; and (6) as fixed and rotary wing combat pilots, surface warfare sailors, submariners, artillerists, air defenders, engineers, military police, intelligence specialists, civil affairs specialists, logisticians, and, most recently, in all combat roles in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan; Whereas, as of 2021, women constituted approximately 17 percent of Armed Forces personnel on active duty, including— (1) 21 percent of active duty personnel in the Air Force; (2) 21 percent of active duty personnel in the Navy; (3) 16 percent of active duty personnel in the Army; (4) 9 percent of active duty personnel in the Marine Corps; (5) 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Coast Guard; and (6) 20 percent of active duty personnel in the Space Force; Whereas, as of 2021, women constituted more than 21 percent of personnel in the National Guard and Reserves; Whereas women were critical to COVID–19 relief, including as part of the personnel in the National Guard and Reserves activated to support COVID–19 response efforts; Whereas women have been critical to responding to the unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, including as members of the National Guard and as active duty personnel in the Armed Forces who have been deployed to contribute to foreign assistance efforts; Whereas 13 members of the Armed Forces, including 2 women, were killed during Operation Allies Refuge, in which more than 120,000 people were evacuated in the largest civilian airlift in the history of the United States; Whereas, in 2023— (1) the population of women veterans is more than 2,066,000, which represents a significant increase from 713,000 women veterans in 1980; and (2) women veterans constitute approximately 11 percent of the total veteran population; Whereas women are the fastest growing group in the veteran population