U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte says she is pleased the Pentagon is lifting its ban on women serving in combat roles.
Ayotte, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says the announcement "reflects the increasing role that female service members play in securing our country.”
The decision overturns a rule enacted in 1994 by the Pentagon that kept women from serving in combat roles.
Ayotte says she has seen firsthand servicemen and women working together in a range of dangerous operations.
She says she is glad military service leaders will be providing guidance as the policy change is implemented.