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All ground combat jobs in the U.S. military will be open to women starting next year. The U.S. Defense Secretary said that it made no sense to exclude half the American population from serving in combat. He believes the individual contributions of women will enhance combat effectiveness. There is opposition to this decision from Marines who wanted infantry jobs closed to women. Listen to this story about the pros and cons of this decision. Then debate with your students: Should women hold combat roles?
Story Length: 3:52
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October 30, 2015
3:18
United States airstrikes killed 22 people in a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan that was run by an international aid group, Doctors without Borders. The aid group had given their exact location to the U.S. military, Afghan forces and the Taliban in an effort to avoid being targeted by mistake. Doctors without Borders is calling this act a war crime and the United States is calling this a mistake. Listen to hear about both sides of this issue, and debate your students’ point of view on what constitutes a war crime.
Read MoreAugust 16, 2015
8:14
The search for food that is low cost, tasty and slow-to-spoil has been an ongoing goal of the military, especially during World War II. That’s why military science has influenced the food in school lunches, as well as other convenient foods such as granola bars and juice boxes. Military research and ingredients are found in many foods, including the McDonald’s McRib Sandwich. A new book encourages people to think more about where convenient, non-perishable food comes from and whether this food science should be used so commonly outside the military.
Read MoreDecember 5, 2014
6:59
In the Marines, ground combat units have always been made up of just men. A new yearlong experiment is putting female Marines to the test to see if they can make it through combat training and join male Marines in ground combat. If women can’t make it through the training some ask if the combat standards be changed. Listen to learn more about this experiment and the debate surrounding it.
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