U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced that women could now serve in all combat positions on Dec. 3, 2015 in a news conference.
When Ohio University junior Erin Muri found out that women could apply for all combat positions in the military, she said she was elated.
“One of my friends in basic training saw the news and screenshotted it to me, and I started telling all my friends,” Muri, who is part of OU's Army ROTC and is studying sociology and criminology, said. “I was really just so happy.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced in a news conference at the end of last year that women could now serve in all combat positions, effectively allowing women to apply for about 200,000 jobs more than they could have before.
“They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” Carter said in a news conference Dec. 3. “They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers and everything else that was previously open only to men.”
For some ROTC cadets at OU, the announcement has brought good news.
“Once you start seeing those women who can keep up, it changes things,” Muri said.
Rebecca Drakulic, a junior studying criminology who is part of OU's Army ROTC, said she thought the decision has been a long time coming.
“I was thrilled,” she said. “It was definitely a good day because it’s something I’m interested in doing.”
Drakulic added that everyone around her at OU seems to be supportive of the decision.
“They think it’s great that we’re able to have that opportunity, as well,” she said. “Those who aren’t interested in combat roles are still excited we have that opportunity.”
Muri said women should work at the same level as men if they want to be in those positions.
“I definitely think that it should happen, and it’s obviously going to happen as the world progresses, but there are going to be a ton of limitations taken,” she said. “I think that women need to be on the same page as men. If the men are held to a certain standard, there is no excuse for women to be given different standards because of their body types or whatever.”
Muri said she is excited to see how the transition unfolds.
“Women have been involved in the military for a long time, doing certain jobs, so it’s not new that women are in the military at all,” she said. “It’s just that they’re going to be exposed to these more dangerous situations. I do think it’s been a long time coming, but it doesn’t surprise me that it’s taken this long time.”
Capt. Jacob Reighter, of the U.S. Air Force, said he believes people who are able to "meet the correct qualifications and are willing to serve our nation should be able to do so in whatever capacity they are best suited."
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Reighter, who works with OU's Air Force ROTC, added that it likely will not change too much for the Air Force because there are only a few positions women can now fill that they could not have in the past.
"To me the most important thing this does is address some important issues as a society more than military readiness specifically," he said in an email. "I applaud the discussion, but for the (Air Force) it is just business as usual."
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