The old Army slogan “Be all that you can Be” quickly took on a new meaning for me upon discovering that individuals in all four branches of the military as well as their dependents may be eligible for free plastic surgery. Naturally I assumed that this was some kind of urban legend, but in fact it is true that soldiers and their families can go under the knife for face-lifts, nose jobs, breast enlargements, liposuction, or any other kind of elective cosmetic alteration. However, don’t get too excited, there is one catch; if you want to get a breast augmentation then you do have to supply your own implants.

I first learned of this little military perk a few years ago and couldn’t help thinking that it was completely absurd. I am, and always have been, a strong supporter of the military and the benefits that they receive, but come on; how can tightening up one’s face really improve their job performance? Not only that, but what kind of message is this sending to the families of soldiers; thank you for all your devotion, now here is a free pair of boobs on us, it’s just our little way of saying thank you. It goes without saying that it is U.S. taxpayer dollars that are paying for these surgeries.

Despite my initial reactions to this perk of free plastic surgery my opinion quickly changed when this perk suddenly applied to me. I have recently become engaged to a US Marine, which means that I soon will also qualify for this military perk. I’ll admit that the option of obtaining a free surgery has put into question my usual just say no to plastic surgery beliefs. Like so many other women I have questioned certain aspects of my physical appearance; my thighs are too big, my butt could be perkier, and my nose is oddly shaped, and it just so happens that next August when I get married I could qualify to get one of these imperfections fixed for free. Like I said my curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to do some more research into the military policy and see if I would actually qualify to receive free plastic surgery.

Here is the deal, military personnel are eligible for one free plastic surgery and dependents are eligible to receive a one-time-only free surgery as well. However, actually getting any kind of cosmetic surgery done is a little more challenging than it may seem at first blush. The military’s reasoning behind this cosmetic incentive is that it allows surgeons to practice and hone their surgery skills. These surgeries are used as teaching methods, so that these surgeons are able to properly perform reconstructive surgery on military men and woman who are injured. Therefore, women who do decide to have these procedures done need to keep in mind that the surgery could potentially be performed by a new and inexperienced doctor. In addition, the waiting lists for these types of procedures are insanely long; it turns out that I am not the only one who was intrigued upon learning about this perk. In fact the lists are so long that the odds of actually having one of these surgeries ever be performed are slim to none.

Still, I have had to wrestle with the notion of whether or not to actually put my name on the waiting list. As a young feminist I have typically looked at the notion of plastic surgery through a black and white lens. I strongly believed that women should never go under the knife simply to enhance their physical appearance. I thought it was my job as a feminist to portray the image of a strong woman who was proud of her body at all times and would never be swayed by the enticing appeals of surgeons who could quickly lift this or fix that. However, in this day and age of seeing size zero models everywhere you turn, I think the notion of the woman who has never questioned her appearance in some shape or form is long dead. As a feminist it is not my duty to pretend like I have never questioned my body at one time or another. The fact is that I am a young woman susceptible to the powerful influences of an unhealthy culture , so of course I have had to fight those pesky voices in my head that say I need lose a few pounds or tighten up my thighs or flatten my nose.

In the end I made the decision not to put my name on the waiting list for plastic surgery, partly as a reflection of the feminist ideals that I hold, but also partly because of the comments that I have recently read from other women who have also learned of this military perk. Upon my Google search for more information I discovered hundreds of message boards devoted to the topic of military plastic surgery. These boards contained comment after comment left by women who wanted to know how they could get these surgeries. I wasn’t so much concerned with the fact that they were curious if they could qualify, admittedly, for a moment it is a very enticing offer. Instead, it was the descriptions of their situations that worried me. One woman asked what she needed to do to qualify because her husband is currently in Iraq and she wants to look “banging” for his return home. Another said that her husband is in the military and is going to Korea and he would like her to get some free surgery. The common thread with these comments is that these women were not getting surgery because it would enhance their self esteem or because it was for them, instead they were getting it because their husbands wanted them to.

Seeing these comments was the wake up call that I needed to finally realize that I don’t need plastic surgery. I am perfectly fine with the way that my thighs look, sure in comparison to Heidi Klum they may look huge, but in the real world I am a healthy normal size 10 and I am happy with that. As long as I feel good about myself then I do not need to please anyone else by doing something as drastic as going under the knife

In addition, I have realized that hot topics like plastic surgery are not always as black and white as I once thought. It is ok to consider plastic surgery, but the key is that you need to do it for the right reasons. It is disturbing to think that so many women are out there contemplating these surgeries because of what other people think. As women and feminists it is our duty to do our best to focus on our other wonderful attributes that make us who we are and realize that it is not our physical appearance that defines us.