Through the darkness, she notices movement. Her small framed body pushes the heavy gun turret, rotating slowly. She sees the silhouettes, carefully takes aim and fires her M240B machine gun.

Pfc. Hannah M. Geiger of Strongsville, Ohio, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-134, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, is training as a gunner for the 37th IBCT’s upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

Geiger qualified expert with her M4 rifle and, because of her score, was chosen to train as an M240 machine gunner.

While it is not uncommon for female soldiers to train on weapon systems more advanced than their standard issued M4, current Defense Department regulations prevent Geiger and other female soldiers from serving in front line combat positions where such training is utilized.

U.S. female soldiers are not allowed to serve in the infantry or as special operations commandos; however, women are serving in support units as truck drivers, gunners, medics, military police, helicopter pilots and more.

Some American women have served in combat situations with ground units in Iraq and Afghanistan despite being barred from units that engage in direct combat on the ground.

Since 9/11, more than 140 American women have been killed and more than 840 wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan conducting overseas contingency operations and the Global War on Terror, according to Pentagon statistics.

Some believe, however, that females can be a valuable asset in combat operations.

“We need them there. We need their talent,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno during an on-camera interview on This Week in Defense News. “This is about managing talent. We have incredibly talented females who should be in those positions. We have work to do within the [Defense Department] to get them to recognize and change.”

From the ancient Egyptian queen Ahhotep to the women serving in modern day conflicts, women have played many roles in the military over the past 4,000 years; however, the topic remains controversial in many nations and cultures.

Women in Israel, New Zealand, Russia, and other countries are not restricted from combat positions.

Recently, Australia lifted its restriction for women in combat roles and will soon see women serving alongside their male counterparts on the front lines.

Australian government officials insist that women will be judged in the same manner as men; not on their gender, but on their ability to do the job.

“If someone out-guns me, that’s fine,” said Geiger. “But, if I deserve that spot, I’ll be very upset if I can’t have it just because I’m a female.”

Opponents for allowing female soldiers in combat argue that women’s health is a primary concern. The female skeletal system is less dense and more prone to breakages.

On average, female soldiers are shorter and smaller than men with 50 percent less upper body strength and 25-30 percent less aerobic capacity, which is essential for endurance.

Women traditionally served in support positions such as nurses, secretaries, or cleaners, but the nature of warfare is dynamic and the front lines of combat have changed from war to war throughout American history

In the mid-1970s, there was a shift from the military draft to an all-volunteer force, thus creating more career opportunities for females.

In the early 1990s, Congress lifted the ban on women flying combat aircraft and serving on combat ships.

Combat-exclusion policies today prohibit women serving in 9 percent of the U.S. Army’s tactical and operational career fields, including armor and infantry.