The Pentagon lifted the ban on women serving in military combat last Thursday, opening up a potential 237,000 new jobs.
Signed by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the new order looks to put a controversial end to the 1994 Pentagon policy.
Of the 1.4 million active military personnel, 14 percent are women. Almost 300,000 women have been shipped to Iraq, Afghanistan and other neighboring nations in support of the wars. Only two percent of the 6,600 Americans killed in these countries are women.
Since 1994, the Pentagon policy effectively banned women from infantry artillery, armor, combat engineers and special-operations units of battalion size. Women also could not be assigned below the brigade level, a unit of about 3,500 troops.
Even with the ban lifted, these changes will take time to go into effect. The services need to develop plans for these new procedures involving women. Some jobs could open as early as this year, but others, especially those in the Navy SEALS and the Army’s Delta Force, could take longer.
According to Panetta, the services have until January of 2016 to put these changes in action.
“I think this is a good thing. It’s important to know that women have been in combat before. Now it’s just official,” Dean Jackson, a UW ROTC member said. “Although I do think there needs to be changes that come along with expectations. For example women are held to a lower physical standard. If women are allowed to function in the same capacity as men, they should be held to the same standards across the board.”
According to Army General Robert Crone, physical standards will be studied and potentially re-evaluated. However, whatever standards are set will be the same for both men and women.
There has long been controversy on women participating in military combat. Jerry Boykin, Family Research Council Executive Vice President, feels that the Pentagon order will put an unnecessary burden on military commanders.
According to Boykin, ground combat requires a level of physical strength, speed and endurance that is uncommon among women.
Another problem brought up about the new order is how a draft would be handled in the future. If there is another draft, changing the rules would be difficult. The Supreme Court has previously ruled based on the Selective Service Act that women are not required to register at age 18 as men are.
With combat jobs open to women, Congress would have to make a decision on a potential change in the current law. According to a senior military official, military chiefs are required to report back to Panetta with their implementation plans by May 15.
