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SUBJ: OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2014 UNCLASSIFIED/ PASS TO ALL 
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NAVADMIN 043/14

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SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2014//

RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE NATIONAL OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY 
MONTH, 1-31 MARCH 2014.  THE NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THEME FOR 
THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS, "CELEBRATING WOMEN OF CHARACTER, COURAGE, AND 
COMMITMENT."

2.  WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH ORIGINATED IN 1978, WHEN THE SONOMA COUNTY
(CALIFORNIA) COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN INITIATED A WOMEN'S HISTORY 
WEEK TO COINCIDE WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ON 8 MARCH.
IN 1981, IN RESPONSE TO GROWING SUPPORT FOR THE WEEK, CONGRESS PASSED A JOINT 
RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING A WOMEN'S HISTORY WEEK.  THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY 
PROJECT, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO HONORING AND PRESERVING 
WOMEN'S HISTORY, PETITIONED CONGRESS IN 1987 TO EXPAND THE CELEBRATION TO THE 
ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH.  SINCE THEN, NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH HAS 
COMMEMORATED THE DIVERSE CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN HAVE MADE, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE, 
TO OUR NATION.

3.  TODAY, WOMEN IN OUR NAVY MAKE UP 18 PERCENT OF THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE 
FORCES WITH MORE THAN 59,000 WOMEN SERVING ON ACTIVE-DUTY AND MORE THAN 9,000 
SERVING IN THE NAVY RESERVE.  ADDITIONALLY, OVER 54,000 WOMEN SERVE IN A WIDE 
RANGE OF SPECIALTIES AS NAVY CIVILIANS. WOMEN MAKE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
THE NAVY'S MISSION AND FLEET OPERATIONS; THERE ARE CURRENTLY 32 ACTIVE AND 
RESERVE FLAG OFFICERS, 69 SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE (SES) MEMBERS, 48 COMMAND 
MASTER CHIEFS, AND THREE COMMAND SENIOR CHIEFS LEADING FROM THE FRONT.

4.  WOMEN BEGAN SERVING IN OUR NAVY YEARS BEFORE THE PASSAGE OF THE 
NINETEENTH AMENDMENT IN 1920, WHICH GRANTED WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
WOMEN OFFICIALLY BEGAN SERVING IN THE NAVY WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 
NURSE CORPS IN 1908.  THE NAVY'S FIRST ENLISTED WOMEN MORE COMMONLY REFERRED 
TO AS YEOMANETTES, PROVIDED CLERICAL SUPPORT DURING WORLD WAR I.  HOWEVER, IT 
WAS NOT UNTIL THE PASSAGE OF THE WOMEN'S ARMED SERVICES INTEGRATION ACT ON 12 
JUNE 1948, THAT WOMEN GAINED PERMANENT STATUS IN THE ARMED SERVICES.  IN 
1978, CONGRESS APPROVED A CHANGE TO SECTION 6015 OF TITLE 10, U.S. CODE, 
WHICH ALLOWED WOMEN TO BEGIN FILLING SEA DUTY BILLETS ON SELECTED NON- 
COMBATANT SHIPS.  OPPORTUNITIES WERE LATER EXPANDED IN 1994 TO INCLUDE 
SERVICE ON COMBATANT SHIPS AND SQUADRONS FOLLOWING THE REPEAL OF THE COMBAT 
EXCLUSION LAW.

5.  ON 24 JANUARY 2013, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE 
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF ANNOUNCED THE RESCISSION OF THE 1994 DIRECT GROUND 
COMBAT DEFINITION AND ASSIGNMENT RULE.  THE RESCISSION STATES THE DEPARTMENT 
OF DEFENSE'S COMMITMENT TO REMOVE GENDER-BASED BARRIERS TO SERVICE.  ALONG 
WITH THE OTHER SERVICES, NAVY CONTINUES TO WORK TOWARD MAXIMIZING ALL 
FEASIBLE PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN WITHIN ITS RANKS.  NAVY FULLY 
ENVISIONS THAT BY JANUARY 2016, THERE WILL BE NO CLOSED OCCUPATIONS AND A 
VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF CLOSED POSITIONS, ALONG WITH EQUAL PROFESSIONAL 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN EVERY OFFICER DESIGNATOR AND ENLISTED RATING.  
WOMEN ARE NOW ROUTINELY ASSIGNED TO SHIPS, AFLOAT STAFFS, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION 
BATTALIONS, MEDICAL UNITS, AVIATION SQUADRONS, AND SUBMARINES.
NAVY WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE AS NEW SHIPS AND 
SHIP CLASSES ARE COMMISSIONED.

6.  WOMEN CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE, IMPACT, AND MAKE HISTORY IN OUR NAVY TODAY 
WITH THEIR SPIRITED AND COURAGEOUS EFFORTS, FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF THE 
WOMEN WHO PAVED THE WAY BEFORE THEM.  IN 2013, MANY NAVY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS 
WERE FILLED FOR THE FIRST TIME BY WOMEN, TO INCLUDE:  VADM NANETTE DERENZI, 
THE 42ND JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL OF THE NAVY; CAPT SARA A. JOYNER, COMMANDER, 
CARRIER AIR WING THREE; AND CMDCM SUSAN WHITMAN, FORCM FOR COMMANDER, NAVY 
SURFACE ATLANTIC.
VADM MICHELLE HOWARD WAS NOMINATED FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE RANK OF ADMIRAL AND 
ASSIGNMENT AS VICE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.  UPON CONFIRMATION, SHE WILL 
MAKE HISTORY AS THE NAVY'S FIRST FEMALE FOUR- STAR ADMIRAL AND THE FIRST 
WOMAN TO HOLD THIS POSITION.

7.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND 
AWARENESS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO OUR NAVY AND NATION BY CELEBRATING 
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WITH PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND 
PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.  MATERIALS ON THE ROLE OF 
WOMEN IN NAVAL HISTORY CAN BE FOUND AT:  
HTTP://WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/SPECIAL%20HIGHLIGHTS/WOMEN/
WOMEN-INDEX.HTM AND HTTP://WWW.PUBLIC.NAVY.MIL/BUPERS-NPC/
ORGANIZATION/BUPERS/WOMENSPOLICY/PAGES/WOMENSHISTORYMONTH.ASPX.
INFORMATION ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO OUR NATION'S LEGACY CAN BE FOUND 
AT HTTP://WOMENSHISTORYMONTH.GOV/ AND HTTP://NWHP.ORG/.

8.  MORE INFORMATION ON THE OFFICE OF WOMEN'S POLICY AND EVENTS, OBSERVANCES, 
POLICIES, AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY OFFICE OF WOMEN'S POLICY 
(N134W) WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.PUBLIC.NAVY.
MIL/BUPERS-NPC/ORGANIZATION/BUPERS/WOMENSPOLICY/.

9.  POINT OF CONTACT IS LT TAWNEY NAKAMURA, OPNAV N134W AT (703)604-5077 OR 
VIA E-MAIL AT tawney.nakamura@navy.mil.

10.  THIS MESSAGE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUPERSEDED OR 1 APRIL 2014, 
WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.

11.  RELEASED BY VICE ADMIRAL W. F. MORAN, N1.//

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