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The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

Ban on Women in Combat Lifted

Ban on Women in Combat Lifted
Hulton Archive

On Wed., Jan. 24, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced plans to allow women in combat positions, opening the doors not only to thousands of jobs, but also to a flurry of adamant opinions. The decision formally allows women into combat positions on the ground, overturning the 1994 ruling which excluded them from on-the-ground combat units.

While many have expressed their relief and satisfaction at the new ruling, many have also begun to articulate worries and disappointment. Proponents argue that women have been fighting on the ground for years without recognition, and shouldn’t be denied the opportunity for a job promotion simply as a result of their gender. In contrast, critics note that this ruling could mean a possible double-standard in fitness requirements later on, and also point out the possibly-damaging affects of male/female interaction.

Within WJ, senior Daniel Hughes, who plans to enlist as an infantryman in the Marine Corps, said the Pentagon’s ruling won’t affect his decision.

“I think that if women want to be in ground combat areas… they should be allowed to do it,” he said. “…If I can follow my heart, I think that girls should be able to, too.”

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Peter Smithers, also a senior, who also plans to enlist in the Marine Corps, expressed a similar opinion.

“I think that females have the right to serve in a combat [position] of their choice, whether it be infantry, field artillery [or] tanks,” he said in an email.  However, he noted, the biggest challenge for females hoping to pursue this route will be meeting the same physical standards as their male counterparts. “I think [the] biggest challenge for female Marines is to gain and maintain the highest physical fitness that males do to be serving in a combat environment.”

Many have expressed a similar opinion to Smithers’. Before the ruling by the Pentagon, there was a double standard for females and males. Now, females hoping to go into the infantry will be required to meet the same fitness requirements as males, according to Panetta.

Regardless, even with such restrictions, ultimately more women will be allowed in more places. Army Recruiter David Watson commented that many of his fellow recruiters seemed pleased by the change.

“[The decision] allows us to offer more jobs to our female applicants,” he said in an email. “The doors are opening, and women will have many more opportunities to serve,” he remarked. “I look forward to offering as many choices as possible to our women applicants.”

Yet even though this ruling will open up more places, Panetta made note of how they were already participating widely in the wartime effort:

“They’re serving in a growing number of critical roles on and off the  battlefield,” he said. “They have become an integral part of our  ability to perform our mission.”

The deadline for full integration for women in ground combat positions is 2016, and while most combat units are now open to them, elite special forces such as the Navy SEALS and the Army’s Delta Force may still be closed. Nevertheless, Panetta’s announcement heralds the age of growing gender equality and, if nothing else, serves as a symbol of how far America has come.

“As a recruiter, I’m excited to see this change, and I encourage… female readers to visit their local Army recruiters and ask them about the many new and exciting possibilities the Army has to offer,” said Watson.

Sources: NPR, Fox News

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Caroline Steel, Online News Editor
Junior Caroline Steel is looking forward to her first time working for The Pitch as an Online News Editor. In her free time she enjoys creative writing, sketching, playing piano, drinking tea and sleeping. Lots of sleeping. This year she plans to participate in clubs such as Debate Team, Mock Trial, GSA and Forensics, and while Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman are among her favorite authors, she hasn’t read anything for a while because she’s been sleeping. Caroline hopes for an enjoyable, interesting year.
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