The possibility of a female POW raises new questions about the role of women in the military. Throughout history America has had fewer than 100 women POWs, including 88 in World War II and two in Vietnam. As in earlier conflicts, the women of Desert Storm are banned from combat positions. But the blurring of lines between combat and noncombat jobs in the gulf increases the likelihood of more female POWs. The question is how the public will react to seeing women held captive–and possibly tortured–by the enemy. For women in the military, attaining equality may carry a terrible price.
