Marine Commandant: Women Might Not Be Used for Some Combat Roles - East Idaho News
National

Marine Commandant: Women Might Not Be Used for Some Combat Roles

  Published at

GETTY N 111811 FemaleSoldierJPG?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1359538019509Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The Pentagon’s decision to allow women into combat roles could still exclude them from certain jobs, Gen. James Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps, has told USA Today.

Amos says the Marines won’t lower physical standards for certain specialties, insisting his branch of the service “can’t make adjustments on what’s required on the battlefield.”

The general maintained that if only a small number of women qualify for certain jobs, then the Marines will keep those positions exclusive to men.

However, Amos believes “Those will be few and far between.”  Currently, there are 30 combat roles in the Marines that aren’t open to women in the service.

In reversing a ban last week, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said women should be eligible for all fields, including infantry, tanks, artillery and other combat arms, although the entire process could take years to complete.

Whatever fields remain closed to women will ultimately be up to whoever is the new defense secretary since Panetta is retiring soon.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION