House passes measure to outlaw nude photo sharing in the military

By Leo Shane III
Military Times | May 24, 2017

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers Wednesday overwhelmingly passed new rules making the secret recording or unauthorized sharing of nude photos a crime under military law, in response to the Marine Corps United scandal earlier this year. READ STORY

Stop lumping servicewomen and military wives in same category

By Kyleanne Hunter and Kate Germano
The San Diego Union ~ Tribune, | April. 13, 2017

In 2016, Pfc. Katherine Beatty became the Army's first female 13B cannon crewmember. READ STORY

Fort Sill Public Affairs

Trailblazing Army Maj. Gen. Heidi Brown retires after 35 years

Daniel Burge, The El Paso Times via AP
Army Times, | April. 4, 2017

EL PASO, Texas — U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Heidi V. Brown, U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) director of global operations, observes U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Timothy W. Garcia, senior enlisted leader of USSTRATCOM global operations, furling of the personal colors during her retirement ceremony in the 557th Weather Wing auditorium, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., Feb. 24, 2017. READ STORY

Stephen Cunningham/USSTRATCOM

Women Leaders Share Knowledge

U.S. Army story by Capt. Rachael Jeffcoat, 20th Public Affairs Detachment
KFOR Multinational Battle Group-East | March. 27, 2017

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – A women’s symposium was held here, on Camp Bondsteel, March 24 by Multinational Battlegroup-East, in order to promote discussion during Women’s History Month. READ STORY

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Caleb Barrieau

Air Force aims to improve diversity of pilots, other key positions

By Stephan Losey, Air Force Times | Sept. 30, 2016

A new slate of diversity and inclusion initiatives from top Air Force leaders seeks to improve the diversity of key career fields such as pilots, developmental positions such as aides-de-camp and executive officers, and of its recruiting efforts. READ STORY

Photo by Scott. Ash/Air Force

Army rolls out new fitness test for soldiers who want to switch MOSs

By Michelle Tan, Army Times | Sept. 18, 2016

Soldiers who want to move into a more physically demanding military occupational specialty - such as infantry or armor - soon will be required to take a new test before they can even qualify for training. READ STORY

Photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod/Army

More than 140 women will begin training for infantry and armor jobs in 2017

By Michelle Tan, Army Times | Sept. 12, 2016

Calling all female noncommissioned officers: The Army wants you to consider transferring into combat arms jobs. READ STORY

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Jorge Intriago/National Guard

Face of Defense: Guard Soldier Sets Milestone as Female Engineer

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael Williams, U.S.Department of Defense | Sept. 2, 2016

Army Lt. Col. Joy Alexander is making a name for herself as she exceeds her own expectations in the Mississippi Army National Guard. READ STORY

Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Williams

Millennials Have A Different Definition Of Diversity And Inclusion

By Lydia Dishman, Marine Times | May 18, 2015

Diversity and inclusion are more than just buzzwords or boxes to check. Millennials believe they are essential to business success. READ STORY

Photo by Ammentorp Photography via Shutterstock

Paxton: Women will be successful in infantry units

By Jeff Schogol, Marine Times | August 14, 2016

Gen. John “Jay” Paxton Jr. is leaving the Marine Corps as the service is beginning to allow women into the infantry and other jobs that during his decades in uniform had been restricted to men.

He frames the gender integration of combat units, which has been the source of much controversy, as a practical matter. READ STORY

Force of The Future Requires Commitment By All, Carter Says

By Terri Moon Cronk, DoD News Media Activity | July 29, 2016

WASHINGTON — The Force of the Future takes commitment by all service members to modernize the U.S. military and keep it strong, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told sailors yesterday at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. READ STORY

Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with troops during a visit to Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois, July 28, 2016. (DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley)

SMA: Army needs female soldiers to step up for combat jobs

By MIchelle Tan, Army Times | August 01, 2016

The Army's top enlisted leader says there are not enough female NCOs and officers looking to transfer to combat arms jobs. READ STORY

Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey, in a memo to the force, is calling for more female soldiers to volunteer for combat arms jobs.(Photo: David E. Gillespie/Army)

Oklahoma Guard's 1st Female Combat Arms Officer Conducts Fire Missions

By Sgt. Anthony Jones, Army.mil/News | July 08, 2016

FORT RILEY, Kan. — "FIRE MISSION! FIRE MISSION! FIRE MISSION!" The call to action rang out across the artillery gun line and without hesitation Soldiers sprang into action. READ STORY

1st Lt. Kakyla Christopher, fire direction office, works with fellow officers ti calculate distance and trajectories to targets while planning a fire mission for the battery during training at Fort Riley, Kansas. (Photo: U.S. Army/ Sgt. Anthony Jones)

Five things to watch for in the Pentagon's new transgender policy

By Andrew Tilghman, Military Times | June 29, 2016

Any day now the Pentagon is expected to unveil new rules for transgender troops, ending the longstanding policy that deems them medically unfit for military service. READ STORY

In June 2015, a transgender military couple attended a White House reception at the invitation of President Obama. Air Force Senior Airman Logan Ireland, a transgender man, wore his uniform and brought his fiancée, Army Cpl. Laila Villanueva, a transgender woman, who is also on active duty but wore civilian clothes. (Photo: Laila Villaneuva)

The Marines will remove the word 'man' from these 19 job titles

By Gina Harkins, Marine Corps Times | June 27, 2016

Thousands of Marines serving throughout the infantry and in other key positions are about to get new gender-neutral job titles, but the service's top leaders are pushing to leave the word "man" in some of its most iconic occupations. READ STORY

Anti-tank missilemen fire the MK153 shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. Marines in the anti-tank missileman military occupational specialty will soon be called anti-tank missile gunners, as the service makes its job titles more gender neutral. (Photo: Sgt. Alicia R. Leaders/Marine Corps)

Senate Votes to Require Women to Register for the Draft

By Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times | June 14, 2016

WASHINGTON — In the latest and perhaps decisive battle over the role of women in the military, Congress is embroiled in an increasingly intense debate over whether they should have to register for the draft when they turn 18. READ STORY

A Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in February on the subject of women in the military. On Tuesday, the Senate approved a military policy bill that would require women to join men in registering for the draft. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The 4 big takeaways from Ash Carter's new push for military personnel reform

Andrew Tilghman, Military Times | June 9, 2016

The impact of the reforms would vary greatly among the service branches, various career fields and individual troops. It remains unclear how widespread the changes might be implemented. Carter rolled out the reforms after months of controversy inside the Pentagon as many senior leaders were skeptical of changing the promotion system that propelled them into the senior ranks. READ STORY

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announces new "Force of the Future" initiatives in the Pentagon courtyard Thursday.(Photo: MC1 Tim D. Godbee/US Navy)

West Point leader defends female cadets in fist-raising photo

Tony Lombardo, Army Times | May 6, 2016

The controversial photo of 16 black female cadets raising their fists was just one of dozens of images the women took as part of a long-held West Point tradition, according to Brenda Sue Fulton, a 1980 West Point grad who chairs the U.S. Military Academy’s Board of Visitors. READ STORY

Members of the U.S. Military Academy class of 2016. (Courtesy Photo)

Diversity strengthens the National Guard

Staff Sgt. Michelle Gonzalez , National Guard Bureau | May 02, 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. - Since its inception nearly 400 years ago, a diverse population of National Guard members have protected the communities where they live and serve. It's a key reason, noted Army Gen Frank Grass, why they have succeeded in combat and homeland response. READ STORY

