Removal of old policy marks positive change
Months ago, I wrote about how the United States was operating under outdated principles by barring women from taking part in military combat units. Today, I can proudly say that problem has been solved.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made an announcement Thursday and plans to notify Congress of the change. The rule that women aren’t allowed to serve in combat units is a Pentagon policy that is almost two decades old. It stems from arguments that women aren’t physically able to compete with men and the age-old idea that a “woman’s place is in the home.” On Morning Edition, a reporter from NPR member station WPLN reported from Fort Campbell, Ky. that one private is concerned about how women will fit in and how things will change socially.
This seems like a slap in the face to the 152 female United States troops who have sacrificed their lives for this country in Afghanistan and Iraq. One strong supporter of the policy change is Senator John McCain, who believes that women should be allowed in combat, but the military’s physically tough standards should be kept the same. I don’t see how women wouldn’t be able to meet these standards, as they have already done many great things to serve in this country.
The women who enroll in the military from here on out will have as high of a ceiling as their male counterparts in terms of opportunities and will be the pioneers of a new military force for our country.