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R 041748Z MAR 09
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
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UNCLAS//N05750//                           
NAVADMIN 069/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/MAR//
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2009// 
RMKS/1.  MARCH 2009 IS THE 22ND ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S 
HISTORY MONTH, DURING WHICH WE CELEBRATE THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS 
WOMEN HAVE MADE AND ARE MAKING TO OUR NAVY AND NATION.  THIS YEAR'S 
NATIONAL THEME IS "WOMEN TAKING THE LEAD TO SAVE OUR PLANET."
2.  THE SPIRITED AND COURAGEOUS EFFORTS OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED 
STATES NAVY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN BOTH 
OUR NAVY AND OUR NATION.  SINCE BECOMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE 
NAVY IN 1908 WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NURSE CORPS, WOMEN HAVE 
EXHIBITED AN EVER-INCREASING INFLUENCE AND IMPACT.  THE FIRST 
ENLISTED WOMEN ENTERED AS YEOMEN BEGINNING 19 MARCH 1917, AND ON 12 
JUNE 1948, PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN SIGNED PUBLIC LAW 625 "WOMEN'S 
ARMED SERVICES INTEGRATION ACT," ALLOWING REGULAR AND RESERVE 
STATUS IN MANY JOB FIELDS.  SINCE 1908, EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
WOMEN IN THE MILITARY HAVE LED TO MANY REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
AND "FIRSTS" TO INCLUDE:
A.  1972-73 CDR ELIZABETH BARRETT:  FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD COMMAND IN 
A COMBAT ZONE (VIETNAM).
B.  1972 NROTC OPEN TO WOMEN, 1976 USNA OPEN TO WOMEN.
C.  1982 LT COLLEEN NEVIUS:  FIRST WOMAN SELECTED FOR TEST PILOT 
SCHOOL.
D.  1988 LCDR KATHRYN SULLIVAN:  FIRST WOMAN SELECTED TO BE NAVY 
ASTRONAUT.
E.  1989 CMDCM JANICE AYERS:  FIRST FEMALE COMMAND MASTER CHIEF AT 
SEA.
F.  1993 COMBAT EXCLUSION FOR WOMEN WAS LIFTED FOR THE SEABEES, 
MOST SURFACE WARFARE AND ALL AVIATION COMMUNITIES.
G.  1995 USS BENFOLD (DDG 65) DELIVERED, BUILT KEEL-UP WITH FULL 
GENDER INTEGRATION HABITABILITY INCORPORATED.
H.  1998 LT KENDRA WILLIAMS (F/A-18 PILOT):  CREDITED AS FIRST 
FEMALE PILOT TO LAUNCH MISSILES IN COMBAT (OPERATION DESERT FOX).
I.  2004 PATROL COASTAL (PC) SHIPS OPEN TO COMMAND BY WOMEN.
J.  2006 CMDCM JACQUELINE DIROSA:  FIRST FEMALE FLEET MASTER CHIEF.
K.  2007 HTCS(SW) TANYA DELPRIORE:  FIRST FEMALE TO BE AWARDED THE 
EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE (EXW) PIN.
L.  2009 RDML MICHELLE HOWARD:  FIRST FEMALE TO BE SELECTED TO 
COMMAND AN EXPEDITIONARY STRIKE GROUP. 
3.  TODAY MORE THAN 113,000 WOMEN SERVE IN THE NAVY TOTAL FORCE 
- ACTIVE, RESERVE, AND CIVILIAN.  THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO OUR 
ORGANIZATION, PROVIDE KEY LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT, AND ARE CRITICAL 
TO MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT.  
4.  OVER 50 PERCENT OF TODAY'S COLLEGE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL 
GRADUATES ARE WOMEN; THESE WOMEN ARE THE FUTURE OF OUR NAVY AND ITS 
INCREASINGLY TECHNICAL FIELDS.  THE NAVY IS COMMITTED TO RECRUITING 
AND RETAINING THE EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND LEADERSHIP OF OUR 
WOMEN CONTRIBUTING TO THE NAVY'S OVERALL SUCCESS.  THIS DIVERSITY 
OF TALENT HAS BEEN, AND WILL REMAIN, A TOP PRIORITY FOR SENIOR 
LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE FLEET.
5.  WE SALUTE THE WOMEN IN THE NAVY, BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, 
AND ENCOURAGE ALL COMMANDS TO RECOGNIZE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH BY 
SPONSORING LOCAL ACTIVITIES AND EXHIBITS, PUBLISHING ITEMS OF 
INTEREST IN COMMAND BULLETINS, AND SUPPORTING INDIVIDUAL 
PARTICIPATION IN APPROPRIATE OBSERVANCES AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE 
YEAR SUCH AS:  
A.  DOD WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE, 19 MARCH, CRYSTAL CITY, 
VA.
B.  SEA SERVICES LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION (SSLA) WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 
SYMPOSIUM (WWW.SEALEADER.ORG), 18-19 JUNE, WASHINGTON, DC.
C.  FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN (WWW.FEW.ORG), 20-24 JULY, ORLANDO, FL.
D.  SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS (SWE) CONFERENCE, 15-17 OCTOBER, 
LONG BEACH, CA.
E.  THE ACADEMY WOMEN LEADERSHIP TRAINING SYMPOSIUM, TBD OCTOBER, 
ARLINGTON, VA. 
6.  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:
A.  NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT, WWW.NWHP.ORG
B.  NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM, WWW.NWHM.ORG
C.  WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE MEMORIAL, WWW.WOMENSMEMORIAL.ORG
D.  WOMEN'S RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INSTITUTE, WWW.WREI.ORG 
PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE 
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (DEOMI) WEBSITE AT:  
HTTP://WWW.DEOMI.ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS.CFM?CATID=3. 
7.  MORE INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AWARDS, AND 
OBSERVANCES IS AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEBSITE AT: 
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY.
8.  POINT OF CONTACT IS LCDR ELIZABETH ZIMMERMAN, OPNAV N134, AT 
(703) 614-5392 OR EMAIL AT elizabeth.zimmermann@navy.mil.
9.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
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