Women always have supported men in the Armed Services -- as mothers, wives and volunteers.
On May 15, 1942, women became active Service members for the first time with establishment of the Women's Army Corps and Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
WAC/WAAC grew until 1978, when the Army integrated them into regular Army units.
Women slowly and gradually have been accepted as Soldiers, serving within 95 percent of military occupational specialties.
Women also make up about 16 percent of the active Army, earning the titles of Airborne, Air Assault, Sapper and even Ranger. For the first time in the Army, two women are scheduled to graduate from Ranger School.
Field Artillery has been opened to women about five years; the first female received command of a company in 2012.
By January 2016, all branches -- including combat positions -- should be open to women or offer statements of explanation on why they are closed.
The Armed Forces -- including the Army -- are the most progressive career fields for women in the United States. Women in the Armed Forces receive the same incomes, based on their respective pay-grade; receive the same benefits, such as health care; and are entitled to earn the same allowances.
In many civilian jobs and careers, women earn less than their male counterparts. On average, women earn 78 percent of salaries men earn for performing the same jobs.
They do not tolerate such discrimination.
The Army also has included gender discrimination as a reportable criterion for Equal Opportunity offenses, which allows women who are targeted or discriminated against the opportunity to submit EO reports. The policy also mitigates and reduces gender discrimination within the Army workforce and community.
As an American woman, I have been grateful for the opportunities the Army has provided.
I applied for an ROTC scholarship right out of high school, which allowed me to graduate with a bachelor's degree and a commission as a second lieutenant.
I also am dual military. I have worked in a brigade S2 staff section in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York; as an executive officer for a Basic Combat Training company; and as the executive officer for a brigade headquarters company at Fort Jackson.
In the U.S. Army Forces Command, the highest-ranking female officer I worked with was our brigade engineer officer in charge -- a major -- and I knew only one female commander within the brigade.
In TRADOC, I have seen so many more women in leadership roles within S4 and S3, and as commanders. More female non-commissioned officers serve at Fort Jackson -- about a third of the drill sergeants in my latest battalion were women.
Even with all these positives, I have observed two stigmas commonly associated with women in the Army.
The first involves women experiencing pregnancy.
A constantly deploying FORSCOM unit is either training for deployment or deploying. If a woman becomes pregnant before an upcoming deployment, some seem to thin she is trying to avoid the deployment and her responsibilities.
The second involves women's being seen as troublemakers if they report violations.
This stigma often surrounds people of both sexes who report violations, but women more often are assumed to be "complainers."
Even though any reports of potential EO or sexual-assault violations are not supposed to trigger reprisals, those who demand that issues be addressed often receive criticism for "stirring things up."
These appear to be the most common stigmas for women in the Army, but the command leadership and climate can make a difference in discouraging them.
The Army continues to be one of the most progressive careers for women -- they make up 15 percent of the Army population.
As the Army continues to grow and expand, so do the opportunities for women serving as Soldiers.
Belford is executive officer for Headquarters Company, 193rd Infantry Brigade.
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