--- title: "SECDEF says ‘no exceptions’ to women in combat" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/secdef-demands-complete-integration-women-combat/" categories: - "Military News" --- # SECDEF says ‘no exceptions’ to women in combat ![]() Women in the armed forces of the United States will no longer be limited to being "in the rear with the gear." --- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter [will order the Pentagon to open all military combat roles to women](), rejecting limitations on the most dangerous military jobs. The secretary's orders will give the branches until January 1st to plan their changes and force those combat roles open to women by April 1st. This includes infantry, reconnaissance, and special operations forces. "There will be no exceptions," Carter [said at a news conference](). The only branch to attempt to exclude women from combat roles was the Marine Corps, who [conducted an internal study of gender-integrated units]() vs. all-male units and found the integrated ones to be less effective. ![]() *Lance Cpl. Chandra Francisco with the female engagement team in support of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines talks to Afghan women inside a compound during an operation to clear the village of Seragar in Sangin, Afghanistan. (Marine Corps photo)* Women already have access to most front-line roles in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Earlier in 2015, women were integrated into the Navy's Submarine Service. Women have been serving as fighter pilots in the Air Force since 1993, and the Army has been [fighting to open its infantry positions to women]() since September 2015. The defense secretary's order is not without consideration for potential recruits. His rationale is simply that any qualified candidate should be allowed to compete for the jobs. ![]() *Pfc. Julia Carroll after a six-hour patrol during patrol week of Infantry Training Battalion near Camp Geiger, N.C (U.S. Marine Corps photo)* ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()