A RECONSIDERATION OF WOMEN’S ROLE IN SPECIAL OPERATIONS: CRITICAL QUESTIONS, MOOTED A DECADE AFTER THE FACT
Articles
Mon, 02/19/2024 - 8:02am
By al Dhobaba
In August of 2023, U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) updated its 2021 study, "Breaking Barriers: Women in Army Special Operations."1 According to an Army News Service article, the study "outlined 42 recommendations... to better address obstacles facing female Soldiers serving in special operations units and to retain its top talent," and its "findings will guide USASOC in optimizing female warfighters while noting their physical and anatomical differences." The study's focus group responses highlighted "equipment fitting, childcare, gender bias, social support, sexual harassment, pregnancy and postpartum, and morale and wellbeing." According to the USASOC commander, Lieutenant General Jonathan Braga, "Although disappointed by some of the findings and comments in the study, we are committed to addressing these issues with candor and transparency."2
Anyone who has followed the Army's integration of women into the special operations forces (SOF) ranks since mid-2015 should either be laughing or crying at this juncture.
The study reported no decline in morale arising from the integration of women into SOF units. However, among other findings, "80% of men reported that gender-related concerns had no impact on their decision to remain in special operations forces." The implication, of course, is that the within the community of Army personnel who are the most difficult and expensive to recruit, evaluate, train, and especially retain, one in five were willing to answer that gender-related concerns negatively impacted their interest in remaining in the USASOC ranks. Citing USASOC Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann, the article claims that "researchers found most gender-biased comments and attitudes during the study came from senior NCOs, indicating a difference in generational views," the obvious insinuation being that these "differences in generational views" will gradually diminish. Presumably, these are the sort of comments that "disappointed" LTG Braga: skepticism from old-timers whose opinions result from "gender bias," but who will age out of the Army over time.
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/reconsideration-womens-role-special-operations-critical-questions-mooted-decade-after-fact
