Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, in a not unexpected announcement, cleared the way for women to enter all military occupational specialities. This means women can serve in all combat, combat support, and combat service support billets. Carter set aside a Marine Corps study which contended that mixed gender combat units did not perform as well as all-male units. General Joe Votel, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command will comply with the directive across the board, paving the way for women who qualify to serve in Army Special Forces, the 75th Ranger Regiment, the Navy SEALs and Special Boat Units, and the Marine Raiders. Command Sergeant Major Thetford said that “SOCOM understands that the only path to true integration requires that successful completion (of SOF training) comes without caveat. The standards are, and will continue to be, the gatekeeper to service in all special operations occupations and units. They are protected by public law. They have the full support of our commander. (The standards) have worked for decades and SOCOM is not going to change them. Special operations can trust in the assessment and selection processes to maintain the quality of our forces.”
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