MAJOR MILESTONE: Biden’s Admin Marks 75th Anniversary of Women in Military with Epic Celebration!

Seventy-five years ago today, President Truman signed into law Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, paving the way for women to officially serve in the United States military. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration marks this anniversary as a day to honor the more than three million women who have volunteered to serve their country in uniform since the Revolutionary War, and recognizes the many ways women continue to contribute. to the strength of our military.

Since the beginning of our nation’s history, women have fought and sacrificed for our republic. Women played an especially critical role in World War II, when all-female auxiliary units were established in all branches to support the war effort. Her critical contributions to the Allied victory in World War II made it clear that our military is stronger with women in the force. In 1973, when the draft was replaced by the volunteer force, the Military Departments accelerated the recruitment of women, and just two years later, the Military Service Academies welcomed their first class of female cadets and midshipmen. Ten years ago, all combat positions were finally open to women. While we have come a long way in fully integrating women into our military, much remains to be done to enable all Americans to serve to their full potential.

As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden has made it a top priority to remove barriers to military service for women through unprecedented actions to promote their safety, inclusion, health and well-being, and by providing world-class benefits and services for veteran women, through:

Update on military hair, dress, and fitness standards. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Military Departments have made great strides in updating physical fitness standards, including empowering a 12 month postpartum deferral so that new mothers are exempt from implementations and physical fitness tests for the year after delivery. Military Departments have extended options for hair, clothing, and appearance, improving the availability of gender-specific clothing and equipment, including tighter uniforms for pregnant service members, and lift restrictionsto allow pregnant female aviators to fly during their pregnancies.

Advancement of historic military justice reform and expansion of support for survivors of military sexual trauma. President Biden has advanced landmark military justice reforms that fundamentally change the prosecution and investigation of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic violence, and calls for the establishment of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces as one of his first acts in office. The president also signed a executive order make sexual harassment a specific offense in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, as well as strengthen the military justice response in the prosecution of domestic violence cases, and fully implement changes to the military justice code to criminalize the transmission or illicit distribution of intimate images. In July 2022, the Department of Defense (DoD) established initial operations for the Offices of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) within the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. OSTCs will take over procedural decisions in December 2023 in sexual assault, domestic violence, and other special victims cases to provide highly skilled and independent prosecution experience.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has worked to proactively prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment by establishing a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and sexual harassment at all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities, and the development of bystander intervention training. At VA, all employees are required to take the White Ribbon VA Pledge to never commit, excuse, or remain silent about sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic violence. VA has taken steps to expand avenues for reporting sexual assault and sexual harassment for veterans and visitors to VA facilities. At the same time, VA focuses on providing world class health care to survivors of military sexual assaults.

Strengthening services for the health and well-being of women during and after military service. Following the decision of the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health OrganizationThe Department of Defense (DoD) took steps to protect access to reproductive health care for servicewomen and their families by establishment of walk-in contraception clinics in military treatment facilities and expand access to healthcare for women in deployed settings. DoD has also issued policies to improve privacy and provide service members with the time and space needed to make personal health care decisions, including standardizing the time frame for service members to notify their commanders of a pregnancy, typically allowing service members to service notify their commanders of their pregnancy up to 20 weeks pregnant status

The Biden-Harris Administration has also taken steps to ensure that the more than 600,000 Women veterans, the fastest growing subpopulation of veterans served by VA, have equitable access to gender-specific health benefits and services, in safe and culturally competent environments. VA has protected and expanded access to reproductive health services for women veterans, ensuring they have access to medically necessary services. VA has also expanded programs to support pregnant and postpartum veterans, including extending maternity care coordination services from 3 months to 12 months postpartum to better support fathers’ mental and physical health. In addition to reproductive and maternal health, VA has expanded access to breast cancer screening. VA has prioritized the hiring of primary women’s health care providers at all VA medical centers across the country. These efforts also include work to improve facilities to ensure VA equipment and exam rooms meet the unique needs of women veterans and increase health services support for transitioning female service members.

Strengthen support for members of the foster and care service. Led by the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative, the Department of Defense has made significant investments to expand access to quality, affordable child care for military families, and implemented policies to increase paternity leave for active duty, Reserve, and National Guard personnel following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child in a long-term foster home, addressing challenges that disproportionately affect the retention of uniformed women and they may be a factor in women’s early separation from the force. Efforts include: building new child development centers, focusing on locations where there is a long waiting list and a high concentration of military families in need of child care; launching a child care fee assistance program to provide assistance in finding off-site civilian child care and offset the cost when facility-based child care is inaccessible or unavailable; establish a pilot program to offer child care fee assistance to service members who use in-home child care providers, such as babysitters or babysitters; and allow service members to establish a dependent care flexible spending account.

Improve housing and economic security for women veterans and women in transitional service. The Biden-Harris Administration has worked to support the transition of military women to civilian life, especially to achieve their career goals. In 2021 alone, the Department of Labor (DOL) has provided over 30,000 women transitioning from military to civilian life Transition Assistance Program (TAP) job training, education and other opportunities. DOL also provides individualized career and training-related services to female veterans, helping them determine their next career steps. VA has also expanded career supports for women veterans, including through increase in contract awards to small women-owned businesses and partnering with the private sector to expand the hiring of female veterans.

Achieve historic “firsts” in leadership roles for women. Under the Biden-Harris administration, women commanders have risen to unprecedented ranks, including: Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the US Coast Guard, the first female Coast Guard to hold the rank of four-star admiral, and the first female Service Chief of any US military service; Air Force General Jaqueline Van Ovost, head of the US Transportation Command; and Army General Laura J. Richardson, head of the US Southern Command. President Biden has also nominated Rear Admiral Yvette Davids being the first woman to lead a military service academy, as the next superintendent of the US Naval Academy.

Increased visibility of the Women’s Service. In March 2023, VA released a new mission statement to reflect our obligation to all who have served in our nation’s military, including female veterans, and references the important roles played by veterans’ families, caregivers, and survivors. VA has also increased awareness of the historic role women have played in the military by disseminating information, establishing new partnerships, and expanding outreach. And, today, VA celebrated 21 Center for Pioneering Women Veterans Initiative “Women Making a Difference”. This campaign highlights the experiences and contributions of women veterans and celebrates their continued role as leaders.

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