Tidwell, Allison

March is celebrated annually as Women\u2019s History Month, a period during which we reflect on the contributions and successes of women throughout American history. Although until recently women were restricted from military service, they have no doubt supported the United States Armed Forces in a variety of roles since the beginning of our nation. More women are dedicating their lives to military service, thus highlighting an opportunity to better understand what the military woman\u2019s experience looks like today. Military REACH connected with five active duty and Veteran women to gain insight into the experience of military women, including both the strengths and challenges of serving as a woman, and their perspectives on the future for women in the military. \n\n\n\n\n#### What motivated you to join the Armed Forces?\n\n\n Military service is not a career path chosen easily \u2013 service requires dedication, strength, and resilience. Still, there are many women who find pride in the challenge of becoming a \u201cwarrior.\u201d For some, military service provides stability and opportunities to advance: \n\n\n\n > The financial stability it provided and the education opportunity were the biggest driving factors for my enlistment and later commission.\u201d \u2013 [Adara, Marine Corps, Active Duty]\n\n\n\n For others, the motivation to serve is driven by military family or friend connections: \n\n\n\n > Family business \u2013 3rd generation military and 3rd generation dual military [family]. \u2013 [Lee, Air Force Reserves, Active Duty/Veteran]\n\n\n\n\n > My friend\u2019s dad was an Army helicopter pilot so I decided in 2nd grade I wanted to be a pilot in the military after trying on his helmet. \u2013 [Becky, Air Force, Veteran]\n\n\n\n\n > My next door neighbor was KIA in Iraq in 2008, and I wanted to honor his memory. \u2013 [Sarah Lynn, Air Force, Active Duty]\n\n\n\n\n\n#### How did your friends and family react to your decision to serve?\n\n\n Although women who choose to serve are resolved in their decision, they may or may not get mixed feedback from their loved ones. Families and friends may show support for enlistment or commission when they have a prior connection to, or understanding of, military service: \n\n\n\n > A lot [of my loved ones] felt like it was a good fit and modeled my earlier high school accomplishments within the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. A few others were somewhat surprised, not at my deciding to enlist, but my decision to join the Marine Corps.\u201d \n\u2013 [Adara]\n\n\n\n\n> At the onset, I don\u2019t think a lot of my family thought that I was serious (I come from a traditional family and military service was a boy\u2019s prerogative). Once they realized that I was serious, my family was very supportive. My friends were concerned that it wasn\u2019t a safe job for a woman to have. \u2013 [Sarah Lynn]\n\n\n\n\n> [I was] fully supported \u2013 in fact my whole family was Navy enlisted, and I was encouraged to go officer in the Air Force. \u2013 [Lee]\n\n\n\n In some cases, however, women who choose to serve were even discouraged by those in their support network: \n\n\n\n > I didn\u2019t grow up in a military area and most people tried to talk me out of it. I was putting together models of airplanes and going to airshows, but people just thought it was cute. My 8th grade teacher gave me a D on a career assignment because I didn\u2019t put any backup options after military pilot. \u2013 [Becky]\n\n\n\n\n\n#### Were there any service-related challenges you experienced that are unique to women in military service?\n\n\n As history has shown, being a woman in the military is no easy task. In fact, as Becky suggests, there are \u201clots of [challenges].\u201d One challenge mentioned by Lee is \u201cbalancing work and life,\u201d as women must manage their roles at home (e.g., spouse, parent) and at work as a Service member. An additional challenge is facing gender-based issues. The ratio between men and women Service members is heavily skewed toward men, as approximately 1 in 16 active duty Service members are women: \n\n\n\n > I do not know that I view it always as a challenge, but you often find yourself as the only woman in the room. I do not personally find that to be a challenge, but it is a common factor. Also, I am a shorter stature at five foot three inches and that is not the ideal load bearing body frame for carrying 100 pounds of gear. Overall, I always viewed myself as the same regarding going through all the mental and physical challenges as the males.\u201d \n\u2013 [Adara]\n\n\n\n\n > Generally, women\u2019s uniforms are more difficult to find. Women\u2019s health care is also an ongoing concern.\u201d \n\u2013 [Sarah Lynn]\n\n\n\n\n\n#### What are the advantages of being a woman Service member?