The extent of restrictions on the service of active-component military women

Despite a historical increase in the role of women in the U.S. military, including in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, gender-based policies continue to affect the positions they can fill. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 mandated a review of laws, policies, and regulations that may restrict the service of military women to determine whether changes are needed to ensure equitable opportunity to compete and excel in the armed forces; in response, the U.S. Department of Defense established the Women in the Services Review. To support this effort, RAND researchers analyzed service data to describe and quantify the military occupations that are closed to women, as well as occupations that are open but have some positions that are closed to women. The study also examined a few of the open occupations in greater depth to further characterize the nature of the restrictions and to illuminate the potential career implications of assignment policies. Most positions that are closed to women are located in Army and Marine Corps units and occupations that have a primary mission of engaging in direct ground combat.