| ARLINGTON,
Virginia,
March 30, 2005
–
“Women have come a long way in the military
services and in the federal government,”
said the DoD official presiding here today for
the DoD Women’s History Month program.
Gail McGinn,
deputy undersecretary of
defense for plans in the
Office of the Deputy
Undersecretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness, told
about 200 student participants
in the Close Up Foundation
government program that “the
world is open to you and
there’s just about nothing
you can’t do.” McGinn’s
comment came during the DoD
observance of Women’s
History Month on March 30 at
the Women’s Memorial near
the entrance to Arlington
(Va.) National Cemetery. Photo
by Rudi Williams
(Click photo
for screen-resolution image);high-resolution
image available. |
|
“Today, women make up nearly one-sixth of
the active duty force and almost two-fifths of
the DoD civilian employee population,” said
Gail McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense
for plans in the Office of the Deputy
Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness.
She said the annual observance gives DoD an
opportunity to celebrate the phenomenal
accomplishments of women from the past,
present and future. “This year’s theme,
‘Women Change America,’ focuses on the
many heroes who have left legacies for future
generations to follow,” McGinn said.
“Trends reveal that in 2004, 38 percent
of female officers were in healthcare jobs, 33
percent of enlisted females were in
administrative positions and 45 percent of DoD
civilian women were in professional and
technical careers,” McGinn noted. “And an
increasing proportion of senior-level active
duty and DoD positions are being filled by
women.”
The representation of military and civilian
women in senior-level active duty and DoD
civilian positions has improved significantly
over the past few years, she told the
gathering at the Women’s Memorial. But
McGinn pointed out that DoD, along with every
other federal agency, is facing human-capital
challenges in some critical occupations and
educational disciplines that must be addressed
proactively.
“Today’s program is intended to focus
on the propensity of women to participate in
science, engineering and mathematics
occupations and disciplines,” she said.
“For the young people out there,”
McGinn announced, “we are going to be job
hunting in a few years. Or when you complete
college, remember that we have a human-capital
crisis in the federal government and we need
people who will be willing to join us and work
in critical positions, particularly in
science, engineering and mathematics.”
John Molino, acting deputy undersecretary
of defense for equal opportunity, presented
special coins to 12 women math, science and
engineering role models who’d been nominated
by their agencies.
Representing the Army was Zita Simutis,
director, Army Research Institute for the
Behavioral and Social Sciences and chief
psychologist; Joanne Hensley, engineer, Office
of the Administrative Assistant to Secretary
of the Army Leadership Program; and retired
Lt. Col. Barbara L. Treharne, contractor,
Joint Staff, Joint Air and Missile Defense
Organization.
Representing the Navy was Ann F. Tate,
head, Systems Research and Technology
Department; Lisa Kirkpatrick-Swan, engineer;
and Sharon M. Parish, section head, Advanced
Display Systems Technologies Section. All work
at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va.
Representing the Coast Guard was Cmdr. Lisa
M. Festa, commanding officer, Office of Naval
Engineering Support Unit; Lt. Cmdr. Joyce
Aivalotis, assignment officer, Coast Guard
Personnel Command; Carolyn R. Boltin, division
chief, Naval Resource Damage Claims Division,
National Pollution Funds Center; and Lisa
Hecker, naval architect and marine engineer,
Tank Vessel and Offline Shore Division, Marine
Safety Center.
Representing the defense agencies was
Patricia Marsh, deputy director, Defense
Financial Auditing Service Directorate, Office
of the DoD Inspector General; and Lt. Col.
Liesel A. Golden, staff officer, Combat
Support Assessments Division, Defense Threat
Reduction Agency.
With the National Women’s History Month
theme “Women Change America,” the Defense
Department celebrated women’s achievements
and contributions to the defense of the nation
today with a special two-part observance here
at the Women’s Memorial.
The program also featured Janet Hoffheins,
deputy director, Human Resources Automated
Systems, Defense Civilian Personnel Management
Service, who gave an overview of the progress
of women in the total DoD workforce military,
DoD civilian workforce and contractors. She
also gave an update on the recruitment and
retention of women in DoD.
Air Force Brig. Gen. K.C. McClain,
commander, Joint Taskforce on Sexual Assault,
Prevention and Response, talked about progress
being made in DoD’s efforts toward
improvements in the treatment and care of
sexual assault victims and efforts to
eliminate future incidents.
The program also showcased three women who
have reached high positions in DoD and in the
civilian sector: Sue Payton, deputy
undersecretary of defense for advanced systems
and concepts, Office of the Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology and
Logistics; Bonnie Morris, author and professor
of women’s studies at George Washington
University and Georgetown University,
Washington; and Debra Knopman, vice president
and director of RAND Infrastructure, Safety
and Environment, Arlington.
About 200 students and 20 escorts who were
in the Washington area as part of the Close Up
Foundation program also attended DoD’s
celebration program.
“I’m especially grateful to Close Up
Foundation from bringing us these young,
bright 10th, 11th and 12th grade students,”
McGinn said. “They’ve traveled from
various western and Midwestern states as well
as Puerto Rico to participate in this week’s
close up program events. The foundation has
hosted more than 600,000 students, educators
and others (since 1970) for weeklong
government studies program in the nation’s
capital.
McGinn told the students the message they
should talk away from the DoD observance “is
that the world is open to you and there’s
just about nothing you can’t do.”
|
