A number of former soldiers have spoken out against the move because of the tough logistical life of fighters on the front line, even though many outsiders see Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's decision to lift the ban on women serving in combat positions as a progressive move. Some have spoken out about how the move ignores some of the realities of war, like disgusting unhygienic conditions and the way that soldiers are sometimes forced to change in front of one another, in favor of gender equality. One wrote a letter in the Wall Street Journal describing the conditions he faced on the front line when he was involved in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Up . to 25 Marines at a time were packed into an amphibious assault vehicles . intended to hold only 15, with the Marines sitting ontop of one another . for long periods of time. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Fully integrated: The removal of the ban that will allow women to serve on the front line has been met with criticism from some former soldiers who believe that the close quarters of war may prove challenging . Should women soldiers be able to serve on the frontline? Should women soldiers be able to serve on the frontline? Now share your opinion . ‘Many Marines developed dysentery from the complete lack of sanitary conditions. When an uncontrollable urge hit a Marine, he would be forced to stand, as best he could, hold an MRE bag up to his rear, and defecate inches from his seated comrade's face,’ Ryan Smith wrote in the opinion piece. He went on to say that they were unable to change out of their chemical protective suits for nearly a month, and once they secured Baghdad, they finally changed out of the suits which were caked in blood and human filth at that point. ‘My unit stood there in a walled-in . compound in Baghdad, naked, sores dotted all over our bodies, feet . peeling, watching our suits burn. Later, they lined us up naked and . washed us off with pressure washers,’ he wrote. Welcoming: Mr Panetta said that women play an integral role in the combat mission . The . historic change, which was recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, . overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller . ground combat units. It will . be up to the military service chiefs to recommend and defend whether . women should be excluded from any of those more demanding and deadly . positions, such as Navy SEALs or the Army's Delta Force. The services . will have until January 2016 to make a case to that some positions . should remain closed to women. The change won't take place overnight: . Service chiefs will have to develop plans for allowing women to seek the . combat positions, a senior military official said. ‘My unit stood there in a walled-in . compound in Baghdad, naked, sores dotted all over our bodies, feet . peeling, watching our suits burn. Later, they lined us up naked and . washed us off with pressure washers' -Ryan Smith, former soldier . Some jobs may open as soon as this year, while assessments for others, such as special operations forces, may take longer. Some insiders remain hesitant about the move, saying that while it may seem progressive to incorporate all, it may not be the most efficient way to run an army. 'Every female troop I know (over the . age of 25) says publicly, "Sure, open them up!" And privately, "But not . for me personally. I know I don't have the brute strength required and I . would be crushed to let down my colleagues -- so, no way, no thanks,"' an anonymous female Army officer told ABC News. Women's rights advocates say that concerns about female soldiers urinating or dealing with menstrual cycles while on the front lines are problems that have already been addressed. Nancy Duff Campbell, the co-president of the National Women's Law Center, told MailOnline that female soldiers already undergo a specific training course dedicated to discussing gender-specific hygiene issues. As a result, many use a tool called a Female Urinary Diversion Device (which effectively has a small tube that runs down one's pant leg) would allow women to urinate into a container if they were kept in a tank for a long period of time. Equality: Others see the lifting of the ban as a way to catch up with the progressive times . They also cover a number of ways to address their menstrual cycles by either taking daily menstruation suppressant pills. 'This isn't something new; part of this is a response to what has been going on for a long time,' Ms Duff Campbell said. 'I'm not particularly concerned about . the hygienic concerns. There might be privacy concerns that you'd like . to have but you cant have in a battle environment.' There long has been opposition to putting . women in combat, based on questions of whether they have the necessary . strength and stamina for certain jobs, or whether their presence might . hurt unit cohesion. But as news of Panetta's expected order . got out, many members of Congress, including the Senate Armed Services . Committee chairman, Democratic Senator Carl Levin announced their . support. ‘It reflects the reality of 21st century military operations,’ Levin said. Objections were few. Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council, called the move ‘another social experiment’ that will place unnecessary burdens on military commanders. ‘While their focus must remain on winning the battles and protecting their troops, they will now have the distraction of having to provide some separation of the genders during fast moving and deadly situations,’ said Boykin, a retired Army lieutenant general. He noted that small units often are in sustained combat for extended periods of time under primal living conditions with no privacy. Panetta's move comes in his final . weeks as Pentagon chief and just days after President Barack Obama's . inaugural speech in which he spoke passionately about equal rights for . all. The new order expands . the department's action of nearly a year ago to open about 14,500 combat . positions to women, nearly all of them in the Army. Support: United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice expressed her support for the measure . Changing qualifications: Senior defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat . In an afternoon press conference confirming the news alongside Joint Chiefs chairman General Martin Dempsey, Mr Panetta said that not everyone can meet the qualifications to be a combat soldier. But, he said, everyone is entitled to the chance. He said the qualifications will not be reduced, and with women playing a broader role, the military will be strengthened. Former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch calls it good news for the U.S. military that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says women can serve in combat roles. The West Virginia resident says women have long been integral to victories in the fight for freedom. Lynch was 19 when she was captured after her Army unit took a wrong turn and came under attack in Iraq in 2003. She was rescued after nine days in captivity. Lynch urges Americans to support military men and women, and to push U.S. officials to ensure they have proper training and equipment. In addition to questions of strength . and performance, there also have been suggestions that the American . public would not tolerate large numbers of women being killed in war. Under . the 1994 Pentagon policy, women were prohibited from being assigned to . ground combat units below the brigade level. A brigade is roughly 3,500 . troops split into several battalions of about 800 soldiers each. On the front lines: The move lifts a ban that was put in place in 1994 . Historically, brigades were based farther from the front lines, and they often included top command and support staff. The . necessities of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, propelled women . into jobs as medics, military police and intelligence officers that . were sometimes attached — but not formally assigned — to battalions. Problem solver: The inclusion of women is believed it may help decrease the ever-growing number of problems within the military, like sexual harassment and sexual assaults . So while a woman couldn't be assigned as an infantryman in a battalion going out on patrol, she could fly the helicopter supporting the unit, or move in to provide medical aid if troops were injured. And these conflicts, where battlefield . lines are blurred and insurgents can lurk around every corner, have . made it almost impossible to keep women clear of combat. Still, . as recent surveys and experiences have shown, it will not be an easy . transition. When the Marine Corps sought women to go through its tough . infantry course last year, two volunteered and both failed to complete . the course. And there may not be a wide clamoring from women for the . more intense, dangerous and difficult jobs, including some infantry and . commando positions. 'I know, . you still hear: "It’s a man’s military." But we are all service . members,' Terri Kaas, an Air Force veteran who served in Germany and . Bahrain, told The Today Show. 'Look . at the Marine Corps — they have equal standards of fitness for both . genders. If the men can’t respect women for the job they’re doing maybe . these men shouldn’t be in the military.' Two . lawsuits were filed last year challenging the Pentagon's ban on women . serving in combat, adding pressure on officials to overturn the policy. Military services have been studying the issue and surveying their forces to determine how it may affect performance and morale. The Joint Chiefs have been meeting regularly on the matter and they unanimously agreed to send the recommendation to Panetta earlier this month. A senior military official familiar with the discussions said the chiefs laid out three main principles to guide them as they move through the process. Those were to maintain America's effective fighting force, preserve military readiness and develop a process that would give all service members the best chance to succeed. Women comprise about 14 per cent of the 1.4 million active military personnel. More than 280,000 women have been sent to Iraq, Afghanistan or to jobs in neighboring nations in support of the wars. Of the more than 6,600 U.S. service members who have been killed, 152 have been women. The senior military official said the military chiefs must report back to Panetta with their initial implementation plans by May 15.
Ex-soldiers tell of how they often have to relieve themselves inches away from one another inside cramped tanks .
Other times they are all forced to strip naked and wash with power hoses .
Say that it will be awkward having women thrown in the harrowing mix .
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced plan in press conference .
Former POW Jessica Lynch says move is a good one, will improve Forces .
