On December 4th, 2015 Defense Secretary Ash Carter officially opened all combat roles to women. Women have been involved in the military for a long time, but usually in support roles, never in combat roles. That was changed forever by Defense Secretary Carter. Today, women, just like their male counterparts, are able to serve their country in every role and environment that is part of military service.

You will meet several women in this video who have been deployed to combat operations, some of whom even proved their value and their skills while serving with Special Operations teams in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their experience, determination, and proficiency match those of the men they served side-by-side with in tough combat situations. As you will see, they are confident, capable, and speaking from the depths of their own experiences.

Photo: YouTube/The Atlantic

In Afghanistan and Iraq, women were engaged in various kinds of combat units. When it came to fighting in combat situations, they fought with the same fierceness as their male counterparts. Some earned medals for their valor in combat, and all proved that they were up to the tasks at hand.

Some of the women you will meet here served in Afghanistan as Cultural Support Team members alongside Special Operations troops from both the Army and the Marine Corps. They went out into the "back of beyond" with their Special Forces units and made it possible to talk with women in the Afghan villages. If and when they got into combat situations, they fought as fiercely and as proficiently as their brother warriors. They continually proved their value and their courage in all elements of their frontline duties.

Photo: YouTube/The Atlantic

Maybe it is about time we stop thinking about the "women in combat" issue and just carry on. It is no longer about males and females, but as it always has been for men, it's about the right person for the right job. The desire to serve one's country in peace and in war is not a gender issue. Whether a man or a woman, one has to prove that one has the physical, mental, and psychological fitness and toughness to serve in whatever role one chooses to take on in the military.

The Veterans Site honors the women of our military for their desire to serve and for their contributions to the success of every branch of our Armed Forces. It is a good thing that the noble desire to serve and to sacrifice for your country is now open to all who are able and ready to serve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKXTPS_PaOU