21st Century Army - Women in the Army

The Army underwent a remarkable transformation in the early twenty-first century. More than two million Army soldiers—255,000 of them women—deployed overseas, many for multiple tours. The reality of nonlinear battlefields and the cultural conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan resulted in a profound transformation of roles for Army women. Commanders discovered the impracticalities of a utilization and assignment policy rooted in the Cold War. As women demonstrated their capabilities, the Army moved to eliminate unnecessary gender-biased barriers to service. A measured and deliberate movement towards a standards-based system was adopted. In a parallel effort, the Army rescinded other exclusionary policies while caring for and retaining its premier twenty-first century fighting force.

Former POW Shoshana Johnson, center, is escorted by U.S. soldiers to a waiting C-130 transport — In the war against terrorism, Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers were deployed with Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Battlefield reality became evident when a 507th Maintenance Company convoy was attacked in the first few days of fighting. During the ambush, eight soldiers were killed, including Pfc. Lori Piestewa. Six soldiers were taken prisoner to include Pfc. Jessica Lynch and Spec. Shoshana Johnson. In this 13 April 2003 photo, former POW Shoshana Johnson, center, is escorted by U.S. soldiers to a waiting C-130 transport plane. She survived a gunshot wound to each leg. -National Archives and Records Administration 6636132

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the Silver Star for her actions during a firefight that took place outside Baghdad on 20 March 2005. This was the first Silver Star awarded to a woman since World War II and the first recognizing that it was earned for direct combat action against an enemy. Two years later, Pfc. Monica Brown was awarded the Silver Star for repeatedly risking her life to assist fellow soldiers after an improvised explosive device attack and subsequent ambush. Sgt. Hester, 617th Military Police Company, is pictured here receiving the Silver Star in 2005. -U.S. Army Photo

On 14 November 2008, General Ann Dunwoody became the first female four-star general in the U.S. Army. Dunwoody commissioned into the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1975, before the branch was disestablished in 1978. During her career, Dunwoody had several firsts in the Army, including serving as the first female battalion commander in the 82nd Airborne Division and the first woman to command the Combined Arms Support Command. Dunwoody served with distinction for thirty-seven years. In this image, Spec. Joe Benjamin, 2d Infantry Battalion, 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Army Evaluation Task Force, briefs Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody on the unmanned aerial system at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in 2010. -U.S. Army Photo

In 2010, Sergeant Sherri Gallagher made history by becoming the first female to win the Soldier of the Year competition. Gallagher beat out twenty three other Soldiers to win the prestigious title in October 2010. A competitive shooter from an early age, Gallagher served as part of the Army Marksmanship Unit. Besides competing in matches, her job consisted of training soldiers how to shoot, both at basic and advanced levels. Gallagher also deployed to Afghanistan where she trained female Afghan Army officers in marksmanship. In 2012, Gallagher joined “The Golden Knights” U.S. Army Parachute Team. This image captures Sgt. Sherri Gallagher shooting during the M-4 Range Qualification event of the competition in 2010. -U.S. Army Photo

On 22 December 2010 President Barack Obama signed legislation that led to the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” a policy that barred gay and lesbian service members from openly sharing their sexual orientation. Once certified, this legislation allowed homosexual men and women to serve openly. Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith is pictured here with her wife, Tracey Hepner, at the United States Military Academy in 2013. Later a major general, Smith became the first openly gay flag officer to come out while serving since the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” -U.S. Army Photo

Female engagement team from the 4th Infantry Brigade — The battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan soon proved female soldiers were needed for specialized work. All-female teams were formed because cultural norms forbade male U.S. soldiers from approaching local women. Female engagement teams, cultural support teams, and provincial reconstruction teams performed medical outreach, community engagement, needs assessment, search and seizure, removal of threats, and information gathering. These cohorts built goodwill and confidence with local leaders and their work laid the foundation for extraordinary policy changes regarding assignment and utilization for all Army women. In this image, several members of a female engagement team from the 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, attend a women’s “shura,” in Afghanistan in 2012. -U.S. Army Photo

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Raquel Patrick, Maintenance Chief, U.S. Army Cultural Support Team (CST) member, supported Special Forces missions in Afghanistan as part of CST-2 (the second class of CSTs) 2011-2012. “I was also involved in Key Leader Engagement so I got to meet the town's leadership,” Patrick said. “I would appear every weekend hoping that women would reach out. The biggest deal for me was when a woman presented a grievance at the town hall meeting. For her to feel that she could be represented was a big deal for me and that was the whole point of why we were there, to help them help themselves.” -U.S. Army Women’s Museum

TIn January 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced the elimination of the 1994 Combat Exclusion Policy. General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, “When in contact with the enemy, the individual Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine doesn’t consider whether their comrade in arms is a man or woman. They care about whether they can do their job. There is a simple explanation for this: trust transcends gender.” In this photo, Secretary Panetta and Gen. Dempsey sign the memorandum rescinding the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule. -U.S. Army Photo

In August 2015, First Lieutenant Shaye Haver and Captain Kristen Griest graduated from Ranger School, becoming the first female Soldiers to earn their Ranger tabs. A few months later, Griest became the first female infantry officer in 2016. By 2018, both women were commanding infantry units, and as of April 2020, fifty women had graduated from Ranger School. 1 Lt. Haver and Capt. Griest are pictured here after receiving their Ranger tab during graduation from U.S. Army Ranger School in August 2015. -U.S. Army Photo

In March 2016, Private First Class Katherine Beatty became the first female 13B cannon crewmember in the Army. Having enlisted in a different military occupational specialty (MOS), Beatty transferred to 13B when the Army opened it to female Soldiers. Beatty graduated from her Advanced Individual Training with top honors. In this photo, Beatty practices on the M119A3 howitzer during advanced individual training in 2016. -U.S. Army Photo

Sgt. Brittany Sylvester-Rivera was the first female infantry non-commissioned officer to successfully reclassify into the 11B (infantry) occupational specialty in 2017. -U.S. Army Photo

On May 28, 2021, Christine Wormuth was appointed Secretary of the Army, becoming the first woman to hold the Army’s top civilian position. Wormuth came to the position after an extensive career in the defense field, including serving as the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy from 2014-2016. -U.S. Army Photo/figcaption>

Resources
“Trust Transcends Gender” – Gender Integration Tool Kit
The 21st Century Army - U.S. Army Women's Museum Exhibit