Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services

The Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 established specific roles for women in the peacetime Armed Forces of the United States. Previously, women had only been allowed to serve as nurses in peacetime with a wider variety of roles only open to them in time of war. However, with the start of the Korean War in June 1950, the DoD began to investigate ways to increase recruitment and retention of women in all services. Internal inquiries from defense agencies, such as the National Security Resources Board, and external pressure from politicians, such as Senator Margaret Chase Smith, added to the sense of urgency in defining a more comprehensive position for women in the military. At the suggestion of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower Anna Rosenberg, Marshall formed the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services in August 1951. Its first chair was Mary Pillsbury Lord, a civic activist who had been chair of the National Civilian Advisory Committee of the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Meeting for three days at the Pentagon in 1951, they heard presentations about recruiting and the possible need for a women's draft based on the failure of recruiting during World War II to meet the military services' requirements for women. The committee helped to develop policies and standards for women in the military—using them, expanding their opportunities, recruiting them, and training them. The committee ensured that military women would have representation at the Department of Defense. == Later operations ==

Over the years, the DACOWITS charter expanded, enabling the committee to submit numerous recommendations to the SecDef. The majority of proposals were either fully or partially implemented. DACOWITS made significant contributions on topics including the opening of closed positions to women; improvements to the health of deployed servicewomen; increased marketing, accession, and recruitment of women; and increased parental leave authorizations. Membership Committee members included leaders with diverse, inclusive, and varied backgrounds from academia, industry, private and public sectors, and other professions. Membership selection was on the basis of experience with the military or with women-related workforce issues. Members were appointed for a 4-year term of service (renewed annually), served without compensation, and performed a variety of duties, which included: visiting military installations; conducting a review and evaluation of research on women; and developing a comprehensive annual report with recommendations for consideration by the Secretary of Defense. Of note, Committee members were appointed to serve as independent advisors, not as official representatives of any group or organization with which they were affiliated. Reports and recommendations DACOWITS gathered information from multiple sources, including briefings and written responses from DoD, Service-level military representatives, and subject matter experts. The committee collected qualitative data from focus groups and interactions with Service members representing the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard during installation visits. Additionally, the committee examined peer-reviewed literature. Based upon the data collected and analyzed, the committee submitted recommendations and continuing concerns to the SecDef. Service liaisons and other defense points of contact In accordance with Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 5105.04, “Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committee Management Program,” dated August 6, 2007, and Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum, “Advisory Committee Management,” dated November 26, 2018, the Military Services designated a Service Liaison to DACOWITS. Service Liaisons attended each DACOWITS quarterly business meeting for the entire duration of the public meeting; responded to all DACOWITS requests for information; and ensured the information provided to DACOWITS received appropriate security reviews prior to the release of any public disclosure of information. Other Defense points of contact were designated through the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. ==Committee chairs==

DACOWITS’ recommendations addressed a variety of topics and subtopics throughout the years. The table below lists the most common topics of concern the committee addressed. ==References==