WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US military will conduct physical evaluations of female candidates in order to consider them for six military career fields that are presently closed to women, the US Air Force announced on its website.
“Ultimately, the initiative to eliminate any remaining gender-based assignment restrictions will improve our readiness and the Air Force’s ability to recruit and retain the most effective and qualified force,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said on Tuesday.
The Air Force explained it will open 4,300 special operation positions for men as well as women in an effort to ensure gender neutrality.
“All the services and United States Special Operations Command are working with various scientific and research agencies to review occupational standards to ensure they are specific and current, operationally relevant and are gender neutral,” Military Force Management Policy Director Brian Kelly said.
The testing of potential candidates for the positions will take place at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, according to the Air Force.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will announce the final decisions regarding the integration of the career fields at the beginning of 2016 as well as any exceptions to policy, according to the Air Force.
