Decision will force U.S. to declare war in the future

Maybe one of the good things to come out of putting women into combat is that when the president wants to commit troops into combat, Congress will be forced to really declare war and get all of us involved rather than “mealy-mouthing” legislation to support the president, and commit our troops while we continue doing our own thing here at home [“Military women win battle to serve in combat,” page one, Jan. 24].

Bar none, the three worst votes Congress has taken in the past 50 years were to fund troops into Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan without declaring war. If we don’t declare war, our troops stay home, period, end of discussion!

--Rowan Hinds, Issaquah