Pentagon Plans Will Increase Combat and Sexual Violence Against Women
In response to expected Defense Department announcements regarding plans to order female personnel into direct ground combat battalions, Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness, issued the following statement:
"Department of Defense and military leaders are letting down the troops by moving ahead with ill-advised plans to order (not 'allow') women into physically-demanding direct ground combat (DGC) positions. These include Army and Marine infantry, artillery, armor, and Special Operations Forces, including Ranger and Navy SEAL battalions.
"Missions of these fighting teams, which attack the enemy with deliberate offensive action, are very different from the experiences of courageous military women who have served in harm's way while exposed to incident-related or contingent combat in war zones since 9/11... (Download PDF for full content)
"Department of Defense and military leaders are letting down the troops by moving ahead with ill-advised plans to order (not 'allow') women into physically-demanding direct ground combat (DGC) positions. These include Army and Marine infantry, artillery, armor, and Special Operations Forces, including Ranger and Navy SEAL battalions.
"Missions of these fighting teams, which attack the enemy with deliberate offensive action, are very different from the experiences of courageous military women who have served in harm's way while exposed to incident-related or contingent combat in war zones since 9/11... (Download PDF for full content)