Lawmaker calls for Navy Secretary's resignation over integration

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., penned a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter calling for the resignation of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, saying Mabus disrespected the Marine Corps by ignoring their study on the potential integration of women into combat roles from which they are currently excluded.

The debate over integration is escalating throughout military ranks. Secretary Mabus announced he will not be asking the Defense Department for an exemption for the Marine Corps to employ women in combat roles. Rep. Hunter says this makes him unfit to lead the Marine Corps.

"The Navy Secretary is biased in his judgment and should be withdrawn from any decision-making that occurs with respect to the Marine Corps' gender integration plan," Hunter wrote. "He has openly disrespected the Marine Corps as an institution, and he insulted the competency of Marines by disregarding their professional judgment, their combat experience and their quality of leadership."

Ahead of Mabus' announcement that he would not seek any exemptions, the Marine Corps produced a 900-page study detailing the effects of using women in combat missions. The study compared mixed-gendered combat teams with all-male combat teams, and found teams with women experienced more injuries, and underperformed in speed and accuracy.

Rep. Hunter claims moving forward with integration in combat roles despite the study advising otherwise demonstrates the Navy Secretary is more concerned with politics than military leadership.

"Such a significant loss of respect is detrimental to the ability of the Navy Secretary to effectively lead the men and women of the Marine Corps," he said. "It is important to seek a new Navy Secretary who will not be compromised by politics."

Rep. Hunter served in the Marine Corps in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and authored the National Defense Authorization Act in 2014, which called for more gender neutral standards in the military.