The US Department of Defense has ignited a firestorm by launching a sweeping, six-month investigation into whether the integration of women into frontline combat units is undermining the military's ability to win wars.
A Gruelling Audit of Female Troops
According to a leaked memo obtained by NPR, defence officials are initiating a rigorous review of thousands of female soldiers and Marines currently serving in infantry, armour, and artillery units. These roles, often described as the 'tip of the spear', are the most directly engaged in ground combat.
In the memo, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, Anthony Tata, stated the review aims to assess the 'operational effectiveness of ground combat units' a decade after the Pentagon lifted all remaining restrictions on women serving in such positions. Women currently represent a small fraction of Army combat units, with approximately 3,800 serving in these roles.
The investigation, to be conducted by the non-profit Institute for Defense Analyses, will scrutinise 'all available metrics' on individual readiness and deployability. Army and Marine Corps leaders have been given a deadline of January 15 to appoint points of contact who will provide access to the military's most sensitive performance data.
Backlash and Accusations of Sexism
The Pentagon's audit has triggered a furious reaction from within the ranks. Female service members have condemned it as a 'sexist operation' in conversations with the Daily Mail. One army source warned that the rhetoric alone is empowering sexist attitudes, potentially pushing women out of roles informally even without an official policy change.
The discontent is palpable in private online forums. In one exclusive leak to the Daily Mail, a private Facebook mentorship group for military women has become a digital war room. Members are 'sounding off' against what they see as unfair scrutiny from 'suits who have never stepped foot in a foxhole'.
One enraged service member wrote: 'You mean your guys can't focus on the mission without trying to stick it in... not my problem.' Another shared a pointed text message questioning the review's focus: 'Are we also reviewing the effectiveness of men in ground combat positions, or just assuming they're effective because they were born with a penis?'
Others highlighted the critical, life-saving role women have played, particularly in cultural contexts like the Middle East during the Global War on Terrorism, where female soldiers were a 'tactical necessity'.
Leadership Insists on 'Elite, Sex-Neutral Standards'
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson has stated the review is already in motion. He emphasised the department's commitment to high, uniform standards. 'Our standards for combat arms positions will be elite, uniform, and sex neutral because the weight of a rucksack or a human being doesn't care if you're a man or a woman,' Wilson told the Daily Mail.
He added that under the leadership of Under Secretary Heather Hegseth, the Department 'will not compromise standards to satisfy quotas or an ideological agenda—this is common sense.'
In a September speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth herself asserted that women must meet the same highest standards as men for physically demanding combat jobs. 'If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,' she stated.
The seven-page memo also requests any internal, non-public research on women in combat. While the Secretary of Defense can alter physical standards without Congress, an outright ban on female troops in these roles would require congressional approval.
