Earlier this week, the U.S. Navy announced that it has decided to lift the ban on female submarine crew members.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates signed a letter a week ago last Friday, notifying Congress of the Navy’s policy change, a change which both the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, and the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead support.
Congress can block the policy change by passing legislation doing so within a 30-day period following the date Gate’s letter was delivered to Congress.
Bonnie Erbe wrote an opinion piece on this issue a couple of days ago. Erbe is a TV host and writes for Scripps Howard News Service.
While I do not necessarily agree with all her views (In particular, about reinstating the draft), she has some interesting views on both the opportunities and the problems facing our women in uniform, and she sheds some historical perspectives on women in the military—starting with Joan of Arc, in 1429.
Please read it here.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.