WASHINGTON — To better address obstacles facing female Soldiers serving in special operations units and to retain its top talent, Army Special Operations Command outlined 42 recommendations in a study released Monday.
The research’s findings will guide USASOC in optimizing female warfighters while noting their physical and anatomical differences.
“It is not about providing accommodations for women,” said USASOC Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann. “It’s providing tools that allow women to maximize their performance and continue to serve at all levels and across time.”
During the yearlong study, researchers found that 44% of the female Soldiers surveyed said they experienced equipment-fitting challenges relating to body armor, helmets and ruck systems. The problem can impact women’s abilities to perform basic Soldier maneuvers and skills.
Female Soldiers also reported that the time they spent planning pregnancies negatively impacted their careers, leading to Soldiers scheduling childbearing around career milestones or avoiding pregnancy entirely, according to the 106-page report, titled, “Breaking Barriers: Women in Army Special Operations Forces.”
Researchers held more than 40 focus groups and interviews with women and men from across the force. The study focused on the areas of equipment fitting, childcare, gender bias, social support, sexual harassment, pregnancy and postpartum, and morale and wellbeing. Retired Lt. Gen. Francis Beaudette, former USASOC commander, initiated the 2021 study, which had more than 5,000 respondents. Additionally, the survey addressed other concerns including challenges of small-statured Soldiers and access to healthcare.
The study also explored attitudes towards females serving in combat and special operations units. The survey results showed Soldiers had a favorable view of women serving in special operations units with no reported decline in morale. About 72% of women and 64% of men surveyed said they would support their daughter joining Army special operations units.
According to findings, 80% of men reported that gender-related concerns had no impact on their decision to remain in special operations forces. Researchers found most gender-biased comments and attitudes during the study came from senior NCOs, indicating a difference in generational views, Naumann said.
“Although disappointed by some of the findings and comments in the study, we are committed to addressing these issues with candor and transparency,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC commander wrote in the report’s introduction.
“To change culture takes time,” Braga added. “We have to be better — we must be better.”
The Women in ARSOF Initiative outlined three lines of effort to address the hurdles: mentorship and sponsorship, health and readiness, and modernization.
For mentorship and sponsorship, units can create a “culture of excellence” through education and accountability, said Lt. Col. Rachel Cepis, the director of the Women in ARSOF Initiative. For example, the Army can host more educational forums where Soldiers can learn how to schedule duties around breastfeeding or deal with postpartum related issues, as well as women’s health and nutrition.
Survey participants that have had children listed the top five postpartum challenges: (1) depression, stress, and anxiety, (2) inability to perform to the same level as the unit, (3) lactation, (4) maternity leave, and (5) diastasis recti abdominus.
Focus group participants said they experienced hardship finding adequate care during and after pregnancy. Soldiers also voiced concerns about pregnancy hindering career progression and having adequate breastfeeding locations, as well as convalescent leave following miscarriages.
The 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson, Colorado began a female mentorship program, while the 3rd Special Forces Group and 528th Sustainment Brigade at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, plan to establish a similar initiative at each battalion headquarters. The 528th Sustainment Brigade also hosts monthly engagements with female Soldiers.
“We’re looking at it holistically. I’m excited to see the growth of women in our formation in all positions,” Cepis said. “And I’m thrilled that we’re looking at ways to help them perform at their maximum potential.”
“This is about driving change and making ultimately, ARSOF and the [Defense Department] better,” she added.
In the second line of effort, health and readiness, USASOC partnered with Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Massachusetts to study physiological, metabolic and psychological responses during and after completion of extreme and prolonged training. USASOC has also submitted four topics to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 2024 research solicitation: (1) women’s physical and physiological characteristics of elite female warfighters, (2) pregnancy and postpartum impacts on readiness, (3) long and short-term impacts of intentional dehydration, and (4) endocrine adaptations of female warfighters.
Cepis said USASOC is working with the Army, SOCOM, and academic partners to study the effects of menstrual cycles on female warfighters and ways to maximize performance. USASOC plans to examine sicknesses and illnesses that females suffer in the field and explore how to avoid musculoskeletal injuries related to female anatomy differences, she added.
Finally in modernization, the study recognizes the anatomical and anthropometric differences between men and women and Army Combat Capabilities Development Command [DEVCOM] at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland will be modernizing dress and duty uniforms as well as body armor that better fits the varying body types and sizes.
USASOC has done limited user assessments with the Army Modular Scalable Body Armor, a lightweight, adjustable bulletproof vest, and the Army Integrated Helmet Protection System, a multi-faceted head gear, which consists of protection and retention systems, a helmet cover and hearing protection.
The Women in ARSOF Director has partnered with DEVCOM to better develop items ranging from pregnant female service uniforms to female urinary devices.
USASOC founded the Women in ARSOF Initiative to specifically study female-modernization challenges while advising Army and SOF senior leaders. ARSOF also began publishing a newsletter series, created an online platform and developed a portal site to keep Soldiers updated on the study findings and ongoing efforts.
“I have never felt so heard and understood in my career until [the newsletter] started being published,” wrote a 25-year-old Soldier who has spent five years in special operations forces.
USASOC, headquartered at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, trains, equips and educates special operations units in support of the joint force.
By Joe Lacdan, Army News Service
“It is not about providing accommodations for women”
I saw precisely that for 15+ years. Fooled me!
That happened rather severely and destructively for far longer than 15 years.
However, I’d like to hope and believe that it is no longer happening.
It is precisely about accomodating women, and all it does is create compromise.
Different uniforms and equipment compromise supply and logistics.
Different fitness standards compromise performance.
Different grooming standards compromise morale and safety.
