Pentagon rules are catching up a bit with reality after a decade when women in the U.S. military have served, fought and died on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, the Pentagon is recommending to Congress that women be allowed to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines. The change would open up about 14,000 additional jobs to women. According to defense officials, the new rules are expected to continue the long-held prohibition that prevents women from serving as infantry, armor and special operations forces. But they will formally allow women to serve in other jobs at the battalion level, which until now had been considered too close to combat/Associated Press. More here. (AP file photo: U.S. Marine Sgt. Monica Perez, of San Diego, left, helps Lance Cpl. Mary Shloss of Hammond, Ind., put on her head scarf before heading out on a patrol in Afghanistan)

Question: Do you support increased exposure of women in the U.S. military in combat roles?

The Pentagon has advised recruiting commands that they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates, given the recent federal court decision that bars the military from expelling openly gay service members, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman. The guidance from the Personnel and Readiness office was sent to recruiting commands on Friday, according to spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. The recruiters were told that if a candidate admits he or she is openly gay, and qualify under normal recruiting guidelines, their application can be processed/Adam Levine, CNN. More here.

Question: Do you support this change in Pentagon policy?

The Pentagon’s brownie recipe is 26 pages long. Just grab a copy of document MIL-C-44072C and gather your ingredients: water that conforms to the “National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (Copies are available from the Office of Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency, WH550D, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460),” and some eggs in compliance with “Regulations Governing the Inspection of Eggs and Egg Products (7 CFR Part 59),” and you’re ready to go!/Reason. More here. H/T: Idaho Freedom Foundation. (Illustrative photo: PRNewsFoto/Medifast, Inc.)

Question: Are you great/average/poor at making brownies? Is your recipe 26 pages long?

Jon Stewart questions how anyone can call a 4 percent increase in the defense budget a cut, and other things about Pentagon priorities.

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