There are definitely fewer women In the military in general. And many fewer women pursuing certain positions, like Rangers or SEALs.

The institutions moved slowly, too. Some groups within the military were hesitant to open up fully to women. And there are the usual systemic hurdles, like physical fitness tests that favored male physiques, which put women at a disadvantage until they were changed.

I think women’s participation in the military will mirror what we have seen in women’s athletics: as it becomes more common we will see closer parity between women and men. I also suspect the services will find that women tend to perform certain skills better than men.