Leaders of the Navy, Army and Marine Corps are expected to testify on Capitol Hill next week about how they are implementing the Pentagon’s decision to open all combat positions to women.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday to hear how implementation is going since Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced late last year that he would lift the ban on women in combat for all positions, despite objections by the Marine Corps.
All positions must be opened to women no later than April 1, though officials have acknowledged it will take much longer to see women actually serving in some specialties because of the training required.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Army Under Secretary Patrick Murphy, Gen. Mark Milley, the chief of staff of the Army, and Gen. Robert Neller, the commandant of the Marine Corps, are expected to testify.
The hearing could become a battleground for a rare public fight between the Navy and Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps asked to keep some of its front line positions closed to women after a study found that women were more likely to become seriously injured and perform poorly in infantry situations.
Despite that, Mabus did not request that the defense secretary keep those positions closed. Rather, the Navy secretary made public comments saying he planned to disregard the input from the Marine Corps, sparking backlash from some members of Congress such as Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and a former Marine who has repeatedly called for Mabus’ resignation over the conflict.