Bout time they caught up with reality. gotta make sure ALL warfighteers, including women have gear that fits and works. Then we can also focus on proper career progression
Making sure that gear fits properly is a big deal! I first encountered this in the law enforcement supply and sales realm long ago where women had great difficulty finding tactical uniforms and armor that fit correctly.
I absolutely support the full integration and equality of opportunity for women in the military. In fact I think they should be draft eligible as well.
I do not support having different gender based standards. That’s a very separate issue if it is even a current issue at all anymore.
PT standards are still gender-based.
tsh, you sound like an idiot. Over my dead body, my daughter will never be drafted. you sound like a lunatic, and a Neo-Con cuck commie. How about you send your daughter to go die in Ukraine for absolutely nothing, huh?
You are a fuck’n troll POS that doesn’t live in reality!
Over your dead body huh? Challenge accepted.
God help your daughter, because you sound totally insane.
“THAT GUY!” you really are… that guy.
Equal rights, equal fights. Women wanted into combat arms and special forces, (and they got it), so why shouldn’t they also be draft-eligible?
Brent, Asinine and Philip…..
You all are a bunch of war-mongering idiots! You clearly have no sense at all and think both men and women are here to be disposable to the govt. to fight endless wars so politicians can get rich.
WELL GO FUCK YOURSELVES!
you all are either fat, non-married, no kids, not fathers to a daughter, and sit in the basement playing keyboard warrior, you know nothing about combat or conflict in general!
HEY BRENT! I live in Long Beach, MS. COME AT ME BRO set up an IM account I’ll give you my name and address! Bring it Fatty!
And you sir, are an unstable (likely unmedicated) ignoramus detached from any semblance of reality.
You can’t make a cogent argument with your emotion-based whataboutisms, so you resort to name-calling and profanity. You’ve officially checked all the butt-sore internet crybaby boxes.
Cope harder, it’s quite entertaining.
Holy shit dude! Get some help and some therapy! Pull your head out of your ass and un-fuck your shit!
I feel pity for your family because you are clearly such an anthropomorphized hemorrhoid, waste of flesh, and oxygen thief.
Equal rights should require equal contributions, responsibilities, and sacrifices.
How about either women are draft eligible or we get rid of the draft completely.
You’re a fucking idiot! You don’t know shot about combat or what it does to people. You obviously have no family or daughters, otherwise you would have answered my question. You’re ok with your daughter/s going to war in Ukraine and dying for nothing? Huh? To make the politicians rich, and all the military industrial contractors ??
You’re fucking human garbage, you and your three cunts on this thread.
Go fucking kill yourself!
Or grow some balls and come down to the Gulfcoast of MS and find me ya fat slob bitch!
Yep, totally insane.
Your unhinged psycho-babble tells the rest of us you don’t know anything about it either.
The fact that you think Ukraine is of no strategic importance to global security and geopolitical stability proves that the only moron here is you.
Take a knee and hydrate.
Come out of the closet, you’ll be a less hysterical misogynist. You don’t have a daughter and have never even served in Starbucks.
They highlight some points in the survey results that seem to be either misleading or extremely vague questions. 64% of men and 72% of women would support their “daughters” joining ARSOF. Uh… yea parents want to support their kids decisions to do anything noble. That is emotional question, not a logic question. The number being higher for women than men is indicative of something… not sure what but “why” or “why not” should have been added in there.
80% of men said “gender-related concerns” had no impact on their decision to stay in special operations… How vague is the subject of “gender-related concerns” and how tiny is the current dilemma of trying to integrate gender issues into special operations as opposed to elsewhere in the military or in the future? Maybe most of those surveyed have high confidence in the leadership of USASOC to get things right and are more dedicated to special operations missions than other military jobs, so currently, or at the moment the survey was done, they weren’t worried about gender issues. Without providing the statistical number in the claim, they say most having concerns of gender-related issues came from senior NCOs indicating different generational views. So it couldn’t be experience-based concerns? After all, these are the highest trained, most experienced and combat experienced NCOs in the Army. Also more open minded and unconventional in their thinking compared to much of the military.
This seems like an example of highlighting the most favorable cherry picked results of a survey which the government and anyone with an agenda are famous for. A direct link to the exact survey questions, available answers, and results is a better way to review the data especially when the the people feeding specific data points work for the government.
The problems of regular army now forced into USASOC…personnel complaints, rape allegations, petty soap opera relationship problems, readiness issues (preggo) , animosity, favoritism…the list goes on. Social Progression (liberalism) had been the ultimate downfall of every great civilization. Once we are all viewed as the same our potential is capped at the lowest denominator….as my favorite SavTac shirt says “equality is a false God”.
The crap I’ve seen females pull to get out of military commitments would get males of comparable rank and position court-martialed.
This is an uncomfortable truth many are apprehensive about addressing; especially in today’s climate. You will absolutely get a target on your back for it.
It’s almost as if females are biologically suited for different role. Nature doesn’t care what your whims and desires are. I want to dunk over Shaq on a regulation NBA rim, but that’s not gonna happen, because reality tells me I’m not 7′ tall nor do I possess a 50″ vertical leap, so I stay out of the paint.
“Researchers found most gender-biased comments and attitudes during the study came from senior NCOs, indicating a difference in generational views,..”
“Generational views”? Try senior NCO’s have seen and experienced a lot. Therefore they speak from a position of knowledge, knowing full well what some of this garbage means, and it’s no bueno for the team, unit cohesion and the mission. Remember that? “The mission”.
I truly love how dismissive they are of our most experienced and respected NCO’s. Yet they wax poetically and ad nauseum about “women”. Clowns.