Reply #6: Because

[sarge43]

1. What right? If an individual is in the service, then s/he is a potential target. Simply put, if I'm going to be shot at, I'd like to shoot back, at least be able to. Because of the combat restriction, servicewomen use to be ban even from small arms training. Further, care to define combat -- civil riot, nuclear exchange, all the possibilities in between?

2. Especially for officers, combat and combat related fields are the fast track to command and promotion; that's as it should be. However, can you say glass ceiling, uneven playing field, no playing field?