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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Should Women Soldiers Be Assigned to Combat?

    During the Iraq war, an Army medic ran through gunfire to rescue wounded comrades, earning a Silver Star. But one rescued man said she should never even have been there. The medic was a woman, even though women are never assigned to combat.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    During the Iraq war, an Army medic ran through gunfire to rescue wounded comrades, earning a Silver Star. But one rescued man said she should never even have been there. The medic was a woman, even though women are never assigned to combat. They're getting closer and closer, and there's a budding movement to make them eligible for all things men do, if they can meet the qualifying standards. But that's hugely controversial. Is it just about equality under the law? Is it a cultural issue, deeply ingrained despite the guarantees of the Constitution?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Women on the Front Lines
    1. 0:00Report Says Countrywide Loans Used to Win Favor
    2. 7:21Should Women Soldiers Be Assigned to Combat?You’re reading this
    3. 44:41What's Still the Matter with Kansas?
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      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

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      Caitlin Shamberg

      KCRW

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      Lata Pandya

      Assistant Producer, To the Point/Which Way, LA?

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Anne Coughlin

      University of Virginia School of Law

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      Anna Mulrine

      Christian Science Monitor

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      Claire Russo

      Council on Foreign Relations

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Women on the Front Lines
    1. 0:00Report Says Countrywide Loans Used to Win Favor
    2. 7:21Should Women Soldiers Be Assigned to Combat?You’re reading this
    3. 44:41What's Still the Matter with Kansas?
    Back to To the Point