Women no longer ancillary parts of the armed forces - Stripes - Independent U.S. military news from Iraq, Afghanistan and bases
Years from now, one of the enduring legacies of the Afghan and Iraqi wars for the U.S. military may well be the rapid accession of female servicemembers into combat roles.
Between the two conflicts, more than 150 female troops have died, two-thirds of them in combat, according to the National Journal. Never before have so many women laid it on the line as they have in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We’re seeing a clear and significant expansion of women’s roles in the military,” one observer said in the National Journal article.
The wave of heighten - and sometimes deadly - wartime activity isn’t happening only on the ground.
In 2010, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Nora Tyson became the first woman to command a carrier strike group, and earlier this year a woman was placed in charge of a forward deployed mineship. Combat aircraft are being piloted by women, too.
Their growing contributions and expanding roles and responsibilities promise to leave an indelible mark for generations to come.