WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is preparing to open thousands of military jobs including medics and intelligence officers to women in the US army and marine corps, a move likely to shift them closer to the fighting and rekindle the debate on women in combat.
Under new rules to be unveiled yesterday, the defence department would continue to prohibit women from serving in infantry, armour and special operations units, whose main function was to engage in front- line combat, officials said.
The new policy would open about 14,000 jobs to women by enabling them to take positions such as medics, intelligence officers, radio operators and military police at the battalion level. – (Reuters)