Another Memorial Day has come and gone, complete with well-deserved praise and gratitude for those who have served in the armed forces. But once again we must take this time to acknowledge the inequalities that continue to exist within the military. Just this month, the Army and Marine Corps began implementing changes to the so-called combat exclusion rule, an outdated policy that bars women from being assigned to ground combat units, irrespective of their talents and abilities. Under modifications to the combat exclusion rule announced earlier this year, women will now be permitted to serve in certain previously male-only positions at the battalion level and in positions that are located with, and support, combat units.
This is an important change, but it does not go far enough. Because the combat exclusion policy bars them from formally being assigned to combat units, women have been attached to the units or otherwise cast in temporary or support roles, even as they perform many of the same crucial – and dangerous – jobs as their male counterparts. While women will now be eligible for 14,000 positions that were once exclusively male, women are still barred from more than 250,000 positions on account of their sex. This rule prevents women’s service from being fully recognized and stifles their career advancement.
If you are a servicewoman or veteran and want to serve in a combat arms unit or attend a combat arms school or training program, please tell us your story. Women performing the same tasks as men – and facing the same dangers – deserve the same training men receive. They should also be eligible for the same promotions when they return from the field. While the recent changes to the combat exclusion policy are positive steps, women who are risking their lives to protect our freedoms deserve more. Much more.
