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| House Armed Services Committee Approves Wilson Amendment on Women in the Military |
May 01, 2002 |
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Measure requires an annual report to Congress on status of U.S. servicewomen
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson today introduced a provision to the Defense Authorization bill that was under consideration by the House Armed Services Committee. The measure would require the Secretary of Defense to submit an annual report to Congress on the status of female members of the military. The report would detail several aspects of life for women in the military including access to health care, positions open to women, assignment policies, joint spouse assignments, deployment availability rates, promotion and retention rates, assignments to command positions, selection for service schools, and sexual harassment.
“Women have become an integral part of today’s military,” said Wilson. “The military would simply not be able to fulfill its mission without them. It is essential that someone is mindful of the issues that face a woman in the services, and in the absence of an effective oversight committee, the report I am asking for will provide a view of the true status of women in the military.”
Wilson is the first and only woman veteran in the U.S. Congress. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, she has served on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service (DACOWITS), a committee whose charter was recently altered by the Department of Defense.
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