Sen. King on Women in Combat

The Defense Secretary has opened all combat units to women.

In a memorandum to the secretaries of all military departments and others, Carter directed the military services to open all military occupational specialties to women 30 days from today – a waiting period required by law – and by that date to provide updated implementation plans for integrating women into the positions now open to them.

Carter’s decision will allow women to join front line combat jobs such as infantry, special operations units and other positions offered only to men.

The decision overrules a request by the US Marine Corps, which sought to keep positions such as infantry, machine gunner, fire support, and reconnaissance open to men only.

He added that as long as they were qualified and meet the standards, women would now be able to contribute to the U.S. mission in ways they could not before.

The comments came a day after Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced he was ordering the military to open all military jobs to women, including the most unsafe commando posts.

Absent from the announcement was Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had recommended keeping women out of certain Marine jobs when he was commandant of that service. “Worthy of all our patriots who serve, men and women”, the president said. “I think every woman should be in the military just like the guys”, Kinney said. The decision to welcome women in all military roles will “make sure our military remains the finest fighting force in the history of the world”.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) (NY) and Rep. Niki Tongas (MA), Democratic members of the armed services panels, welcomed the Pentagon’s move, calling it a “long overdue” decision that would eliminate some of the hurdles to advancement that women face in the military.

But she was surprised earlier this year when two women became the first to complete the Army’s Ranger School.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the landmark shift in policy during a Pentagon media briefing on Thursday. “It is necessary that we maintain the requirements, but those who meet them should be allowed to do the job, regardless of gender”.

The military had gradually been opening many of those positions to women, including allowing them to serve on Navy submarines and in Army infantry units. Over the years, in particular during the last seven years of Obama Administration, armed forces have gradually opened up for women.

Given the tough physical standards, Carter stressed that equal opportunity would probably not translate to equal participation of men and women in all roles. He said the general will work with him on putting the plan into place but pointed out the final call was his alone.

“However, women make up more than half of the nation’s population and should be given an equitable chance to serve in all military combat roles…The military has long prided itself on being a meritocracy”, Carter said. “We will need to be prepared to do so going forward as it bears on the specialities that will be opened by this decision”, Carter said.