Armed Forces: The New Top Guns

In the wake of Desert Storm, the Senate clears women pilots for combat

During the Persian Gulf war, women distinguished themselves in the cockpits of helicopters, midair refueling tankers and the lumbering C-141 transport jets that ferried troops across enemy lines. Their performance and that of all the 35,000 women who served in the gulf has generated support in Congress and public opinion for broadening the role of females in the military. Last week in a landmark move the Senate voted overwhelmingly to overturn a 43-year-old law that bars women from flying combat missions. Said Delaware Senator William Roth, who co-sponsored the amendment with Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts: "The facts show that women...

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