Women should register for the military draft now that all combat roles are opening to them, two top generals told Congress.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller also said on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that it will take a few years still to fully integrate women in all combat positions, reported the
Military Times.
Currently only men ages 18 to 26 are required to register for possible involuntary military service. The Military Selective Service Act says most men should register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, including non-U.S. citizens living in the United States, according to the
Washington Post.
In 1981, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed the exemption of women registering for the draft because they were restricted from combat at the time, according to
CNN.
"The existence of combat restrictions clearly indicates the basis for Congress' decision to exempt women from registration," Justice William Rehnquist wrote then.
The Army, Marines and Navy started opening all military jobs to any service member after Defense Secretary Ash Carter lifted all gender-based restrictions on combat and infantry roles in December, noted the Military Times.
"Now that the restrictions that exempted women from (combat jobs) don't exist, then you're a citizen of a United States," Neller told the Washington Post on Tuesday after his Congressional testimony. "It doesn't mean you're going to serve, but you go register."
The Post said new integration rules made women available for a wide range of physically challenging military jobs, including Army and Marine Corps infantryman, and special operations jobs like Navy SEAL and Green Beret.
Army officials said more than 9,000 women have won Combat Action badges for actions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, noted Military Times. The Army reported that more than 1,000 women have been killed or wounded while serving.
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