U.S. Military to Open All Combat Roles to Women

In a historic decision, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced today that the Pentagon will now open all military combat roles to women. "To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country's talents and skills," Carter said in a news conference. "This means that as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before. They'll be able to drive tanks, give orders, [and] lead infantry soldiers into combat." This announcement comes forty years after the Pentagon first allowed women to enroll in military service academies. In 1993, women were given access to fly fighter jets and serve on combat ships at sea, but with the approval of the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule in 1994, women were effectively excluded from being assigned to units that engaged in direct ground combat. The rule was overturned in 2013 when then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that all combat roles must be opened to women by January 1, 2016. Panetta's 2013 decision allowed for a three-year review among the different branches of the Armed Forces to
In a historic decision, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced today that the Pentagon will now open all military combat roles to women. To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country's talents and skills, Carter said in a news conference. This means that as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before. They'll be able to drive tanks, give orders, [and] lead infantry soldiers into combat. This announcement comes forty years after the Pentagon first allowed women to enroll in military service academies. In 1993, women were given access to fly fighter jets and serve on combat ships at sea, but with the approval of the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule in 1994, women were effectively excluded from being assigned to units that engaged in direct ground combat. The rule was overturned in 2013 when then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that all combat roles must be opened to women by January 1, 2016. Panetta's 2013 decision allowed for a three-year review among the different branches of the Armed Forces to