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The Long, Proud History of Women in the Military
from Women Around the World and Women and Foreign Policy Program
from Women Around the World and Women and Foreign Policy Program
A U.S. military cadet team competes on the Squad Assault course during the 50th annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, a rigorous two-day event where teams of eight men and women from military academies and universities from 13 countries are tested
A U.S. military cadet team competes on the Squad Assault course during the 50th annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, a rigorous two-day event where teams of eight men and women from military academies and universities from 13 countries are tested REUTERS/Mike Segar
Women in the military have been removed from the Department of Defense and Arlington Memorial Cemetery's websites: why this is happening and how it can be reversed
Postby Linda Robinson
March 27, 2025 3:21 pm (EST)
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A U.S. military cadet team competes on the Squad Assault course during the 50th annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, a rigorous two-day event where teams of eight men and women from military academies and universities from 13 countries are tested
A U.S. military cadet team competes on the Squad Assault course during the 50th annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, a rigorous two-day event where teams of eight men and women from military academies and universities from 13 countries are tested REUTERS/Mike Segar
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March is Women’s History Month, so designated in a 1987 law passed by Congress. This year’s theme has been “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.” This year, unfortunately, the opportunities to educate and inspire Americans and visitors about women’s contributions have been severely diminished by the massive purge of information (and personnel) throughout the U.S. government. This time of year, schools organize student trips, and families begin to trek to Washington to see the cherry blossoms and historical sites. In a scramble to comply with a White House order, and a March deadline set by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, employees purged years of website postings, photos, news articles and videos to remove any mentions that “promote diversity, equity and inclusion.” But the methods used appear to be broad takedowns of women and minorities who have served with honor and distinction. Furthermore, there are doubts whether the material can be entirely restored and whether it has been properly archived for a future administration to restore.
The effort began in response to executive orders issued by President Donald Trump on his first two days in office, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” Litigation is pending to determine what actions are consistent with law and which are not, and guidance issued by departments has been unclear or insufficient. Pentagon employees have reacted to their command climate by taking action that is likely overreaction, based on the signals from their new boss. In his first days in office, Hegseth issued a handwritten note that said: “DoD ≠ DEI*.” The asterisk, he added, meant “no exceptions, name-changes or delays. Those who do not comply will no longer work here.” It was signed “SecDef 29.” He then relieved General CQ Brown, the African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. Both had served long and distinguished careers.
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In addition to the signal given by these first actions, Hegseth’s personal views about women in the military were broadcast in a 2024 book he published, which stated: “We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units.” Hegseth softened his statement in his confirmation hearing, declaring that he was opposed to gender or racial quotas or lowering of standards, but that if women could meet the standards, they should have the opportunity to compete for the jobs. Despite his statements under oath, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski broke ranks with her party to vote against his confirmation, saying “I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join.” The vote to confirm Hegseth proceeded on party lines by the closest margin ever for a nominee to lead the Pentagon.
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Women Around the World examines the relationship between the advancement of women and U.S. foreign policy interests, including prosperity and stability. 1-2 times weekly.
With a looming March 5 deadline, Pentagon employees appeared to cast a sweeping net to remove virtually any material identifying military personnel as women, as well as minorities. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of items have been flagged for review and removal. Among them, the Air Force scrubbed dozens of pages of stories it had published, biographies, photos, museum exhibits, and videos about World War II-era Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, and distinguished women such as retired General Jeannie Leavitt, the Air Force’s first female fighter pilot and the first woman to command an Air Force fighter wing. The pages removed included interviews with Leavitt describing the obstacles she had overcome, the benefits of diversity in the force, and her pathbreaking career. She remains a prominent figure in defense circles and a member of the board at Sandia National Laboratories. The National Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade covered up portraits of women before reversing course some days later. Images of the first all-female Honor Flight of ninety-three female veterans were removed from the Pentagon database. An Army article about Major Lisa Jaster, the first female army reserve graduate of the Ranger School, was purged.
