WOMEN IN THE ARMY

 

 

 

 

Harriet WaddyThe U.S. Army honors the sacrifices and accomplishments of women who not only shaped our service but also the country. Women play a vital role in today's Army; they are the Soldiers on the front-line; they are leaders, officers and noncommissioned officers standing with our troops; they are members of the United States Army Civilian Corps, as well as employers, spouses, mothers and sisters who are critical members of our Army team. We honor all women for their military and civil service, their support and strength, and their sacrifices to help ensure the freedom and liberty cherished by all Americans. March is National Women's History Month, and we join the nation in an amplified celebration of women's contributions to this nation and the Army Reserve.

Army Reserve female Soldiers continue to prove their capabilities and combat-readiness everyday as part of the total force and the civilian work force. By fully integrating women into all facets of the military, including combat arms, will make the U.S. Armed Forces better and stronger.

Women continue to have a crucial role in current operations and their selfless sacrifices continue to break through gender barriers. "Valor knows no gender," President Barack Obama stated in a statement on lifting the ban on women in combat. In 2013, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta signed a document to lift the Defense Department's ban on women in direct ground combat roles. This historical decision overturned a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry, and other combat roles and military occupational specialties. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter directed the full integration of women in the Armed Forces following a thirty-day review period required by Congress, Dec. 3, 2015. This allows all military occupational specialties to be open to women as long as they qualify and meet the standards.


Pictured above right: Harriett West Waddy was in the first class of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Officer Candidate School at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. She served as the WAC Director's advisor on African-American women and was the first African-American woman promoted to the rank of major. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Women's Museum)

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Chaqueena Bennett, the inspector general noncommissioned officer in charge, 7th Mission Support Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany, participated in a Women’s Equality Day panel hosted by the command Aug. 18, 2023. Bennett discusses her career in the Army Reserve, the importance of diversity in the military and the responsibility of her generation to preserve the changes women have made in this 2:00 video story. (U.S. Army Reserve video by Staff Sgt. Angela O’Hearn)
Brig. Gen. Karen Monday-Gresham, commanding general of the 7th Mission Support Command, recognizes the progress made for and by women in the United States and across all military branches. Women make up more than 21% of the America's Army Reserve. The 7th MSC is America's Army Reserve presence in Europe with 26 units across Germany and Italy. For more information about or stories on the 7th MSC, follow us on Facebook @7thMSC
Women's Equality Day, August 26th, is a time to acknowledge the importance of the Women's Suffrage Movement and its impact on the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. In this video, we explore Chicago to learn more how two ladies: Jane Addams and Ida B. Wells contributed to that effort. (U.S. Army Reserve video by Anthony L. Taylor)
Master Sgt. Donnyelle Smith, U.S. Army Reserve Engagement Cells, program management office operations NCOIC, speaks about her battle with breast cancer and taking the Army combat fitness test.
2nd Lt. Katy Voss, Army Reserve Legal Command and 1st Lt. Jessica Romero, 416th Theater Engineer Command speaks on what is means to serve as a woman in the U.S. Military. Women's Equality Day is celebrated in the United States on August 26 to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying U.S. women the right to vote. Today, Women’s Equality Day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights and reminds us of the women who paved the way for women to serve and fight alongside men in combat today.
U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Kate Rubins weaves a true tale of space, science and service as she recalls her fascinating life's journey from conducting experiments on the International Space Station as a NASA astronaut to swearing an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States as a Soldier in America's Army Reserve. Video by Staff Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 75th Innovation Command
Col. June Copeland, division chief, IPPS-A, USAR, and her daughters 1st Lt. June Copeland, Cadets Jeilyn and Jasmyn Haynes share the unique experience of attending and graduating from the United States Military Academy West Point. Unknowingly, Col. Copeland started the path for her three children to follow in her footsteps. Without pressure or coercion, her children decided to be a part of this distinct pool of graduates that truly sets their family apart.
"To me these sports aren't extreme, to me they are hobbies." U.S. Army Reserve 1st Lt. Marissa Duvall is a Safety Officer in her civilian capacity, so she knows how to calculate the risks when it comes to jumping out of a plane or shredding down a mountain. She also shares her perspective on being a female in the male dominated extreme sports realm. "Only 13 percent of skydivers are female and finding one that's in the military is like a diamond in the rough." (U.S. Army Video by Sgt. James Garvin and Staff Sgt. Heath Doppke)
Master Sgt. Jennifer Davidson is the first and only Active Guard Reserve Soldier to hold a position on the U.S. Army Parachute Team. Davidson spent 14 years in the Golden Knights and continues to serve and to make history for future female Army Reserve Soldiers looking to join the team. Watch the video for more of her story.
Lt. Gen. Jody J. Daniels assumed the role of Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, on July 28, 2020, during a promotion and assumption of command ceremony on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Featured guests included Gen. James C. McConville, U.S. Army Chief of Staff; Lt. Gen Leopoldo Quintas, deputy commander of U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM); Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston; Maj. Gen A.C. Roper, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve; Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, command sergeant major, U.S. Army Reserve Command, and Maj. Gen (Ret.) Leslie Purser.
Amber English won a Gold Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Check out her story! Video By Tim Yao
Part 1 of 4 on our series featuring Miss USA 2016, Capt. Deshauna Barber, Commander 988th Quartermaster Detachment. In this episode, Barber talks about growing up in a military family, and choosing to join the service herself.
First of a three-part series on the journey Maj. Lisa Jaster took to complete U.S. Army Ranger School.
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