The Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC) has released a report that, as expected, recommends allowing women in the U.S. to serve in combat. The recommendation reads (scroll to page 19) [PDF]:
DoD and the Services should eliminate the “combat exclusion policies for women, including the removal of barriers and inconsistencies, to create a level playing field for all qualified service members. The Commission recommends a time-phased approach:
- a. Women in career fields/specialties currently open to them should be immediately able to be assigned to any unit that requires that career field/specialty, consistent with the current operational environment.
- b. DoD and the Services should take deliberate steps in a phased approach to open additional career fields and units involved in “direct ground combat” to qualified women.
- c. DoD and the Services should report to Congress the process and timeline for removing barriers that inhibit women from achieving senior leadership positions.
If the Department of Defense moves forward with the recommendations, the U.S. armed forces will be further along the path to eliminating gender inequality. Women already fight alongside men; an updated policy would finally recognize their service and fairly reward them for it.
Photo from Flickr user expertinfantry under Creative Commons.