Women in the military: participation & exclusion
- Department of Defense policy prohibits the assignment of women to any " unit below brigade level whose primary missions is direct ground combat." While this policy excludes women from being assigned to infantry, special operations commandos and some other roles, female members of the armed forces may still find themselves in situations that require combat action, such as defending their units if they come under attack.
- Deborah Sampson was the first American woman soldier. Served three years as an enlisted soldier in the Continental Army under the name "Robert Shurtliff." She was wounded twice but cut the musket ball out of her own thigh so doctors wouldn't find out her gender. Later given an honorable discharge by Washington.
- Women weren't able to officially serve at all, until the Army and Navy Nurse Corps were established at the turn of the 20th century.
- During WWI over 2,300 women served overseas in the Canadian Army Medical Corp
- While men received an elite education at military service academies, women weren't even allowed to set foot on campus as students until 1976, when West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy began admitting women.
- Women make up 2% of all pilots in the military.
- As of 2010, Active duty servicewomen (213,823) comprise 14.5% of the total active force of 1.47 million, nearly 20% of the reserve force, and 20% of new recruits.
- More than 130 women have died in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
- Women are excluded from 9% of all Army roles, or 30% of active‐duty positions. 38% positions are closed to women in the Marine Corps.
- In 2009, women comprised only 20.6% of active component officer gain and 16.2% of the active component officer force.
- Despite women’s legal exclusion from combat, two servicewomen have been awarded the Silver Star, the military’s third‐highest medal for valor in combat.
- Women make up 11.4% of OEF and OIF veterans.
- In comparison to their representation in ranks E‐1 through E‐6, women are underrepresented among senior noncommissioned officers and flag/general officers across all Services.
The Military Service Academies
It literally took an act of Congress to open the United States Military Academies to women. In 1975, then President Ford, signed Public Law 94-106 requiring the services to open the hallowed halls of West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy to women. In the fall of 1976 female cadets began their education and military orientation as the "Class of '80" became the first coed class. When those first classes graduated in 1980 of the 327 women who began, 217 graduated - a whopping 66%.
The transition wasn't easy, and the lingering male chauvinist attitude didn't help matters but for the most part women cadets succeeded in ignoring the micro-minded while acing the academics. Academic failure was twice as high for the men.
Women met challenges, and showed they were capable of handling the rigorous physical and military courses. Respect for the abilities of women slowly emerged within the academies and surprisingly the hallowed halls remained in tact and were not painted pink or adorned with Martha Stewart decor.
In 1989, Kristin M. Baker, Class of 1990, was the first female cadet named Brigade Commander and the first woman to command the West Point Corps of Cadets.Graduation rates at West Point are nearly equal for males and females--79 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
Today the young women who graduate from our military academies enter the respective services with pride in their accomplishment - just as do the young men. They don't want to be treated separately, or as unique - they simply want to do their job.
And that's the way it should be.
- Deborah Sampson was the first American woman soldier. Served three years as an enlisted soldier in the Continental Army under the name "Robert Shurtliff." She was wounded twice but cut the musket ball out of her own thigh so doctors wouldn't find out her gender. Later given an honorable discharge by Washington.
- Women weren't able to officially serve at all, until the Army and Navy Nurse Corps were established at the turn of the 20th century.
- During WWI over 2,300 women served overseas in the Canadian Army Medical Corp
- While men received an elite education at military service academies, women weren't even allowed to set foot on campus as students until 1976, when West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy began admitting women.
- Women make up 2% of all pilots in the military.
- As of 2010, Active duty servicewomen (213,823) comprise 14.5% of the total active force of 1.47 million, nearly 20% of the reserve force, and 20% of new recruits.
- More than 130 women have died in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
- Women are excluded from 9% of all Army roles, or 30% of active‐duty positions. 38% positions are closed to women in the Marine Corps.
- In 2009, women comprised only 20.6% of active component officer gain and 16.2% of the active component officer force.
- Despite women’s legal exclusion from combat, two servicewomen have been awarded the Silver Star, the military’s third‐highest medal for valor in combat.
- Women make up 11.4% of OEF and OIF veterans.
- In comparison to their representation in ranks E‐1 through E‐6, women are underrepresented among senior noncommissioned officers and flag/general officers across all Services.
The Military Service Academies
It literally took an act of Congress to open the United States Military Academies to women. In 1975, then President Ford, signed Public Law 94-106 requiring the services to open the hallowed halls of West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy to women. In the fall of 1976 female cadets began their education and military orientation as the "Class of '80" became the first coed class. When those first classes graduated in 1980 of the 327 women who began, 217 graduated - a whopping 66%.
The transition wasn't easy, and the lingering male chauvinist attitude didn't help matters but for the most part women cadets succeeded in ignoring the micro-minded while acing the academics. Academic failure was twice as high for the men.
Women met challenges, and showed they were capable of handling the rigorous physical and military courses. Respect for the abilities of women slowly emerged within the academies and surprisingly the hallowed halls remained in tact and were not painted pink or adorned with Martha Stewart decor.
In 1989, Kristin M. Baker, Class of 1990, was the first female cadet named Brigade Commander and the first woman to command the West Point Corps of Cadets.Graduation rates at West Point are nearly equal for males and females--79 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
Today the young women who graduate from our military academies enter the respective services with pride in their accomplishment - just as do the young men. They don't want to be treated separately, or as unique - they simply want to do their job.
And that's the way it should be.