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Military women: We’ve got your back!
We’re AND — a positive voice for American military women.
Military women have earned our nation’s gratitude and our support.
Women have served in all American conflicts. It’s been 60 years since women became official, permanent members our military services.
Today, women are a vital, irreplaceable part of our all-volunteer forces. They have served — often in harm’s way — with distinction alongside their brothers and, unfortunately, all-too-many including those represented in our Gallery of Heroines have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
Who We Are
A non-profit, tax-exempt educational organization comprised of veterans from all service branches and concerned civilians, AND collects the facts and figures – factual, thoughtful, objective information – on US military women and provides them to scholars, the media, national decision makers and the public.
We believe: A full partnership between women and men strengthens America's military. Military readiness and mission accomplishment are of critical importance. Excellence in performance is required from all who serve in the armed forces, regardless of gender. What We Do
AND covers the backs of military women, encouraging and promoting the vital role of military women in our nation's defense.
AND brings organizations and individuals together to continually monitor the accomplishments of American military women and the level of support they receive from their services. And we spread the word so everyone can better understand their sacrifices and the often unique challenges military women face in their services and in their lives.
We hope you will find this site a valuable resource on the status of and issues effecting military women.
We hope you will learn, join in discussions and make this site your personal resource.
AND is a member-supported organization and we invite you to join with us in supporting American Military women with your time and money. Again, welcome to The Alliance for National Defense. |
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News from AND |
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Women generals and flag officers honor General Dunwoody
A ‘star-studded’ group of more than 50 retired and current female generals and flag officers including AND President Emirata Gen. Pat Foote gathered at the WIMSA memorial to honor General Ann Dunwoody, the U.S. military’s first female four-star general.
In November, Dunwoody became the first female officer in U.S. military history to earn a fourth star. She currently serves as commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Click here to view an Army video on the gathering. Click here to read the story in text.
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Fame and fortune might have been in the cards for Jeopardy contestants on February 24, 2009, if they had only visited the AND website and checked the retired Navy commander and Alliance for National Defense secretary/treasurer’s biography:
“She assumed command of USS OPPORTUNE (ARS 41) in December 1990 in Naples, Italy, becoming the first woman commander of a commissioned naval vessel.”
Jeopardy host Alex Trebek and Jeopardy’s fact checkers didn’t do a lot better with Cdr. Iskra’s unique place in history than the contestants, who were stumped by the question: Rather than phrasing the correct answer as ‘commander’ or ‘commanding officer,’ it was given as ’captain.’
No way to get passing grades from now-educator Iskra who earned her PhD in late 2007 and is now Deputy Director for the Leadership Education and Development Program at the University of Maryland, College Park.
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Jeopardy question highlights Cdr. Darlene Iskra’s place in Naval history
“In 1992, Darlene Iskra took an opportune time to become the Navy's first female one of these, on the USS Opportune." — Jeopardy question, February 24, 2009. |
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AND’s Cdr. Iskra part of military.com Women at War presentation |
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AND’s own Cdr. Darlene Iskra was one of 17 military women whose careers and achievements were highlighted in military.com’s slide show on the history of women at war.
The site also features a ‘click-through’ to more information on Cdr. Iskra (shown at the right in a Mark V diving suit) at the Library of Congress Veteran’s History Project’s Experience War series featuring excerpts from a film interview with the first woman to command a commissioned U.S. Navy vessel.
See the military.com slide show here;
View the Library of Congress material here.
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Women in the Military: Moving Forward Using the Lessons of the Past Decade
Eighth Conference on Women in the Military convened September 24-25 At WIMSA |
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The WREI/AND Eighth Conference on Women in the Military, Women in the Military: Moving Forward Using the Lessons of the Past Decade, was highlighted by the presentation of the Alliance for National Defense Positive Voice Award to Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau, keynote address by Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, Medical Corps, U.S. Army, and discussions on a wide range of timely, relevant subjects including Military Culture and Its Impact on Women; The Quilt: Honoring Military Women; Women Deploying; International Issues; Veterans Medical Issues; and The Outlook for Women Veterans.
