Women’s service in the American military is nothing new. Since the Revolutionary War, women have always played a crucial role during war time. They served as nurses, cooks, saboteurs and, not to mention, took over the empty jobs of the male draftees back home.

The full integration of minorities in the American military has been a work in progress, with a history of segregation and the historical inability of people of color to hold officer roles. After protests and threats of protests from NAACP chapters and activist A. Philip Randolph, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 in June 1942, outlawing racial discrimination in the armed forces and in defense industries. This progress for racial minorities helped catalyze a debate regarding whether or not women should be embraced by the military and concluded with them being given access to few positions, excluding any frontline combat roles.

Recently, on December 3, 2015, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter took a step toward full gender integration by rescinding the policy banning military women from serving in combat roles. Now, in 2016, the Senate approved a bill that included an amendment requiring women to register for the draft – also known as Selective Service – should it be reinstated.

The National Defense Authorization Act passed 85-13 in the Senate, with those supporting gender inclusion seeing the passing of this bill as an obvious step toward gender equality. However, the requirement for women to participate in the draft elicits the disapproval of some.

Those who disagree with the act are likely opposed to it because they share the same moral makeup with Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who said, “The idea that we should forcibly conscript young girls into combat, to my mind, makes little or no sense” – in other words, anyone who carries a conservative view on traditional gender stereotypes and norms. Though some view military career limitations as individual deficiencies, gender inequality is still a part of the organizational culture in the military. Senator Cruz is not the only one who cannot reconcile his view of women with the mental image of the draftee, one who must weather the physical, emotional and mental taxes of combat. Other people who disagree with the National Defense Authorization Act amendment regarding women may oppose it for reasons having less to do with gender and far more to do with anti-draft sentiment. Some see no need for a draft considering that an all-volunteer military has considerable recruits, is less costly (draftees serve shorter terms and training costs are higher) and is more motivated. Some see a draft as morally wrong and inconsistent with American values of choice, freedom and personal liberty. They believe it has hurt American men and may now hurt American women as well.

Though the majority of the opposition is Republican, the opinions regarding this act are not divided along party lines so clearly. Those who have served in the military likely have a realistic perspective regarding current female engagement in the military and thus agree with including women completely in all aspects of the same organization they already support to such a great degree. After all, the Pentagon has already made military roles available to women. Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, pointed out the difference between civilians and those with military background, saying, “Every uniform leader of the United States military seemed to have a different opinion from the senator from Texas , whose military background is not extensive.” He and many other veterans and military members believe that including women in the draft is “simply fair.”