2:13Members of the 753 Brigade Engineer Battalion participate in National Guard Reaction Force (NGRF) training at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center on January 9, 2026. Staff Sgt. N.W. Huertas/U.S. Air Force
Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs opted for one of the Army’s most challenging career paths, where officers oversee tanks—a domain characterized by relentless tactical intricacies and requiring expertise in some of the military’s most formidable weaponry.
Commissioned through the Army’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, she completed her studies in 2018 and entered a profession that had only recently become accessible to women. She was among the pioneers and quickly found herself in a leadership role at Fort Riley, Kansas.
"Tanks are incredibly exciting," said Beggs, who is running for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia, during an interview with ABC News.
Members of the 753 Brigade Engineer Battalion participate in National Guard Reaction Force (NGRF) training at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center on January 9, 2026. Staff Sgt. N.W. Huertas/U.S. Air Force
What motivated her to pursue this career, she shared, was her desire for field experience and a willingness to engage in combat if necessary.
"I was certain I wanted to be in the field," she noted. Her father served as an armor officer in the Marine Corps.
Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs (left) atop an M1A2 Abrams tank with her crew. Courtesy Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs
Women were officially incorporated into ground combat units in 2015, yet now, over ten years later, the Pentagon has recently initiated a review of the performance of thousands of women serving in these combat roles—a move that coincides with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s longstanding skepticism about their participation in such units.
In the forthcoming six months, the review will assess the performance and training outcomes of ground combat units, as per an internal Pentagon memorandum inspected by ABC News. Dated December 18, the memo indicates that the results are anticipated to guide decisions regarding the staffing and training design of those units.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participates in a briefing for the House of Representatives regarding the situation in Venezuela, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., January 7, 2026. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
"Our criteria for combat arms positions will be elite, uniform, and neutral to gender because the weight of a rucksack or a person does not differentiate between men and women," stated Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson.
This review follows years of discussion concerning the role of women in the military. Currently, approximately 4,500 women serve in ground combat roles within the Army and Marine Corps, including infantry, armor, and artillery units, along with about 10 in the Army’s Special Forces.
Various military branches and external organizations have investigated the integration of women into combat roles and other traditionally male-dominated sectors in recent years, finding no decline in unit performance. However, a Marine Corps study did reveal that women are more prone to injuries.
Beggs mentioned that there was doubt among her peers when she entered a field previously dominated by men. Some questioned her ability to engage in hand-to-hand combat training, which involves grappling and close physical interactions, or how she would handle basic necessities, such as restroom access while in the field.
"I approached it with the mindset that this was a new situation," she stated. "I aimed to create an inclusive environment and address questions without passing judgment on anyone."
Sourse: abcnews.go.com