1/23/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFPS) -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to announce the lifting of the direct combat exclusion rule for women in the military, a senior defense official said today.
The policy change will begin a process in which the services will develop plans to implement the decision, which was made by Panetta upon the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the official said.
The official provided no further details and did not indicate when the announcement might take place.
Comments
1/25/2013 2:59:18 PM ET With the newer generation of kids growing up being told and taught that we are all equal and girls can do anything that boys can do I'm surprised this hadn't been lifted earlier. The mentality that I have seen in the neweset generation of airmen in the Air Force is that the majority do not see much of a gender gap these days. Most Airen don't care who the person is as long as they can do their job do it right and do it well. Gender generally doesn't play as much of a role anymore. There will be those minor hiccups and thought process changes that will have to occur in order for this to be successful but then we face those kinds of challenges with any change the AF brings into affect anyhow. I believe this is a good thing and a giant step in closing the gender gap.
MELISSA OBERSCHLAKE TSGT USAF, EDWARDS AFB
1/24/2013 2:33:08 PM ET When I was in Combat Search and Rescue we had Women Pilots Flight Engineers and Aerial Gunners. They are the best at what they do. When we went to Afghanistan we would get shot at and sometimes shoot back at insurgents. We would also take fire going in and out of the zone. I consider that direct combat Did this rule not apply to Aircrew Members
Ryan Johnson RET SSgt Flight Engineer CSAR, Chicago Il
1/24/2013 11:03:11 AM ET O.M.G. What a can of worms coming out of The Puzzle PalaceWhen I was a young man seventy years ago we were always taught that a man should protect a woman at all cost.The code of the West was you did not shoot a woman or cause her harm in any manner. Penalty was severeNow we want to insert women into ground combat and expect the men to ignore the situation. This will get a lot of good men shot when they step into the line of fire doing what they were taught to do. Pure dee dumb ORB
