Marine general says military will eventually lower standards for women

In this photo taken on April 19, 2015, one of the 20 female soldiers, top left, who is among the 400 students who qualified to begin Ranger School, does lunges in between obstacles on the Darby Queen, one of the toughest obstacle courses in U.S.... (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

WASHINGTON (AP) - A top Marine general says he believes the military will eventually be pressured to lower standards for women if any significant number of them could advance in combat jobs like the Marine infantry.

Gen. John Kelly, head of U.S. Southern Command, tells reporters that there will be "great pressure" to reduce standards because he says that's the only way more than a few women will succeed.

Recommended Videos



Defense Department officials have vowed that standards for combat jobs will not be lowered to admit women.

The Marine Corps sought to keep certain infantry and combat jobs closed to women citing studies showing combined-gender units are not as effective as male-only units. The Marines were overruled by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who opened all combat jobs to women.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)