A number of former soldiers have spoken out against the move because of the tough logistical life of fighters on the front line, even though many outsiders see Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's decision to lift the ban on women serving in combat positions as a progressive move. Some have spoken out about how the move ignores some of the realities of war, like disgusting unhygienic conditions and the way that soldiers are sometimes forced to change in front of one another, in favor of gender equality. One wrote a letter in the Wall Street Journal describing the conditions he faced on the front line when he was involved in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Up . to 25 Marines at a time were packed into an amphibious assault vehicles . intended to hold only 15, with the Marines sitting ontop of one another . for long periods of time. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Fully integrated: The removal of the ban that will allow women to serve on the front line has been met with criticism from some former soldiers who believe that the close quarters of war may prove challenging . Should women soldiers be able to serve on the frontline? Should women soldiers be able to serve on the frontline? Now share your opinion . ‘Many Marines developed dysentery from the complete lack of sanitary conditions. When an uncontrollable urge hit a Marine, he would be forced to stand, as best he could, hold an MRE bag up to his rear, and defecate inches from his seated comrade's face,’ Ryan Smith wrote in the opinion piece. He went on to say that they were unable to change out of their chemical protective suits for nearly a month, and once they secured Baghdad, they finally changed out of the suits which were caked in blood and human filth at that point. ‘My unit stood there in a walled-in . compound in Baghdad, naked, sores dotted all over our bodies, feet . peeling, watching our suits burn. Later, they lined us up naked and . washed us off with pressure washers,’ he wrote. Welcoming: Mr Panetta said that women play an integral role in the combat mission . The . historic change, which was recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, . overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller . ground combat units. It will . be up to the military service chiefs to recommend and defend whether . women should be excluded from any of those more demanding and deadly . positions, such as Navy SEALs or the Army's Delta Force. The services . will have until January 2016 to make a case to that some positions . should remain closed to women. The change won't take place overnight: . Service chiefs will have to develop plans for allowing women to seek the . combat positions, a senior military official said. ‘My unit stood there in a walled-in . compound in Baghdad, naked, sores dotted all over our bodies, feet . peeling, watching our suits burn. Later, they lined us up naked and . washed us off with pressure washers' -Ryan Smith, former soldier . Some jobs may open as soon as this year, while assessments for others, such as special operations forces, may take longer. Some insiders remain hesitant about the move, saying that while it may seem progressive to incorporate all, it may not be the most efficient way to run an army. 'Every female troop I know (over the . age of 25) says publicly, "Sure, open them up!" And privately, "But not . for me personally. I know I don't have the brute strength required and I . would be crushed to let down my colleagues -- so, no way, no thanks,"' an anonymous female Army officer told ABC News. Women's rights advocates say that concerns about female soldiers urinating or dealing with menstrual cycles while on the front lines are problems that have already been addressed. Nancy Duff Campbell, the co-president of the National Women's Law Center, told MailOnline that female soldiers already undergo a specific training course dedicated to discussing gender-specific hygiene issues. As a result, many use a tool called a Female Urinary Diversion Device (which effectively has a small tube that runs down one's pant leg) would allow women to urinate into a container if they were kept in a tank for a long period of time. Equality: Others see the lifting of the ban as a way to catch up with the progressive times . They also cover a number of ways to address their menstrual cycles by either taking daily menstruation suppressant pills. 'This isn't something new; part of this is a response to what has been going on for a long time,' Ms Duff Campbell said. 'I'm not particularly concerned about . the hygienic concerns. There might be privacy concerns that you'd like . to have but you cant have in a battle environment.' There long has been opposition to putting . women in combat, based on questions of whether they have the necessary . strength and stamina for certain jobs, or whether their presence might . hurt unit cohesion. But as news of Panetta's expected order . got out, many members of Congress, including the Senate Armed Services . Committee chairman, Democratic Senator Carl Levin announced their . support. ‘It reflects the reality of 21st century military operations,’ Levin said. Objections were few. Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council, called the move ‘another social experiment’ that will place unnecessary burdens on military commanders. ‘While their focus must remain on winning the battles and protecting their troops, they will now have the distraction of having to provide some separation of the genders during fast moving and deadly situations,’ said Boykin, a retired Army lieutenant general. He noted that small units often are in sustained combat for extended periods of time under primal living conditions with no privacy. Panetta's move comes in his final . weeks as Pentagon chief and just days after President Barack Obama's . inaugural speech in which he spoke passionately about equal rights for . all. The new order expands . the department's action of nearly a year ago to open about 14,500 combat . positions to women, nearly all of them in the Army. Support: United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice expressed her support for the measure . Changing qualifications: Senior defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat . In an afternoon press conference confirming the news alongside Joint Chiefs chairman General Martin Dempsey, Mr Panetta said that not everyone can meet the qualifications to be a combat soldier. But, he said, everyone is entitled to the chance. He said the qualifications will not be reduced, and with women playing a broader role, the military will be strengthened. Former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch calls it good news for the U.S. military that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says women can serve in combat roles. The West Virginia resident says women have long been integral to victories in the fight for freedom. Lynch was 19 when she was captured after her Army unit took a wrong turn and came under attack in Iraq in 2003. She was rescued after nine days in captivity. Lynch urges Americans to support military men and women, and to push U.S. officials to ensure they have proper training and equipment. In addition to questions of strength . and performance, there also have been suggestions that the American . public would not tolerate large numbers of women being killed in war. Under . the 1994 Pentagon policy, women were prohibited from being assigned to . ground combat units below the brigade level. A brigade is roughly 3,500 . troops split into several battalions of about 800 soldiers each. On the front lines: The move lifts a ban that was put in place in 1994 . Historically, brigades were based farther from the front lines, and they often included top command and support staff. The . necessities of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, propelled women . into jobs as medics, military police and intelligence officers that . were sometimes attached — but not formally assigned — to battalions. Problem solver: The inclusion of women is believed it may help decrease the ever-growing number of problems within the military, like sexual harassment and sexual assaults . So while a woman couldn't be assigned as an infantryman in a battalion going out on patrol, she could fly the helicopter supporting the unit, or move in to provide medical aid if troops were injured. And these conflicts, where battlefield . lines are blurred and insurgents can lurk around every corner, have . made it almost impossible to keep women clear of combat. Still, . as recent surveys and experiences have shown, it will not be an easy . transition. When the Marine Corps sought women to go through its tough . infantry course last year, two volunteered and both failed to complete . the course. And there may not be a wide clamoring from women for the . more intense, dangerous and difficult jobs, including some infantry and . commando positions. 'I know, . you still hear: "It’s a man’s military." But we are all service . members,' Terri Kaas, an Air Force veteran who served in Germany and . Bahrain, told The Today Show. 'Look . at the Marine Corps — they have equal standards of fitness for both . genders. If the men can’t respect women for the job they’re doing maybe . these men shouldn’t be in the military.' Two . lawsuits were filed last year challenging the Pentagon's ban on women . serving in combat, adding pressure on officials to overturn the policy. Military services have been studying the issue and surveying their forces to determine how it may affect performance and morale. The Joint Chiefs have been meeting regularly on the matter and they unanimously agreed to send the recommendation to Panetta earlier this month. A senior military official familiar with the discussions said the chiefs laid out three main principles to guide them as they move through the process. Those were to maintain America's effective fighting force, preserve military readiness and develop a process that would give all service members the best chance to succeed. Women comprise about 14 per cent of the 1.4 million active military personnel. More than 280,000 women have been sent to Iraq, Afghanistan or to jobs in neighboring nations in support of the wars. Of the more than 6,600 U.S. service members who have been killed, 152 have been women. The senior military official said the military chiefs must report back to Panetta with their initial implementation plans by May 15.
move. Some have spoken out about how the move soldiers are sometimes forced to change in front sitting ontop of one another . for long periods bag up to his rear, and defecate inches from his . ground combat units. It will . be up to the they lined us up naked and . washed us off with in combat . In an afternoon press conference be strengthened. Former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch calls it good news for the U.S. military that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says women "It’s a man’s military." But we are all service .