Veteran Rep. Tulsi Gabbard slaps down critics of women in combat

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D), one of the first female combat veterans to serve in Congress, said Thursday it was wrong to assume that allowing women in combat would reduce military fitness.

Gabbard served two combat tours in the Middle East and is still a Military Police Captain in the Hawaii National Guard. She said on CNN that allowing women to serve in front-line combat positions was "long overdue," despite those who worried it would result in military qualifications being reduced.

Gabbard noted some women already served in front-line positions despite the Pentagon's policy.

"I think that when we look at, for example, two women, the first two women who earned silver stars since World War II, one was a military police sergeant, another was a medic," she explained. "And they both were operating on the front lines per se, under fire, under extreme duress, shoulder to shoulder with their male and female counterparts."

"I think in some of these jobs that do require a great amount of physical fitness those standards should not be compromised," Gabbard added. "If women are in an ability to meet those standards, they should be allowed to serve."

Watch video, courtesy of CNN, below: