Female soldiers had been excluded from those jobs because the roles were either close to ground combat or directly involved in combat. Advocates pushed for change in policy -- saying women serving on the front lines in patrols and in other security units are already risking their lives.
Monday the pentagon will open 14,000 combat-related roles to women in the Army. The Defense Department plans to assess the new policy in six months. The Army Times reports about 30-percent of Army jobs will remain restricted to men.