Women will now be permitted to participate in all combat roles following a decision by Defense Secretary Ash Carter to end gender-specific limitations on military jobs. After prolonged evaluations, the Army, Navy, Air Force & U.S. Special Operations Command had beneficial in that ladies ought to be allowed to serve of their infantry & armored units.
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He stressed there would be no exceptions and his decision overrules objections from the U.S. Marines Corps that some positions, like machine gunners, are not suitable for women.
The military has until January to submit plans to make the historic change. With Carter’s announcement, they will now be able to apply for the combat roles they qualified for when they graduated.
“We applaud today’s announcement that knocks down the last remaining official barrier to women’s military service and ensures the full integration of women into all military jobs, positions and units”, she said. And three women became the first to take and pass the Army’s hard Ranger course.
“They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars, and lead infantry soldiers into combat”, Carter said during the press conference.
In a joint statement, the chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees said Mr Carter’s decision will have a “consequential impact on our service members and our military’s warfighting capabilities”.
Critics of allowing women in combat roles claim it will reduce the military’s effectiveness in combat. The study had also observed that the injury rates are high for women or mixed units than men only units. With the decision, 220 thousand jobs will be opening to women. “And even more importantly, our military will be better able to harness the skills and perspectives that talented women have to offer”, Carter said.
According to ABC News, Marine Corps leaders were not in favor of women in combat after conducting a study that found all-male units were more successful than co-ed units. “There must be no quotas or perception thereof”, said Carter.
Echoing Carter’s remarks earlier Thursday, Obama expressed confidence both Dunford and he would “implement this transition – as they have others – in a responsible manner that maintains military readiness and the unparalleled professionalism and strength of our armed forces”.
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“Female Marines who want to stir the pot by joining the infantry ranks are more interested in their careers than the needs of the Corps – they are selfish”, Marine Captain Lauren Serrano wrote in the Marine Corps Times.
