I'm all for women, gays, any orientation voluntarily joining up, trained and equipt well, and serving in any and all capacitites. It will be interesting to see how the recruitment pressures may alter these policies- with the threat of draft potentially looming.
Here's an interesting article about the legislative attempt and legislative backpedal to keep women away from combat. In Iraq, thats not really possible, its all combat.
So is the need for any/all soldiers more than the need to control the public perception of dead young women soldiers and conservative religious views? A little Republican on Republican action.
sexism and hiding the cost of war