Click here to visit the 2009 Conference page Click here to read Gerry Trudeau’s remarks
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Welcome to AND The Alliance for National Defense |
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Hot-button issues
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Top AND stories
· WIMSA needs your help to continue telling your story. · Cdr. Darlene Iskra on military.com · Study on women and combat trauma · Cdr. Darlene Iskra and Jeopardy · Honoring General Dunwoody · AND scholarships · AND updates position papers |
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Military Women in the News
· IAVA releases groundbreaking report on female troops and veterans: "Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle.'" Click here for a copy of the report. · JCS Chairman Mullen calls for lifting the ban on women in submarines. · Female Marines Conduct First Afghan Mission · Lioness Program Pride of the Corps
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
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AND releases new/updated position papers |
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The Alliance for National Defense today released a new position paper on Pregnancy and Military Operations and updated their September 2007 paper on Women in Combat.
The paper on Pregnancy and Military Operations effectively debunked wild Internet rumors of sky-high Navy pregnancy rates, noting that -- based on official DoD data – “pregnant military women lose no more work time than military men…who lose more time due to sports injuries and disciplinary reasons.” Read Pregnancy and Military Operations here OR download PDF
Among the conclusions of the Women in Combat position paper:
“Women are in combat – this is nothing new. They serve in Afghanistan and Iraq with pride and honor. In both war zones, many of the distinctions regarding combat have constantly blurred because there are no front lines, and DGC is not isolated to being well forward on the battlefield – it is asymmetrical.” “Current doctrine and policy concerning the assignment of military women have outlived past usefulness, and it is time for their revision, if not elimination, to reflect actual practices that are essential to wage this type of war.”
Read Women in Combat.here OR download PDF |
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Historian seeks interviews with American women who served in Vietnam |
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Heather Stur, Ph. D., a history professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, is working on a book about the Vietnam War, part of which looks at the experiences of American women who served in that conflict.
Dr. Stur would like to interview American women who served in Vietnam in any capacity ... as nurses, with the Women's Army Corps or other military branches, and civilians. She seeks women of all races, backgrounds, and ranks, as long as they served in Vietnam.
For more information or to arrange an interview to tell your story, please contact heather.stur@usm.edu. |
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DOD releases sexual assault report |
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In Dec 2009, the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services released its report on the results of a detailed assessment of DOD programs, policies, and practices that address sexual assaults involving members of the Armed Forces – as either victims or assailants. It concluded that DOD's progress in addressing sexual assault since the establishment of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program in 2005 is evident, but uneven.
Specifically, DOD has made significant progress in improving response to victims’ needs; the Task Force noted success when commanders take an active role. However, greater focus and effort are required to fully address the spectrum of sexual assault prevention and response. With this in mind, the Task Force offered major recommendations concerning strategic direction and oversight of the SAPR Program, prevention and training strategies, response to victims, and accountability. |
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December 2009 AND ADVOCATE ONLINE |
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The December 2009 Alliance for National Defense Advocate newsletter is now available. Click here for your electronic copy and here for recent back editions.
Advocate correction In the print and initial electronic editions of The Advocate an article by AND director Col. Barbara M. Lee, USA (ret.) includes a table showing a breakdown of women in each service.
Somewhere between Col. Lee’s painstaking research and publication, the figure for women in the Coast Guard took an electronic ‘hit.’
The correct figure for the Coast Guard is 12.2 percent.
We apologize to Col. Lee and the Coast Guard for the error.
The corrected table is reproduced below and in the updated Advocate
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SERVICE |
1993 |
2002 |
2007 |
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Army |
12% |
15% |
13.7% |
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Marine Corps |
4% |
6% |
6.3% |
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Navy |
10% |
14% |
14.7% |
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Air Force |
15% |
19% |
19.6% |
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Coast Guard |
8% |
10% |
12.2% |