Pentagon to Open All Military Combat Positions to Women Soldiers

The military has undergone an historic transformation with the decision to open all combat roles to women soldiers. Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter said "There will be no exceptions," at a news conference on Thursday. According to the New York Times, the decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that bars women from artillery, infantry, armor, and other combat roles. This rule persisted despite the fact that women often found themseles in these very combat roles in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The decision came in the face of a deadline set by the Obama administration. The deadline decreed that women must be integrated into all combat jobs by 2016 unless the military asked for specific exemptions.

The Marine corps asked for exemptions, given that 93 percent of its force is dominated by men. However, Secretary Carter overruled the request, insisting that the military operate under one set of ethics and standards.

Many women say their inability to join the infantry and other combat positions has left them at a career disadvantage. According to the New York Times, "In the military, serving in combat positions like the infantry remains crucial to career advancement."

"When I became secretary of defense, I made a commitment to building America's force of the future," Secretary Carter told reporters. "In the 21st century that requires drawing strength from the broadest possible pool of talent. This includes women."

While the decision was widely hailed as historic and overdue, some were less enthusiastic and voiced more skepticism. Senator John McCain of Arizona, along with Representative Mac Thornberry of Texas said in a statement, "Secretary Carter's decision to open all combat positions to women will have a consequential impact on our service members and our military's war-fighting capabilities."

While Secretary Carter acknowledged physical differences between men and women in the press conference, he was confident that women would be able to perform their duties as expected.