Sen. McCain supports the move and says the military must keep its high standards . `` It will take a while to work out the mechanics in some cases . The Arizona Republican has been a vocal critic of President Obama's handling of U.S. foreign policy in recent years -- particularly his decision to withdraw from Iraq after more than four years. Officials say Panetta will announce it is opening combat jobs to women . Panetta hopes the process will be complete by January 2016 , officials say .
Sen. McCain supports the move and says the military must keep its high standards . The Arizona Republican has been a vocal critic of President Obama's handling of U.S. foreign policy in recent years -- particularly his decision to withdraw from Iraq after more than four years. Officials say Panetta will announce it is opening combat jobs to women . Panetta hopes the process will be complete by January 2016 , officials say .