Women in Combat: Implications for Honor

So, Defense Secretary Panetta has decreed that women may now serve in combat positions. Fine. But why did have to go on and say that no standards would be lowered for any of the combat positions in order to accommodate women? Anyone who has been a part of any military training program where women were allowed to enter knows that Secretary Panetta’s statement is a lie. Accommodations have always been made when women were admitted and most certainly they will be again.

My quarrel is not with admitting women. My quarrel is an issue of honor. When senior military officials make such outlandish and obviously deceitful statements (similar to President Obama claiming that he was not going to cover illegal immigrants in his health care proposal), the entire military hierarchy is brought down to a lower level and a bad example is set for those hoping to move up in the military chain of command.

Of course standards will be lowered. And when that is discovered many excuses will be offered. And, depending on whether the original standards were valid, maybe no harm will be done to our military strength. But harm will have been done to our credibility when it becomes obvious that we lied…..once again.