The male combat unit lies at the heart of American military identity. The story of a group of men risking their lives to violently defend the United States has been a consistent national narrative. “Bands of brothers,” “comrades in arms,” and “a few good men” are examples of well-worn tropes that signal men's unique connection to one another and their ability to overcome extreme odds to protect the nation. According to military historian Martin van Creveld, war is “the highest proof of manhood” and combat is “the supreme assertion of masculinity.” In his Afghanistan war memoir, US Army Infantry Officer Andrew Exum described the infantry as “one of the last places where that most endangered of species, the alpha male, can feel at home.” These accounts of soldiering depict male troops as the natural and rightful protectors of society.

In contrast, women are often seen as potential spoilers to military culture. There are fears that the integration of women into the military – particularly into combat roles – “feminizes” and weakens the military. Stephanie Gutmann explains, “I do not think we could have a capable integrated combat arms without real androgyny, without real suppression of male and female qualities.” Such portrayals of the military imply that restricting women from the front lines of war is essential to national security. This rationale was at the heart of the combat exclusion – a US military policy designed to keep women from combat units.