From the Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.
The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. Panetta's decision gives the military services until January 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women.
Our nation's military will soon be fully integrated from top to bottom, with women soon joining LGBT servicemembers on the front lines. And according to the Associated Press report, this will open up as many as 230,000 jobs to women.
It's remarkable to me how that which is popular in science fiction is increasingly becoming reality. Remarkable and welcome.