Apparently its primary purpose is to make a social statement:
The U.S. military is too white and too male at the top and needs to change recruiting and promotion policies and lift its ban on women in combat, an independent report for Congress said Monday.
Seventy-seven percent of senior officers in the active-duty military are white, while only 8 percent are black, 5 percent are Hispanic and 16 percent are women, the report by an independent panel said, quoting data from September 2008.
One barrier that keeps women from the highest ranks is their inability to serve in combat units. Promotion and job opportunities have favored those with battlefield leadership credentials.
The report ordered by Congress in 2009 calls for greater diversity in the military’s leadership so it will better reflect the racial, ethnic and gender mix in the armed forces and in American society.
Let me point out something very simple. The purpose of the military is not to reflect the racial, ethnic and gender mix of the country. The job of the military is to:
- Fight and deter the enemies of the united states
- Defend our allies and to deter those who would threaten them.
- Protect American interest and citizens.
As long as we are able to do this, I don’t care if our military is composed of three-legged aliens who all answer to the name “Harold”. I’ll let others argue the specifics, the bottom line is promotion and leadership should be based on whatever helps the military achieve those goals I listed, that it!
The moment we do otherwise we lose the best military in the world, and believe me the rest of the world and our enemies are watching.
Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog 
Agree 100%. Well said.
As Jack Nicholson playing Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men said, there is nothing on this earth sexier than a woman you have to salute in the morning. And, I would add, there would be nothing more humiliating for our enemies than getting their asses kicked by a one of our girls. … http://www.leftbankofthecharles.com/2011/03/is-it-time-to-salute-few-good-women.html
Have you linked.
http://pointofagun.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-maybe-taking-robert-heinleins-view.html
I have some bad news for you, Peter. “The moment we do otherwise” happened a long time ago. Tailhook was probably the point of no return. Then we had the Navy in 1994, trying to hide the fact they had no business putting Kara Hultgreen into an F-14. Social engineering got that brave woman killed.
Speaking of social tinkering getting people killed–how about Nidal Hasan? Ah, but we have to prove how enlightened we are about the religion of peace! Can’t question his fitness, he’s Islamic . . .
I remember how frustrated a Marine friend was as a TBS instructor in Quantico, because he had to keep a certain percentage of women no matter how unsat they were. Quotas.
You wouldn’t believe the amount of “sensitivity training” they already do. Now we’ve got a new element to the tinkering of course, with DADT repeal.
Still, we’ve got loads of fine warriors in the mix. Hopefully, we’ll keep enough of them. Not if the leftists have anything to do with it, however.