RAAUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 0632000-UUUU--RUCRNAD
ZNR UUUUU
R 290507Z FEB 08
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
BT
UNCLAS //N05750//
NAVADMIN 055/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/FEB// 
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN?S HISTORY MONTH 2008// 
RMKS/1.  MARCH 2008 IS THE 21ST ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN?S HISTORY 
MONTH, DURING WHICH WE RECOGNIZE, AND CELEBRATE THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS 
OF WOMEN TO OUR NAVY AND NATION.  THIS YEAR’S NATIONAL THEME IS 
“WOMEN’S ART: WOMEN’S VISION.”
2.  WOMEN RAPIDLY INTEGRATED INTO THE NAVY IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD 
OF TIME.  IN 1908, NAVY SAW THE FIRST GENERATION OF WOMEN ENTER SERVICE 
WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NURSE CORPS.  IN 1993, 85 YEARS LATER, 
CONGRESS RELEASED THE STATUTORY PROHIBITION AGAINST THE ASSIGNMENT OF 
WOMEN TO COMBAT AVIATION, CLEARING THE WAY FOR WOMEN TO BE ASSIGNED TO 
ALL AVIATION SQUADRONS, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION “SEABEE” BATTALIONS, AND 
SURFACE COMBATANTS.  SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WOMEN WERE DETAILED TO 
SQUADRONS FLYING COMBAT AIRCRAFT (LT SHANNON WORKMAN, EA-6B PROWLER 
1993), DEPLOYING ON COMBATANTS INCLUDING AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (400 WOMEN 
IN USS EISENHOWER, 1995), GRADUATING UNDERWATER-SEABEE DIVE SCHOOL 
(PETTY OFFICER MARGARET COOPER, 1996), AND COMMANDING SURFACE 
COMBATANTS (CDR MAUREEN FARREN, USS MT VERNON, 1998).  TODAY, WOMEN 
COMPRISE 15 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FORCE.  THEY COMMAND EXPEDITIONARY 
STRIKE GROUP, AVIATION SQUADRONS, COMBATANT SHIPS, CIVIL ENGINEER CORPS 
COMMANDS, AND NUMEROUS OTHER OPERATIONAL, AND SHORE UNITS, AND ACCOUNT 
FOR NEARLY EIGHT PERCENT OF OUR OFFICERS.  INDIVIDUALLY AND 
COLLECTIVELY, THESE ACHIEVEMENTS ENHANCE NAVY’S DIVERSE FORCE.
3.  CONCERTED EFFORTS TO INCORPORATE WOMEN IN NON-TRADITIONAL RATINGS 
HAS LED TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF FEMALE SAILORS 
SERVING IN TECHNICAL FIELDS THROUGHOUT THE FLEET.  ALONG WITH EXPANDING 
THE REALM OF OPPORTUNITIES, WE ARE COMMITTED TO RETAINING THE 
EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING OF WOMEN IN THE NAVY.  THIS HAS 
BEEN, AND WILL REMAIN A TOP PRIORITY FOR SENIOR LEADERSHIP.  RECENT 
POLICY CHANGES, SUCH AS THE 12-MONTH OPERATIONAL DEFERMENT FOR NEW 
MOTHERS, AND PROPOSED CHANGES, INCLUDING THE CAREER INTERMISSION OFF 
RAMP/ON RAMP PROGRAM, SPEAK TO NAVY’S COMMITMENT AND WILL HELP RETAIN 
THIS CRITICAL POOL OF TALENT.  SEE 
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/TASKFORCELIFEWORK FOR MORE INFORMATION 
ON THESE INITIATIVES.
4.  DURING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH WE PAUSE TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUABLE 
CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY.  ALL COMMANDS ARE 
ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE WOMEN?S HISTORY MONTH BY SPONSORING LOCAL 
ACTIVITIES, EXHIBITS, PUBLISHING ITEMS OF INTEREST IN COMMAND BULLETINS, 
AND SOLICITING INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION IN APPROPRIATE OBSERVANCES.
5.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WOMEN?S HISTORY MONTH, AND WOMEN IN THE 
MILITARY, VISIT THE OFFICE OF WOMEN?S POLICY WEBSITE AT:
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/ABOUTUS/BUPERS/WOMENSPOLICY/ OR VISIT THE FOLLOWING 
NATIONAL WOMEN’S WEBSITES:
- NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY PROJECT, WWW.NWHP.ORG
- NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM, WWW.NWHM.ORG
- WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE MEMORIAL, WWW.WOMENSMEMORIAL.ORG
- WOMEN’S RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INSTITUTE, WWW.WREI.ORG
- ACADEMY WOMEN, WWW.ACADEMYWOMEN.ORG
6.  POINT OF CONTACT:  LT HOPE BRILL, OPNAV N134, AT (703)695-1414/DSN
225 OR BY EMAIL AT elizabeth.brill@navy.mil.
7.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.// 

BT 
# 
NNNN