Today, Women’s
Equality Day not only commemorates the 95th anniversary of the the ratification of 19th Amendment -- which solidified
women’s voting rights -- but it also coincides with current milestones for
women in service, a Pentagon official said in an Aug. 24 DoD News
interview.
Officer and Enlisted
Personnel Management Director Juliet Beyler, who oversees department-wide
policies that include promotions, assignments, separations, force management, and
awards and decorations, said casting a wider net for talent and diversity
across the force is critical.
“Remembrance and
recognition of the 19th Amendment serves as a reminder of the need for gender
equality,” Beyler said. “Keeping our eye on it will only help ensure that our
women continue to have opportunities to go as far as their talents will take
them.”
Women in Service Review
As the Defense Department primes to announce its Women in Service Review final
integration decisions for remaining closed positions and any potentially
approved exceptions to policy in January 2016, once-prohibited occupations in
armor, artillery, infantry and special operations can emerge as unprecedented
career options for women, who comprise at least 14 percent of the military, she
said.
The Women in
Service Review stems from the 2013 decision by former Defense Secretary Leon
Panetta to rescind the 1994 direct ground combat definition and assignment
rule, Beyler explained, and, since 2013, the DoD has worked closely with the
services to implement the decision which, to date, has opened more than 110,000
positions to women.
The move signifies sweeping progress from less than a
century ago, an era that predated women’s voting rights and spurred advocates
such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Ida B. Wells to dedicate
decades of effort to affect equality.
But Beyler noted progression
often builds upon previous strides, and the 19th Amendment is no exception.
Building on Achievements
“Hopefully, the
women in uniform today will continue to build on those achievements and future
leaders will continue to look to the past for lessons learned,” she said. “By
removing those old, outdated, gender-based barriers to service [we can]
strengthen the total force and enable us to select the best service members for
the job.”
The DoD, Beyler
added, has also rolled out other initiatives to help service members with
work-life balance, including the career intermission program and the recent
Navy announcement of extended maternity leave.
Beyler recounted
that one of her roles as joint officer policy oversight manager entails the
exploration of factors that help develop senior leaders in a modern force.
“We need to mature
our thinking; we need joint-qualified acquisition officers, cyber officers,
logistics and intelligence officers,” Beyler said, noting that the breadth of
skills can only improve the joint force.
Beyler said her
decision to join the Marine Corps at age 17 gave her the sense of purpose,
discipline and direction she would carry throughout her career and higher
education endeavors.
Army Ranger School Graduates
And notably, from
both a policy and personal perspective, Beyler said the two recent Army Ranger
school graduates represent a major milestone for women in uniform.
“It’s a
significant step for the Army because we’re leading up to the final
recommendations … and it’s part of the larger effort to validate the standards
for all of our occupations but I think we just cannot ignore that milestone we
saw last week.”
The director
expressed personal pride in the Army’s retention of its high Ranger School
standards and conveyed confidence that the women graduates met the rigors of
the course. “Nobody associated with the effort -- women or men -- wanted to see
a standard reduced, so I think we’re all very proud of their achievement.”
With some 30 years
of military and civilian experience under her belt, Beyler shared that a
multitude of role models inspired her drive, but perhaps her most significant
influences were also the most genuine and successful not in spite of their
personalities, but because of them.
“They knew who
they were and they knew what they wanted to do,” she said. “When I was a young
corporal and sergeant, I thought that in order to succeed I had to be like
everybody else.”
Over time,
however, Beyler said she not only learned that being herself held the key to
her long-term success, but the landscape is evolving, which offers a much
broader spectrum of choices for women to do what they love as they serve.
Don’t Fear Taking Risks
“It’s important
not to be afraid to take risks,” Beyler said. “It’s good to have a career plan …
but don’t be so wedded to your plan that you miss an opportunity that may open
three or four more doors down the road.”
Ultimately, Beyler
asserts that diversity and inclusion extend far beyond gender, race or
ethnicity.
“For me it’s
broader than that -- it’s diversity of thought, ability, background, language,
culture and all of those things,” she said. “Having people with diverse
backgrounds -- not just personal backgrounds, but experiences -- will give us
that strategic advantage as we continue to try and maintain a high state of
readiness.”
(Follow Amaani
Lyle on Twitter: @LyleDoDNews)