women in the military

Subscribe to Breaking News Alerts

Ash Carter, the U.S. defense secretary who opened combat jobs to women, dies at 68

Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks during a news conference in June 2016 at the Pentagon. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Alex Brandon/AP

Obituaries

Ash Carter, the U.S. defense secretary who opened combat jobs to women, dies at 68

October 25, 2022 • In December 2015, after three years of study and debate, Carter ordered the military to open all jobs to women. He also ended the Pentagon's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

FBI Investigating Reported Assault of Female U.S. Service Member By Afghan Evacuees

The FBI's El Paso, Texas, office received a report of an assault of a female service member by male Afghan evacuees at a complex in New Mexico. Adria Malcolm/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Adria Malcolm/Bloomberg via Getty Images

National

FBI Investigating Reported Assault of Female U.S. Service Member By Afghan Evacuees

September 25, 2021 • The service member said male evacuees staying at the Doña Ana County Range Complex in New Mexico assaulted her, according to local reports.

The Navy Gets Its First Female SEAL Candidate

Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL students in training in 2014. The Navy now has two female candidates to join the elite special operations forces for the first time since front-line combat jobs were opened to women. MC1 Michael Russell/U.S. Navy hide caption

toggle caption

MC1 Michael Russell/U.S. Navy

The Two-Way

The Navy Gets Its First Female SEAL Candidate

July 20, 2017 • Along with the SEAL officer candidate, another woman is up for an elite job as a special boat operator, some 18 months after the Pentagon opened front-line combat jobs to women.