BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING


          ACR  
          108 (Mathis)


          As Introduced  January 4, 2016


          Majority vote


           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |Committee       |Votes|Ayes                  |Noes                |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
          |Rules           |11-0 |Gordon, Chang,        |                    |
          |                |     |Brough, Burke,        |                    |
          |                |     |Campos, Cooley,       |                    |
          |                |     |Jones, Mullin,        |                    |
          |                |     |Rodriguez, Waldron,   |                    |
          |                |     |Wood                  |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 


          SUMMARY:  Proclaims the week of March 21 to March 27, 2016,  
          inclusive as Women's Military History Week in California and  
          encourages Californians to recognize, among other things, the  
          contributions of women to our military and our freedom and the  
          historic lift of the ban on women in combat on January 24, 2013.  
           Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative  
          findings:
          1)January 24, 2016, marks the third anniversary of the lift of  
            the ban on women in combat, which overturns a 1994 Pentagon  








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            rule that restricted women from artillery, armor, and  
            infantry, among other combat roles, even though in reality  
            women have frequently found themselves in combat to Iraq and  
            Afghanistan .
          2)Former United State Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta  
            initiated the lift of the ban on women in combat in 2013 and  
            on December 3, 2015, current United States Secretary of  
            Defense Ashton Carter directed the full integration of women  
            into all military branches.  Since the ban was lifted, three  
            women have already made history by being the first to graduate  
            from the United States Army Ranger School, the Army's premier  
            combat leadership course.


          3)Approximately 300,000 women in uniform have served in the wars  
            in Iraq and Afghanistan and these female members have earned  
            more than 10,000 combat action badges and Bronze Stars,  
            respectively, and at least 12 Bronze Stars with Valor.


          4)As a country based on freedom and opportunity, regardless of  
            creed, race, gender, or sexual orientation, we must  
            demonstrate the same opportunity in our armed forces, while  
            maintaining the same standard of excellence our military has  
            set.  Opening up combat roles to women will add to the  
            military excellence, not subtract from it.




          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800  FN:  
          0002550














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