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jaquaisia Johnson, left, and Staff Sgt. Ivon Palacios-Araujo, right, 116th Medical Group, Detachment 1, Georgia Air National Guard, strap simulated patient, Airman 1st Class Kayla Martin, into the Stokes Basket rescue stretcher during the pre-EXEVAL Exercise Operation Nuclear Tide Hazard at Fort McClellan, Alabama, April 18, 2016. The diverse makeup of the National Guard is one of its strengths, senior leaders say. (Photo: Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons)

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to Beaufort Marines: Diverse force a stronger force

Stephen Fastenau, Beaufort News | March 3, 2016 5:22 PM

A more diverse Marine Corps will be a stronger Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy’s top official told Marines on Thursday. READ STORY

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus speaks to Marines at Lasseter Theater at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort on Thursday. Mabus spent the day visiting Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the air station. For video from his talk, go to beaufortgazette.com. (Photo: Jay Karr)

Female flight officer surpasses 1,000 flight hours in combat mission against ISIS

Oriana Pawlyk, Air Force Times | February 27, 2016

Women only make up about 10 percent of F-15E pilot and the weapon systems officer community. And "Major Jennifer" is one of them. READ STORY

Maj. Jennifer, a 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapon systems officer, stands on top of an F-15E Strike Eagle following a combat sortie at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Feb. 13, 2016. Jennifer surpassed the 1,000 combat-flight hour mark during the mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.(Photo: Tech. Sgt. Frank W. Miller III/Air Force)

First Black NASA Administrator Charles Bolden 'Pleaded' To Get Into Naval Academy

Laura Wagner, the two-way breaking news from NPR | February 9, 2016

It was Nov. 23, 1963, the night after President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Charles Bolden was a high school senior, playing in the South Carolina state football championship game. He was mourning Kennedy's death along with the rest of the country, but he was mourning something else as well. HEAR STORY

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks at a panel discussion on the search for life beyond Earth at NASA headquarters in 2014. (Photo: Joel Kowsky/NASA)

Pentagon unveils family-friendly initiatives

Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY | January 28, 2016

WASHINGTON — Female troops in all services will receive 12 weeks of maternity leave as part of a series of personnel initiatives Thursday aimed at making military careers more appealing, especially to millennials, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced. READ STORY

Defense Secretary Ash Carter unveiled family-friendly initiatives, aimed at making military careers more appealing. VPC (Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS, AFP/Getty Images)

Military to Announce Changes to Maternity Leave Policy

Courtney Kube and Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News | January 28, 2016

Defense Secretary Ash Carter will announce Thursday that female service members will now get 12 weeks paid maternity leave. READ STORY

As military integrates combat jobs, a new push to position women as leaders

Leo Shane III, Military Times | January 27, 2016

Women in the U.S. military will step into a host of new combat and command roles in coming months. Outside advocates want them to be leaders in the veterans community, too. READ STORY

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Audrey Griffith stands guard with Spc. Heidi Gerke at Forward Operating Base Hadrian in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, in 2013.(Photo: Army)

Texas Air National Guard names first female one-star general

Staff Report, Fort Hood Herald | January 20, 2016

AUSTIN — Texas Air National Guard Col. Dawn M. Ferrell became the first female in the Texas Air National Guard to be promoted to brigadier general in a ceremony at the Texas Capitol’s Senate Chambers in Austin Friday. READ STORY

Col. Dawn M. Ferrell is promoted to brigadier general at the Texas Capitol’s Senate Chambers. Ferrell is the first female in the Texas Air National Guard to receive the rank. (Photo: 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy, Air National Guard)

Will Army drop the 'man' from its combat arms MOS titles?

