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      CDI's Policy on the Service of Men and Women in the U.S. Military

      28 January 1998

      1. Every American who wishes to serve in the U.S. armed forces must be permitted to apply. No door should be shut because of gender.
      2. All applicants for service in the armed forces must meet the same minimum standards for the branch of service they seek to join.
      3. Each component of each military organization has different physical requirements and intellectual qualifications. All individuals should be permitted to apply to those branches of service which comport with their interests and match their capabilities and skills.
      4. The military must reevaluate all Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) and set a single gender-neutral standard, not substandard, for each job based upon actual battlefield requirements. Double standards for any military occupation decrease combat effectiveness and are a source of friction between male and female members of the armed services.
      5. Without exception, those who serve in each branch of the military must be permitted to compete for all positions and all types of duty. A gender-blind military will ensure that each job is filled by the most capable individual. This will increase combat readiness, effectiveness, and esprit de corps.
      6. A two-tiered system which permits one class of individuals to avoid combat is unfair and detrimental to overall combat readiness and morale. All applicants for military service must be prepared and willing to serve in combat.
      7. The restrictions that limit women's assignment to noncombat duty should be phased out over a reasonable time period.
      8. Adjustments must be made to facilities aboard ships and at Army, Air Force, and Marine bases to accommodate both males and females.

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