Army Mulls Women in Combat Arms Units

The Army is studying whether to open combat arms units to female Soldiers, the Army's top officer said Jan. 6.

"We're looking at revising the policy," Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told a breakfast gathering of the Association of the U.S. Army in Arlington, Va. "We've had some work going on for a while, and that'll double back up to the secretary, I would think, in the next couple of months."

Women are currently barred from infantry, armor and Special Forces branches, Casey said. He did not say whether the Army is considering opening up all three areas to women, but he did say the study looked at the possibility of women in infantry.

It is unclear which Army office is studying the issue. The Army did not respond to follow-up questions by post time.

While female Soldiers have engaged in combat, they have done so as members of combat support units -- transportation, maintenance and military police -- not infantry. This was highlighted early in the invasion of Iraq when a convoy of the 507th Maintenance Battalion came under attack.

Three of those wounded and taken prisoner by Iraqi forces were women: Pfcs. Jessica Lynch and Lori Piestewa, and Spc. Shoshona Johnson. Piestewa died of her wounds while a prisoner; Lynch was rescued in a controversial, reportedly staged-for-the-camera mission; and Johnson was subsequently rescued along with other members of her unit.

Since then, women have increasingly worked with infantry units on patrols -- even during nighttime operations to capture suspected insurgents -- in the event the operations require dealings with female civilians and detainees.

The frequency with which non-infantry Soldiers -- both men and women -- came under fire in Iraq and Afghanistan inspired the Army in 2005 to create the Combat Action Badge. Unlike the Combat Infantryman's Badge, which may only be awarded to Soldiers with an infantry military occupation specialty code, the CAB may be awarded to any Soldier who engages or is attacked by the enemy.

Whatever decision the Army makes on the issue, Casey -- who is due to retire in April -- said it will happen under the next chief of staff. During a press conference outlining the 2012 DoD budget, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he had nominated Gen. Martin Dempsey to be Casey's relief.

"When I get the recommendations back from the team [studying it], I'll take a look at it, but right now I wouldn't want to venture a guess and put my successor in a box," Casey said.