STATEMENT: CAP’s Tanden and Korb on Lifting Ban on Women Serving in Combat

Washington, D.C. — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today lifted the ban on women serving in combat, and the Center for American Progress released the following statements from CAP President Neera Tanden and Senior Fellow Lawrence J. Korb:

“Today marks one more critical step for advancing equality for all Americans,” said Tanden. “I am tremendously proud to see that now both men and women will be able to serve on the front lines in combat. I commend Secretary Panetta and the Department of Defense for ending the ban on women in combat, and for helping break through an important barrier that women face.”

“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown that the difference between being assigned to a ground combat unit or attached to the unit is a distinction without a difference,” said Korb. “Dropping the ban on women in combat was the right thing to do, and it’s long overdue. Perhaps most importantly, it will put women in the military on equal footing with men when competing for leadership positions and higher ranks.”

Related resources:

• “Open Combat Roles to Women” by Lawrence Korb and Lucy Panza (The Baltimore Sun)
• “Women and Warfare: Denying Combat Recognition Creates ‘Brass Ceiling,'” by Katie Miller and Lindsay Rosenthal
• “Break the Brass Ceiling: It’s Time a Woman Joined the Joint Chiefs of Staff” by Lawrence J. Korb and Laura Conley (Armed Forces Journal)

To speak with CAP experts, please contact Christina DiPasquale at 202.481.8181 or [email protected].

###