White House announces support for women in military draft

The Barack Obama administration has declared its support for requiring women to register for the military draft, a symbolic but significant shift that reflects the US military’s evolution from a male-dominated force to one seeking to incorporate women at all levels. President Obama has been considering whether to adopt the position since last December, when Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the military to open all jobs to women, including the most arduous combat posts. Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council, on Thursday said that Obama believes women have “proven their mettle,” including in Afghanistan and Iraq. “As old barriers for military service are being removed, the administration supports as a logical next step women registering for the Selective Service,” Price said, using the formal name for the military draft.