Defense Secretary Carter Opens All Military Positions to Women

In a historic move,  Defense Secretary Ash Carter has opened all U.S. military combat positions to women. 

The decision allows women to fill around 220,000 jobs that were limited to men- including infantry, armor, reconnaissance and some special operations units. 

“This means that as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before.  They’ll be able to drive tanks, give orders and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” said Carter. 

The announcement comes after years of review and public push-back from the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps argued that they should be allowed to keep women out of certain-front line jobs.   A Marine Corps study suggests all male squads are more effective in combat and less likely to be injured than integrated groups. 

Carter acknowledged the Marines’ resistance, but said he’d decided to set a policy that covers the full department. 

Carter is giving the armed services until January 1 to submit plans to make the historic change.