\n\n\n It is understandable that some women Service members don\u2019t feel their identity as a woman is advantageous to their career in a male-dominated field. One woman Service member suggested that she works hard to meet the expectations of men Service members. \n\n\n\n > Within the service, I do not believe there are any advantages [to being a woman Service member]. In fact, I would say it is much more challenging to be a woman in the service\u2026However within the service, there are still unspoken barriers in some commands, positions, or jobs where you have to prove you are capable. \u2013 [Adara]\n\n\n\n However, another Service member reflects on the relationships she built with other military women during her service: \n\n\n\n > The network of women supporting women is absolutely fantastic. \u2013 [Sarah Lynn]\n\n\n\n Although there are limitations within military service, some women Service members choose to focus on how their service will inspire the next generation of women in the military: \n\n\n\n > You can inspire young girls. It\u2019s important for kids to see someone who looks like them doing something they never thought about doing before. When I saw a female in a flight suit, I was speechless and couldn\u2019t even talk to her because suddenly it was real- it was something that could actually happen. \u2013 [Becky]\n\n\n\n > Helping grow the next generation and showing our children that you can manage and wear many hats in the world. - [Lee] \n\n\n\n\n#### What changes do you hope to see in the future related to attitudes toward women Service members and Veterans?\n\n\n Women have fought throughout history to be recognized for their contributions to our nation\u2019s Armed Forces and their capabilities to serve in increasing ways. Still, women have much further to go before respect and equality is achieved for women Service members and Veterans. Women in the military have expressed several areas of concern for which they hope to see change: \n\n\n\n> The biggest change I hope to see is acceptance within the Veteran community. There is deep tradition felt to uphold values and continue traditions. Within the Veteran population, many have no idea how much has changed and continues to change that in no way dishonors legacy and tradition; there is just a woman in uniform. - [Adara]\n\n\n\n\n> We\u2019ve come a long way since I was starting in the military, but that doesn\u2019t mean we don\u2019t have a lot more work to do. I\u2019m encouraged when I see young women who are strong in who they are and aren\u2019t afraid to use their voice. I felt grateful to be able do the things I did, but I think it\u2019s time to stop feeling grateful and just be empowered. - [Becky]\n\n\n\n\n> As far as future changes related to attitudes toward women Service members and Veterans, I am afraid that will have to be changed and taught to every child at an early stage to treat, respect, and protect women equally. That includes equal pay for equal work, and punishment for disrespect. Women need to be able to speak up without retaliation.\u201d - [Connie] \n\n\n\n> We still see women underrepresented at all levels in the military. It\u2019s still seen as an anomaly to see a female general, and we need to get to a point where that is no longer surprising. I hope to see more comprehensive medical coverage for female military members and more post-service support for female Veterans. - [Sarah Lynn]\n\n\n\n\n\n#### What advice would you give to women interested in joining the Armed Forces?\n\n\n Having faced the gender-related challenges in military, women Service members and Veterans reflect on their careers to formulate advice to women considering entering service. Their testimonies offer both encouragement and career advice: \n\n\n\n> Do it! Find one of the career choices that sounds interesting to you and go for it. Maybe you find something along the way that\u2019s an even better fit. Either way, enjoy the ride! Also, failures truly make you stronger. If you don\u2019t learn from it, it\u2019s a wasted experience. - [Becky]\n\n\n\n\n> Go For It \u2013 find a supportive group of people who empower you and kick butt \u2013 you can do anything.\u201d - [Lee] \n\n\n\n> I would say be very familiar with the regulations and learn your job well so that you bring your best attributes to the mission set. Over time, professionalism makes every individual successful, but particularly for women in service that can still find themselves in the need-to-prove themselves situation. Lastly, aim to be within male physical fitness standards at each opportunity. There is no reason you can\u2019t do it also. - [Adara]\n\n\n\n\n> Start building arm strength early, get to know the other women around you, and you can do anything you put your mind to! - [Sarah Lynn]\n\n\n\n Military REACH *would like to give special thanks to Adara, Becky, Lee, Connie, and Sarah Lynn for sharing their stories and for their service to our country.*\n\n\n\n

