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Subscribe to RSSThe Pentagon has changed some of its rules. Women will be permitted in crucial and dangerous jobs closer to the front lines. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.
Some restrictions on women serving in combat roles in the military will be relaxed, the Pentagon said on Thursday, reflecting the reality that women have served, and died, in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Defense Department would still prohibit women from serving in infantry, armor and special operations units, whose main function is to engage in front-line combat, defense officials said. But women will be allowed to move closer to the trenches by stationing them near direct ground troops in jobs such as tank mechanic and field artillery radar. Previously, women had been billeted away from smaller combat units.
NBC News: Pentagon to open more military jobs to women
The move is a reaction to what the Pentagon calls the “non-linear and fluid” nature of the modern battlefield.
In addition, the Pentagon said it will develop “gender-neutral physical standards" for all service members, which the military will use in assigning future jobs.
“Women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission. Through their courage, sacrifice, patriotism and great skill, women have proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles on and off the battlefield,” Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said in a statement. “We will continue to open as many positions as possible to women so that anyone qualified to serve can have the opportunity to do so.”
Report: Growing number of military women see combat, serve in leadership roles
"It's a tiny step," Anu Bhagwati, executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network and former Marine, told The Washington Post. "It’s a bit of a slap in the face. We’re already doing this stuff.”
Nearly 12 percent of U.S. forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were women. They represented about 2 percent of U.S. military deaths in those wars.
The Pentagon announces new rules that reflect changes brought on by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. NBC's Chris Clackum reports.
Under a policy adopted in 1994, women are allowed to serve in combat units as medics, intelligence officers and other jobs at the brigade level, which is a force of around 3,500 people.
But a woman could not be assigned to perform the same job in a battalion, which can be as small as a few hundred troops and whose forces are more likely to be directly exposed to combat.
The military has sometimes gotten around the rules by attaching women to battalions, which allowed them to work in the smaller units but kept them from officially receiving credit for being in combat.
Since combat experience is a factor in promotions and job advancement in the military, women have had greater difficulty than men in moving up to the top ranks, officials said.
The Pentagon's plan to change its rules now goes to Congress, which may review the policy shift before it goes into effect, probably sometime this summer. During that period, Congress potentially could take action to oppose the policy changes.
"We believe it's very important to explore ways to offer more opportunities to women in the military," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told Reuters. "It doesn't stop today. We'll continue to look for ways to open more positions to women in the military."
The decision on whether women should formally serve in combat positions will be determined in future reviews, officials told NBC News.
NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube and Reuters contributed to this report.
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They can vote. They have to pay taxes. They can own or sell property. As Americans they should have equal rights as any, which includes military service. If it is thier choice to stand on the front lines and defend this country, then so be it. If they so choose to put thier lives on the line to protect and serve this nation, then let them. The issue of women being more emotional and or unable to handle the stress of something such as combat is an old, out dated, and certainly incorrect assumption. They are not delicate flowers to be hidden away and protected. They are American soldiers. Let them fight. Let them defend our rights and freedoms as so many other soldiers have done.
Well being an old Infantry soldier ( Army),but married to a very independent woman who served in the Air National Guard (and was held back because she was trained for a front line MOS and not allowed to do it) and raising two very independent daughters I have no problem with women in front line jobs but. Women and my wife agrees that by nature women do have hygein concerns that at this time unless there is a medical intervention health problems for the female solider can occure. If the solider is willing to address this then go for it. I would prefer to have a hungrey pissed off man to fight than a hungrey pissed off woman.
Don't mind if woman serve as regular infantry, but not spec ops. If a woman can't carry a corpse to a hot LZ she shouldn't be allowed to be there. Also, our PC govt. would make training easier and less intensive for women, they wouldn't be allowed to get yelled at, or some scandal would arise saying that woman are being hazed and @!$%#. Its a slippery slope that will make us not the standard for special operations around the world. I'm not saying woman aren't awesome and I hate them, I'm saying special ops is the hardest job in the world and women just can't compete without a curve.
i don't understand why our men or women have to die on foreign soil
we have the weaponry to stop any threat to us in its tracts
wouldn't it be better to just level the opposing force from home
and than go in and pick up the pieces
As a Vietnam vet I must say I would not have felt at all comfortable with women by my side in combat. The conditions were not good and many times there was a need for physical strength that was even difficult for men. There is no disrespect meant, I believe men and women have different roles in the military. Each one as important as the other.
I hope they keep them in seperate companies from the men. Mixing in the field is an awful idea, especially weeks at a time. You are just asking for trouble (relationships, pregnancy, break ups...). When it comes to physically, yes there are some tough chicks out there, but the stresses the human body goes under in combat situations is huge. Women are much more prone to stress fractures. The simple fact of carrying 100 lbs. of gear through an enviroment as harsh as Afganistan is hard on even the most in shape man, much less a woman. I am not saying there are not women out there that cannot do it, it is just few and far between. Biologies are just different. As it is now, entrance for women into the service physically is lower. If the physical standards were not lower they would never be able to fill the spots they need as of now. If they even they playing field the amount of women in the military drops significantly.
I went skeet shooting for the first time many years ago with a girlfriend of mine. It was her first time also. We had a 20 gauge shotgun to shoot and the spread was very tight. The clay pigeons were hard as heck to hit! My girlfriend seemed to be able to hit many of them where I could barely hit any. Pool games too. Many women are natural sharpshooters. It is very frustrating when I am trying to show off to a woman I like and she kicks my ass at whatever we are doing. It is very sexy too! Having said that, I see little reason why certain women couldn't or shouldn't serve in combat roles. In the construction field, we hire women, but they must be able to carry 80lbs up a one story ladder to get the job. Men too. We wont hire a man if he cant carry 80lbs up a ladder. You have to be able to do the job in order to get the job. If a woman can beat even one of the men in her unit in hand to hand combat after training is complete, then she should be allowed a frontline position assuming she has successfully completed the rest of her training. There may be some new training for the men needed in order that they treat the woman in a way that does not consider her sex, they treat her the same as the rest.
If I was a soldier, I would hope for a pretty girl in my unit to help warm up the cold nights in the field...There may be a problem along these lines for the army. Maybe it's no problem at all...It might distract me at times though if she was really pretty...Think of the fights she could cause! Haha, love triangles, revenge, jealousy, heart break... Frontline babies...
Lots to consider here beyond the physical capabilities, but if she can beat any man in her unit boxing or MMA style fighting- she is in in my book!
One interesting thing here to think of is that enemy soldiers, in a hand to hand combat situation with awoman might pause initially, giving this super well trained powerhouse of a woman an almost overwhelming advantage at the start of any fight. This could even work to the advantage of the whole unit in many other situations. I think that the womans strengths could be used to great advantage in many cases and the enemies weaknesses when it comes to women, exploited.
Sarah,
Do you or have you served? You have some pretty strong opinions for a civilian ?
Lets not get these gals cought up in the sauce................