Pentagon to Remove Ban on Women in Combat

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has decided to allow women to serve in combat roles, rescinding a decades-old policy. The change will make women eligible to serve as infantrymen on direct combat patrol and even in elite special operations units like the Navy SEALS. However women will still have to meet strength standards that could keep them out of units where the physical demands are especially difficult. "Some women could do it, some couldn't," US Army Veteran Dennis Cochran said. Chochran served overseas in the 1960s. Back then he says he would have been shocked at the idea of women serving on the front lines, "We never even thought about it, we never thought women would want to do it," Cochran said. Oklahoma City University student Katherine Lancaster said this is a huge step for women's equality, "To be able to fight for our country, just like everyone else," Lancaster added, "I think this will be a huge impact in our future." At Fort Sill in Lawton spokesman Keith Pannell says everything is still very new, "A lot of decisions have to be made at that level including implementation, training and funding." Defense Secretary Penetta is expected to make a formal announcement January 24th.
Mark Taylor
Fox 25 News
MeTaylor@okcfox.comPentagon to Remove Ban on Women in Combat

Posted: Wednesday, January 23 2013, 10:36 PM CST