WASHINGTON — The following statement is by the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, John E. Hamilton, of St. Augustine, Fla., a Marine Corps rifleman in Vietnam and triple Purple Heart recipient:
“The military services will be charged with phasing in this policy change to allow women greater access to frontline career fields, and the implementation will be under intense scrutiny by advocates and critics alike. To the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, there is no question that women have and will continue to serve our nation in uniform with great valor and sacrifice. We fully recognize that not everyone volunteers for the combat arms career fields, but the VFW wishes all who apply much success in meeting the arduous physical and demanding performance standards. Societal norms may have changed, but the mission and environment in which our ground forces operate have not.”