Opportunities for Women in the Air National Guard: Are We On Track?

Abstract

Abstract : For years women have struggled to break through barriers shaped by traditions and myths. Although the military has historically been a masculine institution, substantial changes in the Armed Forces in recent decades, such as the All-Volunteer Force in 1973, have brought about gender integration and increasing numbers of women serving in the military. This paper examines the advances female officers have made from approximately 1976 through 1996 in the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserves and active duty Air Force. The paper makes a serious attempt to determine whether or not women officers in the Air National Guard have the same promotion opportunities and leadership positions available to them as female officers in the Air Force Reserves and the active duty Air Force. While analyzing promotion and advancement opportunities of Air National Guard female officers, the paper compares these findings to female officers in both the active duty Air Force and Air Force Reserves. Several tables and graphs show statistics from 1976 through 1996 on female officer rank distribution, career fields, leadership positions, and corps growth. Findings show the Air National Guard has expanded its emphasis on female officers opportunities in all career fields, indicating major reversals from policies of two decades ago. The Air Force Reserve field grade and company grade officer female percentage rates were much greater than the active duty and Air National Guard, which were similar. In 1996, the Air Force Reserves had the highest female/male officer ratio, with the active duty second, and the Air National Guard last. The final chapter identifies common trends among the three services, trends specific to the Air National Guard which affect the female officer corps, and recommendations for future studies.