OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN?S HISTORY MONTH 2008:
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 YEARS NATIONAL THEME IS WOMENS ART: WOMENS 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 NAVYS 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 NAVYS 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 WOMENS 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 WOMENS WEBSITES: - NATIONAL WOMENS HISTORY PROJECT, WWW.NWHP.ORG - NATIONAL WOMENS HISTORY MUSEUM, WWW.NWHM.ORG - WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE MEMORIAL, WWW.WOMENSMEMORIAL.ORG - WOMENS 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