Staff report, Army Times  | Jan. 18, 2016

As the Army prepares to integrate women into its combat arms jobs, it’s too early to say if titles such as infantryman and armor crewman will give way to more gender-neutral names, officials said. READ STORY

It remains unclear whether the Army will follow the Navy and Marine Corps and consider changes to their MOS titles for gender neutrality.(Photo: Army)

More Companies Take Diversity and Inclusion Seriously, Research Says

Andie Burjek  | Jan. 13, 2016

At 5' 1'' and 110 pounds, Janiece Marquez was among the Army's smallest recruits when she signed up for the service a decade ago. The 19-year-old from New Mexico was determined to fight in combat anyway, but she quickly learned women were banned from the front lines. "I said I wanted to be in the infantry," Marquez recalls. "All the men in the room laughed." READ STORY

Soldiers Blow Up 5 Myths About Women in Combat

Samantha Michaels, Mother Jones  | Jan. 11, 2016

Diversity is no longer just an empty corporate buzzword with little by way of strategic importance. It’s a subject companies are taking more seriously to bolster business. Human resources practitioners consider diversity and inclusion a strategic enabler for their company’s business strategy. READ STORY

1st Lt. Shaye Haver graduated from the Army's grueling Ranger School in August. (Robin Trimarchi/AP)

Marine expects to be one of first female riflemen

Jeff Schogol, Staff writer, Marine Times | January 8, 2016

If all goes as expected, Marine Corps Cpl. Remedios Cruz should be one of the first women in the infantry. READ STORY

Cpl. Remedios Cruz, seen here training at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif., said she will apply for a lateral transfer to the Marine infantry.(Photo: Marine Corps)

OCHLA, LEON name Distinguished Hispanic Ohioans

Kevin Milliken, La Prensa Correspondent | Oct. 16, 2015

Senior Master Sgt. Anita Menchaca-Bratton of the 180th Fighter Wing recently received the Ohio Commission on Hispanic-Latino Affairs Latino Military Service of Distinction award. The award honors individuals, organizations and community friends who work to improve their communities to become a better place not only for Hispanics, but for everyone. READ STORY

DIVERSITY NEWS ARCHIVES

05.18.2015:   Millennials Have A Different Definition Of Diversity And Inclusion
10.16.2015:   OCHLA, LEON name Distinguished Hispanic Ohioans on La Prensa
01.08.2016:   Marine expects to be one of first female riflemen
01.11.2016:   Soldiers Blow Up 5 Myths About Women in Combat
01.13.2016:   More Companies Take Diversity and Inclusion Seriously, Research Says on Talent Management
01.18.2016:   Will Army drop the 'man' from its combat arms MOS titles?
01.20.2016:   Texas Air National Guard names first female one-star general
01.27.2016:   As military integrates combat jobs, a new push to position women as leaders
01.28.2016:   Military to Announce Changes to Maternity Leave Policy
01.28.2016:   Pentagon unveils family-friendly initiatives
02.09.2016:   First Black NASA Administrator Charles Bolden 'Pleaded' To Get Into Naval Academy
02.27.2016:   Female flight officer surpasses 1,000 flight hours in combat mission against ISIS
03.03.2016:   Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to Beaufort Marines: Diverse force a stronger force
05.02.2016:   Diversity strengthens the National Guard
05.06.2016:   West Point leader defends female cadets in fist-raising photo
06.09.2016:   The 4 big takeaways from Ash Carter's new push for military personnel reform
06.14.2016:   Senate Votes to Require Women to Register for the Draft
06.27.2016:   The Marines will remove the word 'man' from these 19 job titles
06.29.2016:   Five things to watch for in the Pentagon's new transgender policy
07.08.2016:   Oklahoma Guard's 1st Female Combat Arms Officer Conducts Fire Missions
07.29.2016:   DoD Media Activity: Force of The Future Requires Commitment By All, Carter Says
08.01.2016:   SMA: Army needs female soldiers to step up for combat jobs
08.14.2016:   Paxton: Women will be successful in infantry units
09.02.2016:   Face of Defense: Guard Soldier Sets Milestone as Female Engineer
09.12.2016:   More than 140 women will begin training for infantry and armor jobs in 2017
09.18.2016:    Army rolls out new fitness test for soldiers who want to switch MOSs
09.30.2016:    Air Force aims to improve diversity of pilots, other key positions