Family Story

https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/ffPerspectivesofService.jsp

Sherman, Haley

Women have supported the U.S. Military since our country was founded with the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), although they weren't formally recognized as Service members until 1948. Over time, women’s roles to serve our country have evolved over time, but their capability has never wavered. In this piece, we will explore the roles of women throughout our military history related to varying policies, their contributions to our country, and discuss recent research findings about women Service members. During the Revolutionary War, women found unique ways to aid in the war effort, such as mending clothing, tending to wounds, foraging for food, cooking, cleaning both laundry and cannons, and traveling alongside different militias. In addition, some women disguised themselves as men to fight on the front lines (DeSimone, 2022). Similarly, while women were not allowed to enlist in the Civil War (1861-1865), approximately 1,000 women across the Union and Confederate armies fought while disguised as men (DeSimone, 2022). One of these revolutionary women, Margaret Corbin, was the first woman to receive a military pension (Michals, 2015). In fact, throughout the Civil War, a further 20,000 women served in other ways (e.g., growing crops, sewing, laundry, collecting donations, running fundraising campaigns). But their greatest contribution was serving as nurses for the Union Army. One such volunteer, Clara Barton, went on to found the Red Cross, an influential relief organization to this day (American Red Cross, 2023). During the 20th century, women experienced a shift in the recognition of and allowance for their military service. 1901 saw the start of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, with a total employment of 403 nurses; by 1918, that number had grown to 3,000. At the same time, a shortage of men available for clerical “yeoman” duties, such as operating telephones and radios and acting as translators, led the Navy to recruit women for these jobs. The first “yeomanettes” served the Navy between 1917 and 1918 (during WWI [1914–1918]; DeSimone, 2022). By WWII (1939–1945), the military enlisted women across all branches. The Army had the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and the Army’s Women Airforce Service Pilots. The Navy had Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. The Marine Corps had the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. And the Coast Guard’s Women’s Reserve was called Semper Paratus (“Always Ready”). This was a huge victory for women during this time. Throughout WWII, some 350,000 women served the United States in non-combat roles. These roles were not without risk, though: 432 women gave their lives during the war, and a further 88 were taken as prisoners of war (DeSimone, 2022). It wasn’t until 1948 that President Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law, allowing women to serve as full, permanent Service members across the entire military. (The same year, President Truman also issued an executive order integrating the Armed Forces; in addition to desegregating the military, this order also allowed Black women to serve in all branches.) While President Truman’s order was an important step for women, it was still not a complete victory for equal opportunity; women were allowed to comprise only 2% of each branch, and there were limitations on how many women could become officers. Shortly after these acts and orders became law, U.S. involvement in the Korean War (1950–1953) saw 120,000 women serve in two types of positions: (1) those similar to the positions they served in in the past or (2) in active-duty, non-combat positions, such as military police officers and engineers. The U.S.’ involvement in the Vietnam War (1955–1975) resulted in nearly 11,000 women stationed in Vietnam, 90% of whom were nurses in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It was during this war that President Lyndon B. Johnson allowed women to be promoted to general and flag ranks, and, by 1972, women were able to command units. And the following year, the Pentagon announced that women could remain in the military even if they were pregnant (DeSimone, 2022). Following the Korean and Vietnam Wars, women continued to pave their way in the U.S. Armed Forces, such that during the Gulf War (1990-1991), over 40,000 women deployed to combat zones, although they were still unable to serve in direct combat. Then, in 1994, President Bill Clinton rescinded the “Risk Rule,” which restricted women from serving in roles that would expose them to risks associated with direct combat (e.g., hostile fire, capture) (DeSimone, 2022). This meant that women could now serve in thousands of new positions, even those that could expose them to these risks (e.g., bomber pilot, fighter pilots) (McGrath, 2001). From the late 20th century to today, there has been a lot of progress for women in the United States Armed Forces, as well as a lot of firsts. The following is just a partial list: In 1975, Commander Paige Blok became the first woman Navy fighter pilot (Eckstein, 2019). Army Sargent Leigh Ann Hester was the first woman Soldier to be awarded the Silver Star, for bravery during a 2005 enemy ambush on her supply convoy in Iraq (DeSimone, 2022). In 2008, General Ann Dunwoody became the first woman four-star general, which happened to be for the Army (Lopez, 2012). And in 2013, Chief Karen Voorhees was the first woman Aviation Survival Technician to become Chief of the Coast Guard history (Booker, 2021). In addition to these noteworthy firsts, 2013 was also the year that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the end of the ban on women in combat and that women Service members would be allowed to serve in direct ground combat roles. These changes took effect in 2015; women became eligible for thousands of military jobs as a result. Since then, over 100 women have graduated from the Army’s ranger school (DeSimone, 2022) and 8 have participated in the Navy SEAL officer assessment and selection process (Kime, 2022). The history of women in the U.S. Armed Forces speaks for itself, but it is worth noting that there are more women in the Forces than ever before. Since 9/11, more than 300,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, and over 9,000 have earned Combat Action Badges. Today, women make up approximately 16% of our Armed Forces (DeSimone, 2022). The increase in women Service members makes it important to recognize not only their effects on the history of the military but also the unique experiences and challenges that women face while serving our country. One way to better understand these experiences is through research; luckily, Military REACH has an arsenal of it on women Service members. What we see in the research is similar to the history: though women are strong and resilient, they continue to face gendered challenges and have to advocate for themselves. One related and important note is that research is intended to help answer questions or find solutions to problems; therefore, research typically takes a deficits-based approach (Shea, 2021). Please keep this in mind when reading literature on the topic of women Service members. Across the literature, we have seen: Women reporting challenges to relationships, family life, marriage, pregnancy, and parenthood (Erwin, 2022; Leslie & Koblinsky, 2017; Lawrence et al., 2022). Women Service members affected disproportionately by intimate partner violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and military sexual trauma (Portnoy et al., 2020; Dichter et al., 2018; Breslin et al., 2022; Dardis et al., 2017) Women facing health challenges, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, emotional reactivity, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, chronic health conditions, increased tobacco and alcohol use, and obesity (Lehavot et al, 2012; Portnoy et al., 2020; Leslie & Koblinsky, 2017) Women reporting challenges to career development and navigation within the military (Erwin, 2022). However, even in the face of these challenges, Servicewomen still have positive things to say about their military experience, including their service attributing positive meaning to their lives (Leslie & Koblinsky, 2017). Military REACH in particular has heard first-hand perspectives of women in the military through the interviews we compiled in the Research-In-Action article, “Perspectives of Service among Women Service Members and Veterans.” Clearly, women are a force to be reckoned with, and I am proud to see the progress women have made and the barriers they have overcome to serve our country! Happy Women’s History Month, Servicewomen – and, most importantly, thank you for your service.

Family Story

https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/ffSalutetoOurWomen.jsp