[Chainmail]

Which is fine - but the real risk of having young women serving with the young men in the service is distraction: the distraction of attraction, the distraction of sexual relationships (in which the primary loyalty goes to your partner(s) and not the unit), and the distraction of those left out of the relationships who will harbor resentment. Unlike civilian workplace couplings, the ones who don't have a partner will be less likely to risk their lives for the winners in this little hothouse of relationships and they are all armed with a rifle.

Combat units must be focused on the mission and their individual part in it. Combat troops have to know going in that their primary job is killing the enemy while keeping the soldier/Marine to his right and left alive, if possible. Combat troops will only function successfully if they are sure that everyone shares the risks equally and that there is no bias in critical decisions.

Distractions get people killed and are not worth marginal worth of making interest groups happy.

[17th Miss Regt]

Distractions get people killed...

They certainly do. But you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs!

[Dilbert San Diego]

Your post reminds me, of how girls on navy ships have become pregnant. I think we all know what has to happen for a pregnancy to occur. Which begs many questions about the military and the missions, and the wisdom of mixing the sexes together.