Italy allows women in military ROME (AP) - As many as 20,000 women are expected to apply for Italy's armed forces under a law approved Wednesday allowing women to join as volunteers. Italy was the only member of NATO without women in the military. The lower house of parliament gave the law final approval, voting 273-9 in its favor. Italian men face 10 months of mandatory service. Women have pushed for years for at least volunteer service, but it had been blocked by objections to the costs of converting barracks and training sites to accommodate women. ###
