By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
On Thursday, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta opened up combat roles to women in the military. This foundational change came without the preparatory fire of congressional deliberation or analysis on behalf of the military. Three reasons are posited for allowing women to serve in combat jobs: that women’s rights are conscribed otherwise, that their career opportunities suffer, and that the change is moot because women already serve in combat. What has eluded necessary focus is whether the average service woman can serve effectively in combat roles such as infantry, and more importantly, whether they should.
