Last week, I visited the United States Military Academy at West Point and spoke to the 4,400 cadets there who will help lead our force of the future. I thanked them for answering the noble call of service and for embracing the awesome responsibility of leadership.

While on campus, I had the opportunity to have lunch with a dozen cadets who have chosen infantry service, including the first women at the academy to do so following my December announcement that all military positions will be open to anyone, male or female, who can meet our high standards.

It is not only these remarkable women who are making history; it is every cadet who is doing so. First in training, and then in battle, they will lead this implementation, and they will demonstrate that the women who recently graduated from Ranger School, who have accompanied our special operations forces, who led convoys in combat and have flown attack helicopters for the past 15 years are not just a news story; they are a vital part of our ability to defend our nation. To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country’s talents and skills – we have to take full advantage of every individual who can meet our high standards.

It is not only these remarkable women who are making history; it is every cadet who is doing so. First in training, and then in battle, they will lead this implementation, and they will demonstrate that the women who recently graduated from Ranger School, who have accompanied our special operations forces, who led convoys in combat and have flown attack helicopters for the past 15 years are not just a news story; they are a vital part of our ability to defend our nation. To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country’s talents and skills – we have to take full advantage of every individual who can meet our high standards.

Implementation of the decision to open all military positions to women must be handled the right way, because the combat effectiveness of our force is paramount. To make sure we did this right, I asked the military services to incorporate seven guiding principles into their implementation plans:  transparent standards, population size, talent management, physical demands and physiological differences, operating abroad, conduct and culture, and assessment and adjustment . To read more about these guiding principles and the implementation plans from the services, please see my recent post on Medium.com.

The female cadets I spoke with are part of a proud history of American women in service that extends back to the earliest days of the revolution. Not far from where we had lunch, there stands a memorial marking the grave of Margaret Corbin, the first woman laid to rest at West Point with full military honors. On Nov. 16, 1776, when Corbin’s husband was killed during the Battle of Fort Washington, she took charge of his cannon, covering the Continental Army’s retreat. She continued to fire his cannon with deadly accuracy, making her a high-priority target, and it was her crippling injury that brought an end to the battle. She received a soldier’s pay from the Continental Congress, and later, a disability pension.

Many Americans are familiar with Harriet Tubman’s heroism as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but may not know about her military contributions during the Civil War. She planned, organized and led an operation deep into enemy-held territory in South Carolina. Her raid at the Comabahee Ferry liberated more than 720 slaves, including 100 men who later enlisted in the Union Army and participated in key battles.

There are also Army Sgt. Carmen Contreras, Hazel Ying Lee, and Navy Lt. Susan Ahn, among many others, who served in the women’s auxiliary services during World War II. And the extraordinary leaders in our military today, including Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson, nominated by President Barack Obama last week to command NORAD and NORTHCOM as our first female combatant commander, and Army Brig. Gen. Diana Holland, West Point’s first female commandant.

In another first, March 22 marked the first time that the missile alert crews at all three U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile bases consisted entirely of women, and they were joined by all-female aircrews aboard the B-52s from Minot and Barksdale Air Force Bases. Female aircrews from Offut Air Force Base’s Airborne Launch Control System also participated. And with Secretary Deborah James and recently confirmed Undersecretary Lisa Disbrow, the Air Force is now the first U.S. service to be led by women in the top two civilian posts.

We’ve also made important strides to empower women around the globe. Through the implementation of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, DoD is supporting programs aimed at advancing women’s inclusion in peace building and conflict prevention processes, and addressing the impact of violence and conflict on women and girls.

Through courses and seminars hosted by DoD’s regional centers and geographic combatant commands, we encourage our friends and allies to expand the recruitment and retention of women in their security sectors and the incorporation of gender perspectives into their peace and security policy. Also, in training partner militaries in peacekeeping operations, our forces help equip them to better prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence. In short, the women and men of the Defense Department are enabling the next generation of remarkable women to continue making history around the world.

So, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, let us take pride in those who have served in our past, let us thank all of those who serve today, and let us welcome the next generation as it steps forward to serve in every capacity tomorrow.

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As I explained to my counterparts, when ISIL’s continued existence threatens not only the lives of the Iraqi and Syrian people, but also the security of our own citizens, all of our nations have a responsibility to accelerate this fight. There must be no free riders.  

The United States will continue to lead this coalition, providing it with a campaign plan and a unique set of capabilities. We are also prepared to do more to hasten ISIL’s lasting defeat and are actively taking steps to do so. At the same time, the campaign has enduring requirements that other nations have the capability to meet.

Last December, I reached out personally to dozen of defense defense ministers to urge them to consider filling critical military and non-military needs in the campaign. 

"Nearly 90 percent of the countries participating in the coalition's military campaign have either stepped up their role or committed to do so in the coming days."

I am gratified to report that coalition members responded to our challenge. This week, Canada announced a commitment to triple its training mission in Northern Iraq and double its intelligence efforts throughout the region. The Netherlands recently expanded its current air campaign over Iraq to include targets in Syria, and is contributing funds for medical assistance and rebuilding. In Brussels, I received additional commitments to the fight from the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Denmark pending final approval by their respective parliaments.

Contributions from Gulf nations, both in delegitimizing ISIL’s toxic ideology and confronting ISIL fighters on the ground, are particularly important to our larger effort. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia agreed to expand its role in the Coalition air campaign and provide additional support on the ground. Today, the United Arab Emirates said it will do the same. I appreciate both countries willingness to help us accelerate the campaign.

These new additions add to the substantial existing contributions from countries like Australia, France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom which have significantly increased their efforts since the attacks in Paris, Istanbul, and beyond this fall.

In sum, nearly 90 percent of the countries participating in the coalition's military campaign have either stepped up their role or committed to do so in the coming days. Their decisions to expand air operations, provide additional trainers, logistical support, reconstruction assistance, or some other contribution will all help the coalition intensify the counter-ISIL campaign.

Our objectives are clear. We must destroy the parent tumor in Iraq and Syria by collapsing ISIL’s grip on its power centers in Mosul and Raqqa. That will destroy the false notion that this barbaric group maintains any semblance of a state. At the same time, we must confront the metastasis of the cancer. That means being prepared to confront ISIL and its offshoots in Libya, Afghanistan, and wherever it spreads. Since no nation is immune to this threat, we must do everything we can to protect our homelands.

"Any nation that cares about the safety of its people or the future of civilization must engage in this fight."

Any nation that cares about the safety of its people or the future of civilization must engage in this fight. We need the full involvement of every government, not just every military. That means political engagement to help craft the long-term security architecture for the region. It means – in today’s connected world – cutting off ISIL’s finances, stemming the flow of foreign fighters, and countering ISIL’s wicked messaging on social media and elsewhere. And there’s even more that can be done. Humanitarian and reconstruction aid can be just as powerful a weapon in this fight as any precision guided munition.

I'm very pleased that so many nations have stepped up and answered the call in recent days, and I am encouraged by our meeting. But my challenge to coalition members to accelerate our military campaign will not end in Brussels, any more than America's resolve to lead and make more contributions itself will end there. It will continue. 

Indeed, the determination my counterparts brought to our Brussels Ministerial – and the accelerated actions we take against ISIL on the battlefield – must continue so that we can truly deal ISIL a lasting defeat.