The Implementation of the Decision to Open All Ground Combat Units to Women

Women have served honorably and filled critical roles in every branch of the United States military for years. Some have served as pilots, like Congresswoman Martha McSally, who flew combat missions in Afghanistan. Some have served as logisticians, like Joni Ernst, who ran convoys into Iraq. Others have served as medics, intelligence officers, nuclear engineers, boot camp instructors, and more. Many of these women have served in harm's way. Women like Army Specialist Monica Lin Brown, who ran through insurgent gunfire and saved the lives of her wounded comrades by using her body to shield them from incoming mortar fire. Many women have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our Nation, including 160 killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. On December 3rd, 2015, Secretary Carter announced that the Department of Defense would lift the ban on women in ground combat units. In advance of this decision, both the Army and Marine Corps sought to assess the physical and readiness impacts of integrating women into their ground elements, including through special field studies. The Army study simulated tasks to determine what the gender-neutral standards should be for each occupational specialty based on physical tasks. The Marine Corps simulated the combat environment with men and women marines living and working together under combat-like conditions. These studies, while different in their approach, are complementary in their results. For the first time, they helped establish objective, scientifically based standards for the tasks required for ground combat.