Everyone serving with the military in Iraq and Afghanistan likely will see combat, whether or not they're officially assigned front-line duty.

Those who take arms with the intent to use them may be seen as holding the infantry position, but soldiers can suffer war wounds almost anywhere in these urban guerrilla zones.

So it's right that the Army has seen to the creation of the Combat Action Badge to honor any soldier who performs satisfactorily in combat, a task that in this war is asked increasingly of those with other Army specializations.

One of the first to receive the badge, in fact, was Sgt. April Pashley, a member of the civil affairs team who became one of the casualties in an insurgent rocket attack while on guard duty. And of the more than 1,740 American soldiers and Marines killed in Iraq, 38 have been women.

Many have begun to wonder, with good reason, why precluding women from combat duty remains the official U.S. policy. It seems senseless to shield capable women soldiers from the brutalities of war, considering the way it's waged today.

And although some women may lack the upper-body strength required of competent infantry fighters, not all do. Physical examinations surely could certify the able among them.

The armed forces seem to be moving closer to the day when such tests will be conducted, bringing more equity to the ranks of those who want to serve.