Zeenews Bureau
Washington: US officials on Wednesday indicated that the Pentagon is going to allow women to serve in military combat. The decision would allow American women to take up thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after generations of limits on their service.
As per a news agency, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta will announce the decision on Thursday but the changes will take place over time.
A senior military official said the services would now have to put in place plans for allowing women to seek combat positions. Some jobs may open as soon as this year, while assessments for others, such as special operations forces, including Navy SEALS and the Army's Delta Force, may take longer.
The services have been given time until January 2016 to push for their case that women should still not be allowed on some positions.
The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units.
(With Agency inputs)
First Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013, 09:37