Arms & the Enlisted Woman

Stiehm, provost of Florida International University, presents a survey of enlisted women in the military that is certainly thorough but quickly bogs down in detail. In the author's view, the principal problem of females in the service is their very presence, which prompts such questions as whether women should be drafted, whether they should serve in combat, whether they can do all the jobs in the military and how to cope with pregnancy, particularly in unmarried servicewomen. Stiehm reports on attitudes in all four branches of the service, among enlisted men and women, both noncommissioned and commissioned officers, as well as the public. Her conclusion: the tension that results from having women in the armed forces is not likely to diminish. This is more a reference work than a book for general readers. Photos. (Apr.)