Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the ban on women serving in combat is officially lifted. He said that women are an "integral part" of the military, "contributing in unprecedented ways to the military's mission of defending the nation." Many more positions are now open to women in the military.

Women will still have to meet the same standards as men for serving in the military, but "if they can meet the qualifications for the job, then they should have the right to serve," as Panetta said. President Obama remarked on the decision to lift the ban, emphasizing its role as a step toward greater equality: "valor knows no gender."

 

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