’s Kingdom in 1337. This war began in 2013. The French refused, and so began a bloody and long war. The French and English troops were killing each other in a ruthless war that lasted until 1422. No one knew who the French ruler was. Was it the French or the English who deserved to control France? Joan would ultimately decide this. Joan of Arc, then ten years old, began to experience visions. These visions directed her to live an exemplary and holy life. These visions had scenes of St. Michael & St. Catherine telling them that they would one day save France and that they would be hero. Her visions eventually gave her the instructions she needed to start her mission to save France. She was first instructed to go to Charles, the heir to the throne but too young to be ruler yet, and ask for his permission to exile the English from France. Joan reached out to Robert de Baudricourt in 1428. He was a military commander who supported Charles. After much hesitation, he accepted to bring her to Charles. Joan of Arc was required to travel 11 days across enemy territory in order to bring her to Charles. Robert de Baudricourt was also required. To protect herself, she disguised herself as an armored man for the journey. Charles was not sure whether to accept the young girl who claimed she was the “hero of France”. Legend states that his vetting/consideration process was quite thorough. His theologians observed her. They concluded that she was an ordinary girl with the virtues that she claimed to possess. Charles reluctantly accepted Joan’s support after they were able to spot Charles incognito amid a group consisting of commoners. Joan, a seventeen-year-old girl, was allowed to travel with the French army to Orleans on a horse and armor. Orleans was French-occupied. After much fighting, French forces took control of English forts around the region. Joan sustained injuries but was able to return in time to help secure the city. The French defeated the English in Orleans, ending the English myth of being invincible soldiers that can never be defeated. Charles was still skeptical of Joan’s honesty and cautioned Joan not to push him to go fast to Reims to claim his French crown. Charles and his armies took a cautious approach and finally reached Reims where they reclaimed the crown, exactly as Joan had predicted.
Charles, Joan, and the crown in France were returned to France on July 18th 1429. Joan was sent to Compiegne in the spring to confront the Burgundian invasion. Joan was left injured in the streets by her horse while she was fighting. The Burgundians saw her as an important negotiation tool and quickly captured her. She was held captive by the Burgundians for many months while they negotiated with English. After months and years of negotiations, they finally reached an agreement with English. The Burgundians received 10,000 Swiss Francs as exchange for Joan. She was viewed by the English as a potential opportunity. Unknown to most, she looked just like a nineteen-year-old girl. The English were able to see that they had captured a key piece of French morality. They had become a symbol for France. They had taken a piece from France, but not one life. Charles eventually heard about Joan’s capture. He doubted her divinity. He didn’t even try to help and distanced from her. Despite her actions being against English army, she received Church officials so that she could face a more severe trial than a military tribunal. She was in a military prison before her trial. Joan was frequently threatened with torture and rape. She was able secure her armor to defend herself. The court took this action against her because she was upset that they couldn’t make her fall. She was charged with witchcraft, heresy and dressing as a man, among other charges. She was found guilty of the charges in a private court trial. Joan was burned to the ground on May 30, 1431 before approximately 1200 people. Joan was just 19 years old when she was executed. Her ashes and remains were taken to Paris for burial. Her death was followed by 22 years of war. Charles remained Kingof France. Charles in 1456 ordered Joan’s death investigated to prove her innocence. She was declared innocent and made a martyr in 1456. Joan was canonized May 16, 1920. Joan is still France’s patron saint.
Joan faced the same difficulties today as Joan. 1948 was the first occasion that women were made legally permanent members of military service. In the past, women were only allowed to serve in medical and support roles. West Point’s first female admission was made in 1976. Today, about 16% percent of military positions are held by women. The military is not for everyone. Joan faced similar obstacles. Even today, some positions remain closed to women. Women are prohibited from serving on special forces, front lines, Navy SEALs or submarine crews, as well as any type of special operation. Two reasons women aren’t allowed to serve in these roles include safety and strength. They are safer than their male counterparts. Although these are valid reasons, there are practical ways to avoid them. Women’s safety is a matter of great importance. More oversight and the changing of laws will make this a reality. A few years back, for example, a young girl was raped. She waited for years before reporting it to anyone. Due to her drunken state, she would have received a harsher punishment than her rapist. This could be resolved by changing laws and holding those who threaten women accountable. It is an unfortunate fact that not all females are as strong as men. Some military positions won’t be open to women. Trump suggested that women should be allowed into a certain position if they can physically. Anyone who can pass the physical requirements of men should be allowed to apply for those positions. Ben Carson, the former Presidential candidate, is of the opinion that women are not physically capable of surpassing men. Therefore, combat positions should be prohibited for them. Blindness should not be allowed to apply for military service. It is acceptable for women to serve their country as long they pass the same physical screenings as men.
Some recent laws allow women the opportunity to serve under other laws. The Department of Defence issued a 1993 law that gave women many new opportunities. The law was amended in 2014. Women are now able to apply for 78% of Army and 99% Air Force positions. Leona Panetta (U.S. secretary of defense) has called for the “end of all restrictions on women who prevent them from serving combat roles.” A new training method for female soldiers was introduced in the Army in 2013. It offers women training in specific areas. The new training will allow women to be eligible for all Army positions by the beginning of 2016. Nineteen women were given the chance to apply for an Army Ranger program. This would allow them to become special operations officers. The course was a failure for all nineteen. Eleven of them dropped out within four days. The remaining eight did not complete phase 2. Three of the women who dropped out in phase 2 were offered a chance to re-enroll. All three of the women who dropped in phase two were given a second chance to re-enroll. They graduated in October 2015. Although it’s possible, integration would be challenging.
Research has shown that squad cohesion decreases when women are added to the mix. According to Marine Corps research, squad cohesion drops when women are added. The study also found that units made up of all men performed better in combat situations than those with only women, particularly in cases where they had large “crew-served”, weapons such as heavy machine guns or mortars. Infantry squads that included men were also more accurate than squads with women. There was also a noticeable difference in the accuracy of infantry rifleman units’ weapons systems, according to the study. They include the M4 Carbine, the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, and the M203, single-shot, grenade launcher attached to rifles. However, research found that men who did not receive infantry training were still better at using firearms than women who did. It was also found that wounded troops were removed from the battlefield with a significantly different execution time between the all-male and the gender-integrated groups. However, this exception is when a single person — “most often a man Marine” — takes someone away. There is no military training that teaches women how to interact with their female counterparts. For success on the battlefield, it is essential to be able work as a part of a team. I doubt that women will be permitted to take on every role until then.
Today, women face the same opposition as Joan of Arc did when she wanted her country to be free. It’s ridiculous to let someone risk their life for greater good just for not being born with the right tools. It is true that the military’s effectiveness would be reduced if women were allowed to take on combat roles at this time. To ensure that there is unity in the fight for life, we need to improve training methods. I don’t believe women are always as strong as their male counterparts. As long as they pass the same physical tests, I think they should be allowed in service with them. The military admission process should not consider gender, race or religion. In the past gays and people of color were treated the same in military service as women. They are inefficient and “efficency ruiner”. They have served in a variety of positions and there has been nothing bad. Why not change training and allow women to take on any role she desires, so long as they can achieve their goal. Joan of Arc was a woman warrior regardless of what people thought of her. King Charles did not take her seriously. The same applies to women today. Women need to be strong and confident in their abilities. We can have a strong, united military if we do this.
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