{"id":14834,"date":"2015-12-03T23:25:59","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T23:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2015\/12\/03\/pentagon-oks-plan-allowing-women-to-join-navy-seals\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:08:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:08:33","slug":"pentagon-oks-plan-allowing-women-to-join-navy-seals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/12\/03\/pentagon-oks-plan-allowing-women-to-join-navy-seals\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon OKs plan allowing women to join Navy SEALs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s The Pentagon chief’s <\/span>order Wednesday\u00a0 allowing women to serve in all corners of the military, bust down the final barriers to\u00a0Defense Secretary Ash Carter\u00a0announced his decision to open all corners of the military to women on Wednesday, <\/span>busts\u00a0down the final barriers to women being allowed to <\/span>serving\u00a0in the Navy’s\u00a0elite special operators.\u00a0ng down the final gender barriers built into service.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The order to integrate the Navy SEALs, the service’s last male-only force, was OK’d by the top SEAL but has been controversial among many for\u00a0For the Navy, this means opening up the illustrious SEAL teams and the rest of Naval Special Warfare, a move supported on the record by the service’s top SEAL but questioned by <\/span>recent and older veterans alike<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t expect GI Janes right away. The Pentagon’s move sets the SEALs on a track that will likely take months or years before a woman is able to earn her Trident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first step is notification: The Defense Department will submit a letter to Congress with their intent to open the special warfare ranks, community, <\/span>and lawmakers will have 30 working days to raise any objections.\u00a0This could take months, as the working days are counted when Congress is in session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, Naval Special Warfare will need to adopt gender-neutral physical standards and adjust its training regimen accordingly before a woman is even able to enter Basic Underwater Demolition\/SEAL training, widely regarded as the military’s most hellacious school. Eight out of 10 wash out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No moves will be made until the notification period has passed, a Naval Special Warfare spokesman told Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“NSW will be able to discuss our\u00a0implementation specifics and timelines at a later date,” said Cmdr. Jason Salata. “It would be premature to speculate as to when the first women would be\u00a0available for SEAL or [Special Warfare Combat Crew]\u00a0SWCC training.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon’s order comes after Rear Adm. Brian Losey, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, led a comprehensive review and proposed integrating the SEALs, a recommendation backed by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert that was first reported by Navy Times in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n