Women in Combat Roles: US Policy Changes Coming?

Guests: Anna Mulrine, Ellen Haring, and Kori Schake

Tomorrow is the deadline for different branches of the military to submit recommendations to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter as to which combat roles and units should be open (or closed) to women. Services are required to open all combat jobs to women by January 2016, unless they provide a scientific reason for why an exemption should be made. It’s been a historic year for women in the military – three women qualified for the Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course (although they did not pass) and two women successfully made it through the grueling Army Ranger School. In this hour of Radio Times, we’ll discuss the history of this issue, the Pentagon’s looming decision, hear different perspectives on women in combat, and discuss why this issue has become such a lightning rod. We’re joined by ANNA MULRINE, defense/national security correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, ELLEN HARING, retired Army colonel and senior fellow at Women in International Security, and KORI SCHAKE, research fellow at the Hoover Institution.