Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024
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President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been outspoken about his opinion that women should not serve in combat roles.

Here’s a look at how many women are in such roles in the U.S. military, as of the 2024 budget year:

Women serving in special operations

— Navy Special Warfare combat crew: 2

— Air Force special operations: 3

— Green Berets: Fewer than 10

— Completed the Army Ranger course: more than 150

— Total serving in Army Special Operations Command as special forces, civil affairs, psychological operations and helicopter pilots, including in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment: 260 to 270

Artillery, infantry and armor units

Thousands of women have served or currently are in jobs that until 2015 were male-only.

MARINES:

— Officers in job categories previously restricted to men, including infantry, artillery and combat engineers: nearly 192

— Enlisted Marines in those jobs: 410

That number has steadily increased since 2018.

ARMY:

— Serving in infantry, armor and artillery jobs: Nearly 4,800

— Field artillery roles: More than 2,020

— Infantry: More than 902

— Armor: 864

The number of women in those jobs also has increased over the years.

Baldor writes for the Associated Press.

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