President Obama has backed calls for the requirement of women to register for the military draft as part of an effort to change the prevailing perception of the US military being completely male dominated.
Obama’s administration had previously maintained a position of neutrality on the issue.
Ned Price, a spokesman for Obama’s National Security Council commented: “The act of draft registration has long served as a powerful reminder to our nation’s youth that public service is a valued part of American citizenship. And as old barriers for military service are being removed, the administration supports, as a logical next step, women registering for the Selective Service.”
The Pentagon echoed the announcement by confirming that the Secretary of Defence sees the extension the draft to include women as a significant step towards establishing equality across the military.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said: “While Secretary Carter strongly supports our all-volunteer approach and does not advocate returning to a draft, as he has said in the past, he thinks it makes sense for women to register for selective service just as men must.
“His decision last year to open all combat positions to qualified women only strengthens our all-volunteer force by giving us access to 100-percent of America’s population so we can recruit and retain the most qualified individuals who can meet our standards and remain the finest fighting force the world has ever known.”
The move is being seen more as a symbolic gesture by the outgoing administration as for women to be legally required to sign up to the draft, an act of Congress would be required to amend the current law.
The House is due to vote on a defence policy bill that removes a Senate-passed provision to add women to Selective Service. Instead, a commission will examine whether women should be included in Selective Service, and whether the Selective Service system itself should be abolished.
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Post written by: Matt Brown
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