The debate over the military's women in combat exclusion was reignited by a 2011 government study calling for more diversity in the armed services. Allowing women in combat positions would be a reversal of a Pentagon policy adopted in 1994.
The Military Leadership Diversity Commission advocated for the military to end its policy restriction on women in combat after finding white males make up a disproportionate share of the upper echelons of the armed services.
The report described the policy as an "institutional barrier" to women that "can affect their ability to reach the senior leadership ranks, particularly in the officer corps."
Panel Advocates Women in Combat
White males accounted for 77 percent of the senior officers on active duty in 2008, according to the commission. The percentage of white males far outpaced the portion of black officers active duty, who accounted for 8 percent, Hispanics, who made up 5 percent, and Asians, who made up 4 percent.
In addition, the commission reported, women held only 16 percent of senior office positions.
"The armed forces have not yet succeeded in developing a continuing stream of leaders who are as diverse as the nation they serve," the commission wrote. "Racial/ethnic minorities and women still lag behind non-Hispanic white men in terms of representative percentage of military leadership positions held."
Why Males Dominate Military Brass
The Diversity Commission suggested one reason white males have dominated the ranks of military brass is that the armed services do not do an adequate job of educating servicemen and servicewomen about the promotion process early in their careers.
"Multiple occasions for preparation can help servicemembers recognize career-enhancing opportunities and make choices that further their professional and personal goals," the commission advocated.
A more obvious reason white males make up such a large portion of active-duty officers is the ban on women in combat, which the commission recommends putting to an end.
"The services must remove institutional barriers in order to open traditionally closed doors, especially those relating to assignments -- both the initial career field assignment and subsequent assignments to key positions," the report said. "An important step in this direction is that DoD (Department of Defense) and the services eliminate combat exclusion policies for women ..."
About the Ban on Women in Combat
The 1994 ban on women in combat directs that "women shall be excluded from assignment to units below the brigade level whose primary mission is to engage in direct combat on the ground." The policy states that "direct ground combat takes place well forward on the battlefield."