Today's Women Soldiers

Private First Class Brandie Leon from the 101st Airborne Division patrols Baghdad. March 2006. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Bart A. Bauer. Pfc. Brandie Leon, 101st Airborne Division, patrols Baghdad, Iraq, in March 2006 (photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Bart A. Bauer).
  • Prior to the 1994 DoD assignment rule, 67 percent of the positions in the Army were open to women
  • Today, 70 percent of the positions in the Army are open to women, and women serve in 93 percent of all Army occupations (active duty and the reserve components), as of June 2009.
  • Women represent about 13.4 percent of the active Army, 23.7 percent of the Army Reserve and 14.0 percent of the Army National Guard as of fiscal year 2009.
  • An increasing proportion of senior-level active duty and DoD positions are being filled by women.
  • The percentage of female officers in the active Army in grades O-4 (rank of major) and above increased from 11.5 percent in fiscal year 1995 to 13.3 percent in fiscal year 2009.
  • The same is true for enlisted active-duty women in grades E-7 (rank of sergeant first class) through E-9 (rank of first sergeant), who went from 8.3 percent in 1995 to approximately 10.8 percent as of fiscal year 2009.
  • In the grades GS-13 through senior executive service, the percentage of female civilian Army employees increased from 18.9 percent in 1995 to 30.9 percent as of fiscal year 2009.

Historically

  • 1983: Women accounted for 9.8 percent of the total Army.
  • 1993: Women accounted for 12.5 percent of the total Army.
  • 2009: Women accounted for 15.5 percent of the total Army.