Barack Obama's historic transformation of the American military

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The Obama administration’s decision to lift the ban, following a unanimous recommendation by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, means that the U.S. military will no longer be able to discriminate against service members on the basis of their gender. The physical standards for combat roles will not change, and America’s fighting forces will remain the finest in the world. But any service member, male or female, who meets these requirements will now be eligible to serve.

Opening combat roles to women will strengthen U.S. national security. Just as racial integration and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” improved military readiness by leveling the playing field and removing barriers to service, allowing women to serve in combat roles will give our military a broader talent base to draw upon.

Even more importantly, opening combat positions — which are often viewed as more prestigious and career enhancing — to women will pave the way for more female service members to earn leadership positions within the force. The Pentagon’s own study groups have called the combat exclusion policy a barrier to promotion for women to the highest ranks of military leadership, borne out by the fact that only two women have ever risen to the rank of four-star general. We have capable women ready to assume the highest leadership positions, and it is past time to put aside the barriers that have kept them out.

Removing this “brass ceiling” for women will also help draw attention to women’s issues in the military, including inexcusably high rates of sexual assault. The Pentagon estimates that in 2010 there were 19,000 incidents of sexual assault within the ranks (the Pentagon uses the term sexual assault to refer to a number of types of wrongful sexual contact). That number comes to 52 incidents per day. And according to Army estimates, 95 percent of sex crime victims are women. While it is encouraging to see Pentagon officials like Secretary Panetta speak out about this issue, enacting policies that will open senior leadership positions to women should help to ensure that this grave problem receives the attention it deserves.

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the end of the ban on women in combat are impressive achievements that demonstrate the Obama administration’s willingness to expend political capital to build a country and military more in line with American values. But there is still work to be done. Implementing the end of the combat exclusion policy will undoubtedly present a number of hurdles including questions about the status of Selective Service registration for women, as well as how quickly women will be assigned to front line units and special forces.

Further, Pentagon policy continues to deny gay troops and their families access to some of the services designed to help them weather the stresses of repeated deployments and military life, even on top of the restrictions of the Defense of Marriage Act. Despite these remaining challenges, President Obama, Secretary Panetta, and the Joint Chiefs should be applauded for their commitment to ensuring that every American has an equal right to serve their country.

Lawrence J. Korb is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Alex Rothman and Max Hoffman are research assistants at the Center.