WOMEN IN COMBAT? MOST AMERICANS SAY NO

With women in the military comes the issue of women in combat. Maj. Lillian Pfluke, retired from the Army, was one of the first female graduates of West Point and served honorably for 15 years. She is advocating full parity in combat for women as "equal members of the team." Secretary of the Army Togo West says a valid argument could be made for women in combat but adding that the decision must come from the American people and their elected representatives in Congress.

Retiring Sen. Sam Nunn, a candidate for secretary of defense or state in the next Clinton cabinet, disagreed with Pfluke. "Women are a vital part of our military today," said the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We really cannot fight a war without the women in the military. Now, should they be in the front-line combat and what we think of as combat-armed in the traditional sense? In my opinion, no."

Americans overwhelmingly agree with Sen. Nunn.