As the outcry has grown among veterans and the public, some material has been restored. However, many websites remain disabled, including those for the Women Air Service Pilots, and the Air Force Thunderbirds. Pentagon employees told AP News that much of the material has not been archived and could not be restored. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell acknowledged that some material may have been inadvertently taken down, stating that “History is not DEI,” but he did not clarify the guidance being given for the review. Pages restored include those about Jackie Robinson, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the first Black chairman of the joint chiefs, General Colin Powell.
But visitors to the Arlington National Cemetery will find it difficult to trace the illustrious history of women in the military, due to the removal of the “Women’s History” tab under “Notable Figures” feature of the website, which used to note their bios and gravesite locations. As of March 19, their bios and locations are now redistributed into other categories, making it difficult to see the arc of women’s roles from the Revolutionary War until the present. The more senior military officers are now under “Prominent Military Figures,” but much of the history of women was written at the lower levels.
Rightly listed in the prominent military figures category are General Marcelite Jordan Harris, the Air Force’s first African American female brigadier general; Lieutenant Kara Spears Hultgreen, the Navy’s first female carrier-based fighter pilot who flew F-14s; and Major Marie Therese Rossi, the first American woman to fly helicopters in combat as commander of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter company during Desert Storm.
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But equally important figures must be searched out, among them:
Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892–1980), a leading cryptologists of the 20th century (Section 8, Grave 6379-A)
Navy Captain Joy Bright Hancock (1898-1986), who became director of the Navy Women’s Reserve, or WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). She also played an important role in getting Congress to pass the Women Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, which secured women a permanent place in the military during peacetime.
Lieutenant Colonel Juanita Hipps (1912-1979), arguably misclassified as a writer, Hipps served as a U.S. Army nurse in Bataan in the Philippines and helped to establish the Army Air Corps flight nurse program (Section 21, Grave 769-1).
Anna Etheridge Hooks (1839-1913) was an Army nurse and one of only two women to earn the Kearny Cross, awarded to Union soldiers who had displayed meritorious, heroic or distinguished acts while in the face of an enemy force, she participated in thirty-two battles, including First and Second Bull Run, Williamsburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. She was noted for removing wounded men from combat (Section 15, Grave 710).
Also missing is the seven-module Women’s History section of Arlington’s extensive Education online feature, which provided a valuable asset for the public and teachers. Historians carefully prepared extensive materials including factsheets, power point presentations, classroom worksheets, and walking tour maps. Task and Purpose, which first published the story about material deleted from the Arlington Cemetery, has archived the material to ensure it can be fully restored.
One of the concerned veterans, Janine Davidson, was the first woman to fly the Air Force’s tactical C-130, the 32nd undersecretary of the U.S. Navy, and chair of the Defense Policy Board. “I don't understand the Administration's goal in taking down all references to the long proud history of women and minorities fighting for the honor to serve our country,” she said in an email exchange. “What is next? Are they planning to demolish Arlington's beautiful Women's Memorial like the Taliban blew up Bamiyan?”
The Military Women’s Memorial honors the contribution of America’s three million military women. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, it was created in 1986 in a law signed by President Ronald Reagan and is slated for renovation thanks to a donation from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Veterans are urged to register their stories on its website: www.womensmemorial.org. Davidson, who is currently president of Denver’s Metropolitan State University, adds that “We will still champion their accomplishments and tell their stories for generations to come. I can only hope that the administration's ‘review’ does not erase history.”
She may get her wish, if the White House takes note of what is happening. At a White House event celebrating Women’s History Month on March 26, President Trump praised the audience of Republican women congressional leaders and promised to support a Women’s History Museum on the Mall if Congress approves it. His statement about the event “acknowledged and celebrated the brilliant and talented female trailblazers in my Administration,” including “leaders in foreign and domestic policy, authorities in national security, great legal minds, as well as dedicated public servants who put the American people first. Together we are working to honor the women in our history.” If formulated as guidance to the departments, the restoration of women’s roles in government can begin.
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