by Alex Porter ’13

The Department of Defense announced its plans to open ground combat positions to women. After years of service practically on the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan, female soldiers and Marines will be able to serve in tanks, as artillery crew and in the infantry. As someone joining the Army this year, I welcome this change. My brother, a Marine attack helicopter pilot, flew with a woman as his copilot in an aircraft whose role is firing guns, rockets and missiles at enemy forces. Through visits to military bases and service academies, I have seen women serving proficiently.

However, equal opportunities for women should not come at the expense of capability. Physical and training standards need to remain at their high levels and not fall to allow more women in. Someone, male or female, who cannot keep up with the current male-only standards should not be relied on to execute our nation’s wars. But I do not care about the chromosomes of the soldiers next to me if they can perform.