After nearly a decade, the Pentagon has finally lifted the ban prohibiting women from ground combat positions in the military, giving women the opportunity to apply for more than 230,000 new jobs in the Army and Marine Corps.

It is about time the Department of Defense realizes the contributions and importance of women in the military, as many women have what it takes to fight for our country.

Women have shown strength and determination in every American war to date. Rosie the Riveter represented the brave women who willingly sacrificed their safe homes and normal lives to weld metal airplanes and assemble heavy machinery in dangerous factory conditions during World War II. More than 200 years ago, courageous women aided the colonies in their fight for independence.

According to AP U.S. History teacher Rodney Van Tassell, most women in the Revolution served in domestic areas of the war effort like cooking and nursing. However, there were notable exceptions including Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to enlist in the army, and Molly Pitcher, who took over the cannons when her husband was wounded.

This bravery continues even today. The lift on this ban only legalizes women fighting ground combat, but women have been on the front lines before. Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester proved herself capable of ground combat when she fought back an ambush during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, earning a  Silver Star for her bravery.

According to the U.S. Army website, 150 women have been killed and over 800 have been wounded out of the 280,000 deployed to the Middle East since 2001. Banning ground combat for women does not make a difference because neither gender is spared when it comes to war.

Furthermore, lifting the ban does not require the physical standards to be changed because plenty of women are capable of meeting the current standards.

Now that women have the opportunity to serve in a number of new positions in combat, some men might find it hard to adjust to women serving in a traditionally all-male field.

However, many other military units have proved that the mixing of genders is not an issue. The Marine Corps and training base Fort Lee, two large military operations, are both co-ed and still operate at an extremely high standard.

Much like a school classroom where girls and boys learn as equals, male and female soldiers are first and foremost soldiers whose jobs are to serve and protect America. It’s time to let women take the class too, and pass along with their male counterparts.