Military plans put many women in combat jobs
WASHINGTON — Military leaders are ready to begin tearing down the remaining walls that have prevented women from holding thousands of combat and special operations jobs near the front lines.
Under details of the plans obtained by The Associated Press, women could start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later.
The military services have mapped out a schedule that also will include reviewing and possibly changing the physical and mental standards that men and women will have to meet in order to qualify for certain infantry, armor, commando and other front-line positions across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Under the plans to be introduced Tuesday, there would be one common standard for men and women for each job.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reviewed the plans and has ordered the services to move ahead.
The move follows revelations of a startling number of sexual assaults in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the sexual assaults might be linked to the longstanding ban on women serving in combat because the disparity between the roles of men and women creates separate classes of personnel — male “warriors” versus the rest of the force.
While the sexual assault problem is more complicated than that, he said, the disparity has created a psychology that lends itself to disrespect for women.
Under the schedules military leaders delivered to Hagel, the Army will develop standards by July 2015 to allow women to train and potentially serve as Rangers, and qualified women could begin training as Navy SEALs by March 2016 if senior leaders agree. Military leaders have suggested bringing senior women from the officer and enlisted ranks into special forces units first to ensure that younger, lower- ranking women have a support system to help them get through the transition.
U.S. Special Operations Command is coordinating the matter of what commando jobs could be opened to women, what exceptions might be requested and when the transition would take place.
The proposals leave the door open for continued exclusion of women from some jobs if research and testing find that women could not be successful in sufficient numbers. But the services would have to defend such decisions to top Pentagon leaders.
Army officials plan to complete gender-neutral standards for the Ranger course by July 2015. Army Rangers are one of the ser- vice’s special operations units, but many soldiers who go through Ranger training and wear the coveted tab on their shoulders never actually serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. To be considered a true Ranger, soldiers must serve in the regiment.
In January, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Dempsey signed an order that wiped away generations of limits on where and how women could fight for their country. At the time, they asked the services to develop plans to set the change in motion.
Of the more than 6,700 U.S. service members who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 150 have been women.
The order Panetta and Dempsey signed prohibits physical standards from being lowered simply to allow women to qualify for jobs closer to the battlefront. But the services are methodically reviewing and revising the standards for many jobs, including strength and stamina, in order to set minimum requirements for troops to meet regardless of their sex.
The military services are also working to determine the cost of opening certain jobs to women, particularly aboard a variety of Navy ships, including certain submarines, frigates, mine warfare and other smaller warships. Dozens of ships do not have adequate berthing or facilities for women to meet privacy needs, and would require design and construction changes.
Under a 1994 Pentagon policy, women were prohibited from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level. A brigade is roughly 3,500 troops split into several battalions of about 800 soldiers each. Historically, brigades were based farther from the front lines, and they often included top command and support staff.
The bulk of the nearly 240,000 jobs currently closed to women are in the Army, including those in infantry, armor, combat engineer and artillery units that are often close to the battlefront. Similar jobs in the Marine Corps are also closed.
By Bernice Bede Osol Wednesday, June 19, 2013
You could be extremely fortunate in the year ahead in advancing certain endeavors that you personally manage. However, you should be wary of situations where you have to share your authority.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Some exciting news is making the rounds among your friends. The buzz is likely to be about you and some exciting, significant development that you’re involved in.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Some confidential information from an unexpected source could come your way. However, there’s a chance you might not give it the proper importance. Don’t be afraid to act on it!
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- The impression you make on friends today is likely to be so good, everyone will have a feeling that they should be doing something special for you. Don’t be surprised if one or two do.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You should be exceptionally lucky in terms of fulfilling your chosen goals. Take this golden opportunity to focus on your biggest and most ambitious objectives.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -You’re likely to learn something important when trying to teach another. It behooves you to be nice to those who ask for help, and to pay attention to your work.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -Greater returns than what you would normally expect are possible from a sideline endeavor. Review what happens to see what future opportunities exist.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- You tend to take on the vibes of your associates. If you hang out with someone who you feel is always lucky, his or her fortune could rub off onto you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Things are changing for the better, and it looks like you’re going to get all the help you need for a critical project that you were worried you’d have to tackle alone.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -That tingle you feel in your chest could be a direct hit from one of Cupid’s arrows. Things could get rather interesting for you in the romance department.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Don’t stop being hopeful regarding the outcome of an important event. Things are getting back on course, and you’re likely to start getting the results you desire.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You’ll be particularly good at most anything you take on today. It doesn’t matter if you want to promote, build, purchase or sell something -- shoot for the big time.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Yesterday you were likely to be better at handling small transactions than large endeavors. Conditions are reversed today, however, so think big.