The Pentagon announced on December 3, 2015 that women will now be allowed in all branches and positions of the United States Military.
Prior to this women were limited in the positions within the military that they were allowed to occupy, but, after many years of conversation, the gates are now open for women in the military.
They can now join the infantry, obtain higher officer ranks, join special operations, and be a part of reconnaissance missions. Women can now fill 220,000 jobs previously only open to their male counterparts.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that the policy would take effect in 30 days.
There was pushback from the Marine Corps about women joining their ranks. They claimed that women got hurt at a higher rate than men and were less able to carry out the physical duties. They used data from a study that they conducted based on 100 females and 300 males.
“We are a joint force and I have decided to make a decision that applies to the entire force,” Carter said in response.
Carter understood that there would be concerns in the execution of the decision.
“Some service members, men and women, have a perception that integration would be pursued at the cost of combat effectiveness,” Carter acknowledged.
He said that those vying for a position must still pass the physical requirements and that this may delay the percentage of female presence in these new positions.
“The military has long prided itself in being a meritocracy,” said Carter.
This decision comes as Hilary Clinton is making her bid for the White House and the feminism movement is pushing for more equality in the way that women are perceived in comparison to men. Whether women should be allowed in the military has been a topic of dissension for years now.
In August two women completed the army’s Ranger School, but were unable to apply to be a part of the 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite special operation unit, because of their gender. They will now be able to join the Regiment because they passed all of the necessary requirements.
