With one single mother from the U.S. Army killed in Iraq and another wounded and captured, some conservatives are urging the military to halt its march toward gender equality and restrict the deployment of mothers in war zones.

“Healthy, responsible nations do not send the mothers of small children to or near the front lines — that violates the most basic human instincts,” said Allan Carlson, a historian affiliated with the Family Research Council.

For now, the cause has found few champions in Congress or at the Pentagon; politicians and commanders are pleased by the all-volunteer military’s performance in Iraq and proud that three ambushed servicewomen became national heroes. But the critics — mostly from groups opposed to the feminist movement — vow to maintain pressure in hopes the Bush administration might one day review deployment policies.

Bush, asked about the matter Thursday, said it would be “up to the generals” to determine if any changes were warranted.

Among the fiercest critics of current policy is conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, president of the Eagle Forum, who recently wrote a commentary titled “Does the Military Have the Nerve to Celebrate Mother’s Day?”

She contended that the women caught in the ambush of the 507th Maintenance Company in Iraq — Jessica Lynch, who was rescued by commandos, and single mothers Lori Piestewa, who was killed, and Shoshana Johnson, who was wounded — did not volunteer for the Army with the ambition of serving in combat.

Pfc. Lori Piestewa of the 507th Maintenance Co. prepares for deployment from Fort Bliss, Texas, in this Feb. 18 photo. Piestewa, a single mother, was killed when the 507th Maintenance Co. was ambushed in Iraq. Some conservative groups are urging policy-makers to halt the march toward a gender-neutral military and instead restrict the deployment of mothers in war zones.

“The reason these sorry things have happened is that the men in our government and in the U.S. military lack the courage to stand up to feminists and repudiate their assault on family and motherhood,” Schlafly wrote.

Some critics of current policy hope that the Pentagon’s postwar assessment of deployment in Iraq will look in depth at such issues as pregnancy, motherhood and single-parenthood. Carlson, for one, would like the military to exclude mothers with children younger than 3 from any war zone deployment.

Col. Catherine Abbott, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said any such special treatment would be a difficult undertaking, especially if mothers were treated differently from fathers.

“Obviously, it’s something that tears on the heartstrings,” she said.

“But young dads miss their kids as well. People in the military are volunteers. When they raise their hand (to take the oath of service) they know what they’re going into.”