WHEREAS, Women have served bravely in every major United States conflict since the American Revolutionary War, but their courage and service have gone unrecognized. Our current servicewomen would be unable to serve without the precedence, persistence, determination, and unyielding resilience of the incredible strides of women of previous generations; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 300,000 women in uniform have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and over 1,300,000 women currently serve in the United States military. Women have served in intelligence gathering and as combat pilots, field artillery officers, chaplains, special operations civil affairs officers, and even members of the ultra-secretive Delta Force; and

WHEREAS, During the Civil War, women disguised as men fought on both sides. Women also served as spies and medical personnel. Three of the most famous women were Dr. Mary Walker, a physician and the only woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor; Clara Barton, who served at the siege of Petersburg and founded the American Red Cross; and Harriet Tubman, who was a volunteer nurse, spy, and scout for the Union Army; and

WHEREAS, Cathay Williams was the first and only documented African American woman to enlist in the United States Army as a Buffalo Soldier in 1866 and Carmen Contreras-Bozak was the first Latina to serve in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester became the first woman in the United States Army to earn a Silver Star for combat valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom, after leading her soldiers on a counterattack of anti-Iraqi forces. Her actions saved the lives of numerous convoy members; and

WHEREAS, Over 400 women have been killed in combat since World War I and over 90 women have been identified as prisoners of war since World War II; and

WHEREAS, January 24, 2023, marked the 10th anniversary of the groundbreaking decision overturning a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricted women from all combat-related roles, including artillery, armor, and infantry; and

WHEREAS, Former United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter directed the full integration of women into all military branches in 2015; and

WHEREAS, While approximately 16 percent of the total United States military is made up of women, six have held the rank of general, exemplifying the payoff for hard work that comes to people who do their best work in each and every role they take on, regardless of gender; and

WHEREAS, The United States military’s first female four-star general, Army General Ann E. Dunwoody, cracked the military’s “brass ceiling” in 2008, when she was awarded her fourth star and named commander of the Army Materiel Command, the unit that equips, outfits, and arms United States soldiers; and

WHEREAS, While women were barred from assignment to direct ground combat units, they were “attached” to such units and increasingly tasked with handling issues around the local populace. Their success and performance directly led to initiatives that resulted in a broader implementation of females in Special Operations Forces for years to come; and

WHEREAS, Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent, a Navy cryptologic technician who spoke seven different languages and was assigned to several special operations and secretive units, contributed directly to the capture of hundreds of enemy insurgents and severely degraded enemy combat capability. She was one of the first females to volunteer for and successfully pass the new Naval Special Warfare Direct Support Course; and

WHEREAS, Beginning with Task Force Lioness and Female Engagement Teams (FETs) in the early 2000s, female service members conducted search and questioning of women to help end terrorist attacks and smuggling, which was deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male service member. The success of Task Force Lioness and FETs led to the creation of Cultural Support Teams (CSTs). From 2010–14, United States Special Operations Command specially assessed, selected, and trained CSTs, who were attached to special operations teams directly engaging in village stability operations, search-and-clear and tactical questioning of the female population of Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, Members of Task Force Lioness, FETs, and CSTs became a loophole for female service members to operate alongside the most highly trained, and exclusively male, forces on the battlefield, yet were considered enablers and not direct action assaulters; and

WHEREAS, In June 2019, then Brigadier General Laura Yeager, a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, assumed command of the California National Guard’s 40th Infantry Division, becoming the first woman to command a United States Army infantry division; and

WHEREAS, More than 9,000 female troops have earned Combat Action Badges during modern combat operations, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and hundreds more have earned valor awards, including the Silver Star, the Army’s third-highest valor award; and

WHEREAS, It is recognized that women have always been capable of serving in combat and that it is policies like the 1994 ban on women in combat that have precluded women from serving; and

WHEREAS, Since the ban was lifted, women are now training for and serving in infantry, armor, short-range field artillery units and occupations, and the number receiving their Ranger tabs continues to grow. Moreover, women in all services are also now eligible to serve as Special Operations Forces; and

WHEREAS, The Women in Military Service for America Memorial, at the Ceremonial Entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, is the only major national memorial honoring all women who have defended America throughout history. Their patriotism and bravery are a part of our nation’s heritage and are now recognized; and

WHEREAS, As a country based on freedom and opportunity, regardless of creed, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and any other factors of identity, we must demonstrate equal opportunity in our armed forces while maintaining the standard of respect for other persons our military has set; and

WHEREAS, Our military exists to serve and protect all people in the United States, to defend the United States Constitution, and to fight for our freedom; and

WHEREAS, From the Revolutionary War to modern-day humanitarian efforts, women in our military have led the way for progress, despite decades of obstacles, ultimately serving in positions of leadership and combat roles; now, therefore, be it