Panetta to Remove Ban on Women Serving in Combat

Pentagon chief Leon Panetta plans to remove the ban on women serving in combat, according to an Associated Press report.

The move "overturns a 1994 rule banning women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units."

Read the full report here.

The New York Times also weighed in, noting that, despite the nearly 20-year-old rule, women have been seen combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

NBC News also reported that some female veterans are jubiliant about the change. One said women “are treated differently,” at least partly due to kept out of combat.

A Politico story also reported on the response of Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost both her legs while serving as  a helicopter pilot in Iraq.

“Anytime that we as a nation have lifted restrictions and allowed people to serve based on their performance, our military and our nation has benefited from it,” she told Politico.