Fort Carson and five other Army bases across the nation plan to open up jobs to women later this month that were previously held exclusively by men.

A six-month trial period will begin May 14 that allows women to apply for several new jobs — a major shift by the Army that bucks a 1994 ban on women serving in combat.

The ban kept women from serving with ground combat units below the brigade level, which often amounts to a headquarters assignment away from the front lines.

The new policy allows women to serve at the battalion level, meaning they can serve among smaller units that are usually in closer contact with the enemy.

The change comes after women were repeatedly, if inadvertently, placed in combat situations during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — conflicts that never featured a true “front line.”

“Women have proven themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan every day, and they’re often bearing the same burden as their fellow male soldiers,” Wollman said. “They’ve done a lot of fantastic things out there to make the mission happen to support our Army.”

New positions won’t be created specifically for the six-month trial, Wollman said, nor will men be moved from their current jobs to make room for women.

Rather, the order means that women will be allowed to apply for certain positions once there’s an opening.

At Fort Carson, that means women can begin applying for four new positions with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division — three of them mechanic jobs focusing on tank and artillery maintenance, Wollman said. The fourth job is a radar operator position that requires soldiers to track where enemy fire originated and to coordinate counter attacks.

A variety of battalion-level officer specialities also will be made available to women, including chaplain, field surgeon and adjutant general, Wollman said.

“Women have just proven that they can do more than they’ve been allowed to do,” Wollman said.

Two other positions will be available at other bases, including cannon artillery specialists and fire detection specialists. The other Army sites featuring the trial are Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Knox, Ky., Fort Drum, N.Y., Fort Campbell, Ky., and Hawaii.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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