John Spencer

By now, all the branches of the military should have submitted plans to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter on how they will execute his historic plan to open combat arms to women. “There will be no exceptions,” he emphasized, thus allowing women to volunteer for one of the 220,000 positions — a majority of which are Army or Marine infantry.

Many serving military women and some in training to enter the military spent their holidays contemplating joining the infantry. The door is open, they just have to volunteer. I believe that is not good enough; we should be encouraging the most qualified women to step up to the challenge.

I have some advice to offer to the women who are considering this opportunity, based on my 22 years as an enlisted soldier, sergeant and officer in the U.S. Army infantry:

Recognize what has happened. Secretary Carter’s decision is as momentous as the decisions to allow women to join the military during World War I (1917), to admit females into the service academies in 1976 and to authorize women to fly in combat missions in 1991.

I’ve heard many arguments attempting to minimize the significance of Secretary Carter’s decision, principally by noting that women have been in close combat for the past 14 years. Yes and no. Yes, women have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq where front lines and combat zones are indistinguishable. They have been in hundreds of battles alongside men serving in the roles they are now authorized to occupy. No, actually very few have had the missions given to infantry. The infantry are the only soldiers whose fundamental purpose is to engage the enemy in close combat and control land.

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Be ready. Life in the infantry is one of the most demanding jobs in the world. It is not for everyone. It should only be attempted by the women (and men) who are physically, mentally and emotionally ready for the requirements. The physical standards are public and well-known. You don’t have to be an Olympian on day one. You will be trained, conditioned and developed for the job. A recent Marine Corps study found that the average female is not as physically strong and sustains more injuries than the average male. That is good to know. But the infantry doesn’t need the average woman (or average man). It needs above-average women, those who are more physically fit, mentally strong and emotionally resilient than their average counterparts. Combat — the ultimate test — is truly gender neutral.

Life in the infantry is one of the most demanding jobs in the world. It is not for everyone. It should only be attempted by the women (and men) who are physically, mentally and emotionally ready for the requirements. The physical standards are public and well-known. You don’t have to be an Olympian on day one. You will be trained, conditioned and developed for the job. A recent Marine Corps study found that the average female is not as physically strong and sustains more injuries than the average male. That is good to know. But the infantry doesn’t need the average woman (or average man). It needs above-average women, those who are more physically fit, mentally strong and emotionally resilient than their average counterparts. Combat — the ultimate test — is truly gender neutral. Be OK with being judged. You will be judged every day — and so will everyone else. The soldiers in infantry units judge the newly joining private who, despite passing all of the initial entry training, struggles to keep up on a long walk or conduct basic military tasks. They judge the sergeant that moved from another unit that must demonstrate the ability to train soldiers. They judge the new officer, taking into consideration his lack of experience, on fitness as a combat leader based on competence, commitment and character. You will be weighed against the same standards. You will walk countless miles carrying heavy loads of 75 pounds or more until you ache in pain. You will train and live in the elements that other soldiers hide from in rear areas.

You will share the hardships of your men (and women) and then be accepted. Here you should take note of the examples of Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, the first female graduates of the Army’s Ranger School. They were largely silent at the press conference discussing their achievement. The male students were more vocal, praising the value of Greist and Haver to their group.

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Accept the challenge — we need you. Being a part of the trailblazing first cohort of women to join the infantry may be the biggest challenge you will ever face. The lifestyle of the infantry will challenge you every day. Soldiers and leaders of the infantry are currently deployed across the globe engaging in close combat with Taliban forces in Afghanistan, teaching Iraqi forces how to fight Islamic State and holding ground against enemies of our country.

Having you in my formation during combat in Iraq would have inspired my men to be better. You would have provided capabilities I did not have. I needed you. The wars you will fight in the future will be different than mine. Now you can rightfully be a part of the infantry team and help improve our war-fighting capabilities for future wars. We need the best qualified to prepare for the threats that face our nation in the future. Accept the challenge!

John Spencer is a major in the United States Army and scholar with the Modern War Institute at the United States Military Academy in West Point. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the U.S. government.

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