All US military combat jobs, including infantry units, will be open to women by the beginning of next year, the USA Today cited US Defense Secretary Ash Carter as saying Thursday.

Carter said the decision was part of his commitment to build a force of the future. The ban will be lifted in 30 days, he said, and the services have until April 1 to accommodate women in all roles.

"In the 21st Century, that requires drawing strength from the broadest pool" possible, he said, adding that the Pentagon can't successfully defend the nation by eliminating half of the US population from combat roles.

The armed services had been given a Dec. 31 deadline to allow women into all of its units, including elite special operations ground combat position, or to request a waiver. Those exceptions had to be backed by data showing why women would not be able to accomplish the necessary tasks.

Carter acknowledged that the Marines asked for some exceptions, Carter said, "but we are a joint force."

There are 213,600 male-only jobs in the military in 52 specialties, most of them in infantry units in the Army and Marine Corps. Many fields have been opening to women in the last year, including the Army's elite Ranger school, its premier light infantry course. Three women have passed the grueling tests and have earned coveted Ranger tag.

Carter's decision comes almost three years after his predecessor Leon Panetta announced that he had lifted the two-decade ban that prevented women from most combat jobs.

Sources: MENA