'Ultimate Test of a Man's Will' to Soon Be Open to Women

Navy chief says there's no reason why women can't be SEALs
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 19, 2015 4:20 AM CDT
Navy Chief: No Reason Women Can't Be SEALs
A scene is shown from the film "Act of Valor," starring real, active-duty Navy SEALs.   (AP Photo/Relativity Media)

Navy SEALs go through some of the toughest military training in the world, and the Navy's top officer believes any woman who can get through it has earned a place on the elite force. "Why shouldn't anybody who can meet these [standards] be accepted? And the answer is, there is no reason," Adm. Jon Greenert tells 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 admiral says Rear Adm. Brian Losey, chief of the Naval Special Warfare Command, agrees with him, though no timeline has been set for when women can start training.

An overview of SEAL training, which describes Stage 3's "Hell Week" as "the ultimate test of a man's will," can be seen here. The News notes that it's not clear how many women will sign up if the Navy does integrate training, as there is an "exceedingly low" percentage of women in other specialized Navy roles—only seven of the Navy's 1,153 divers are women. The military services are conducting reviews on which combat roles should remain closed to women, and sources tell the AP that the Army, Navy, and Air Force aren't expected to seek exceptions, though the Marine Corps may seek to keep women out of some infantry roles. (Two women have made military history by passing Army Ranger training.)

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