© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Fort Bliss Commander Backs Women In Combat

The commander of Fort Bliss in West Texas says allowing women to serve in Army combat positions is "the right thing to do" and believes there should be uniform physical training standards for men and women.

Gen. Dana Pittard said the requirement ought to be the same for both genders. Pittard, speaking at a news conference Thursday shortly after Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that the ban on women serving in combat had been lifted, said women have shown interest in joining combat positions and that it should not pose a significant challenge as most of the Army's units already are integrated.

He compared the development to previous steps taken by the Army toward integration, like desegregation in 1948 and allowing openly gay soldiers to serve in 2011.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.