Key Findings: Military
- Women make up 11 percent of all military officers. This represents significant progress into the top leadership positions, as in 1994 they represented 13 percent of all officers but less than 5 percent of the top five officer ranks.
- Women accounted for 14 percent of the enlisted personnel in 1996 and 9 percent in the top three ranks (E-7, E-8 and E-9); despite a decrease of 5 percent in the overall number of enlisted personnel, women made up 14 percent of the ranks and 10 percent of the top three ranks in September 2008.
- Women in the military are more likely to be members of a racial minority group than military men. Among enlisted personnel, 46 percent of women identify themselves as nonwhite and among officers, 32 percent of women identify themselves as non-white.
- The military remains the only profession in the United States which under Department of Defense policy prohibits women from taking certain jobs. This hinders women from being promoted to the top levels of leadership.
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