The Navy is planning to open its elite SEAL teams to women who can pass the grueling training regimen, the service’s top officer said Tuesday in an exclusive interview.
Adm. Jon Greenert said he and the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Adm. Brian Losey, believe that if women can pass the legendary six-month Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, they should be allowed to serve.
Why shouldn’t anybody who can meet these standards be accepted? And the answer is, there is no reason,
Greenert said Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Navy Times and its sister publication Defense News. “So we’re on a track to say, Hey look, anybody who can meet the gender non-specific standards, then you can become a SEAL.”
The push to integrate the storied SEAL brotherhood is coming on the heels of a comprehensive review led by Losey, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, that recommended women be allowed under the same exacting standards required of male candidates. Final approval is still pending.
The Army and Air Force are also moving to open all combat jobs to women, according to officials who spoke to the Associated Press. It’s believed the Marine Corps may seek to keep its ground combat jobs, including the infantry, male-only.
