Services Have Opened Selected Positions and Occupations to Women, Are Determining Whether to Integrate Direct Ground-Combat Occupations, and Are Taking Steps to Identify and Mitigate Potential Challenges

The military services and SOCOM have opened selected positions and  occupations to women since January 2013, and are in the process of  determining whether to open the remaining direct ground-combat  positions and occupations. The  services and SOCOM also provided quarterly progress reports on their  efforts to open closed positions and occupations to women, starting with  the third quarter of fiscal year 2013. The services are working on integration plans for these positions and  occupations that have been opened to women. Services and SOCOM Permitted to Recommend an Exception to Policy to Keep Positions Closed to Women

As an alternative to opening a position or occupation, the Secretary of  Defense has permitted the services to recommend that the Chairman of  the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense approve an exception   As of May  to policy to keep positions or occupations closed to women.2015, the Secretary of the Navy was the only military department  Secretary to have recommended approval of an exception to policy. This study is  scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2015. We compared the five elements to the  services’ and SOCOM’s planned steps and methodologies in their studies  and determined that their study plans contained steps that, if carried out  as planned, potentially address all five elements, as summarized in figure  5. DOD Is Providing Oversight of Integration Efforts, but Has Not Developed Plans to Monitor Long-Term Progress in Integrating Women into Combat Positions

DOD has been tracking, monitoring, and providing oversight over the  services’ and SOCOM’s efforts to integrate women into ground-combat  positions, but has not developed plans to monitor long-term integration  progress. Without ongoing monitoring of the services’ and  SOCOM’s implementation progress in integrating previously closed  positions and occupations, it will be difficult for DOD to have visibility over  the extent to which the services and SOCOM are overcoming potential  obstacles to integration and DOD will not have information for  congressional decision makers about the department’s integration  progress. In 2012, we assessed the military necessity of the Selective Service  System and examined alternatives to its current structure. In our 2012 report, we recommended that DOD (1) evaluate  DOD’s requirements for the Selective Service System in light of recent  strategic guidance and report the results to Congress; and (2) establish a  process of periodically reevaluating DOD’s requirements for the Selective  Service System in light of changing threats, operating environments, and  strategic guidance. Regarding the second  recommendation, DOD had not taken action as of June 2015, but agreed  that a thorough assessment of the issue was merited, and should include  a review of the statutes and policies surrounding the current registration  process and the potential to include the registration of women. Thus, we continue to believe that our 2012  recommendation has merit—that DOD should take the lead in conducting  an evaluation of requirements for the Selective Service System and  should establish a process of periodically reevaluating DOD’s  requirements for the Selective Service System in light of changing  threats, operating environments, and strategic guidance. Although  OUSD(P&R) and Joint Staff have been tracking, monitoring, and  providing oversight of the services’ and SOCOM’s integration efforts, they  do not have plans to monitor the services’ implementation progress after  January 2016, as newly opened positions are integrated. To determine the extent to which service efforts to validate gender-neutral  occupational standards are consistent with statutory requirements and  Joint Staff guidance, we identified requirements from statutes and Joint  Staff guidance and compared these requirements against service plans  for studies. However, the results from these studies are not yet  completed; therefore, we could not assess the extent to which the  completed studies will follow the planned steps and methodologies or  report how results of the studies will be implemented.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since September 2001 more than 300,000 women have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 800 women have been wounded and more than 130 have died. A 1994 rule prohibited women from being assigned to many direct ground-combat units, but on January 24, 2013, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff rescinded the rule and directed the military services to open closed positions and occupations to women by January 1, 2016.
Senate Report 113-176 had a provision for GAO to review the services' progress in opening closed positions and occupations to women. This report assesses the (1) status of service efforts to open positions and occupations to women, including steps to identify and mitigate potential challenges; (2) extent the services' efforts to validate gender-neutral occupational standards are consistent with statutory and Joint Staff requirements; and (3) extent DOD is tracking, monitoring, and providing oversight of the services' integration plans. GAO analyzed statutes, DOD guidance, and service reports and plans, and interviewed DOD officials.

What GAO Found

The military services and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) have opened selected positions and occupations to women since January 2013, as shown in the table below, and are determining whether to open the remaining closed positions and occupations. The services and SOCOM also are conducting studies to identify and mitigate potential integration challenges in areas such as unit cohesion, women's health, and facilities. As of May 2015, the Secretary of the Navy was the only military department Secretary to recommend an exception to policy to keep positions closed to women on three classes of ships that are scheduled to be decommissioned, due in part to high retrofit costs.
The services and SOCOM are working to address statutory and Joint Staff requirements for validating gender-neutral occupational standards. GAO identified five elements required for standards validation. GAO compared these elements to the services' and SOCOM's planned methodologies and determined that their study plans contained steps that, if carried out as planned, potentially address all five elements. However, the services' and SOCOM's efforts are still underway; therefore, GAO could not assess the extent that the studies will follow the planned methodologies or report how the study results will be implemented.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has been tracking, monitoring, and providing oversight of the services' and SOCOM's integration efforts, but does not have plans to monitor the services' implementation progress after January 2016 in integrating women into newly opened positions and occupations. While DOD requires the services and SOCOM to submit quarterly progress reports, this requirement ends in January 2016. Without ongoing monitoring of integration progress, it will be difficult for DOD to help the services overcome potential obstacles. Further, when opening positions to women, DOD must analyze the implications for how it meets certain resource needs. In 2012, GAO assessed the military necessity of the Selective Service System and examined alternatives to its structure. GAO recommended in 2012 that DOD establish a process of periodically reevaluating its requirements in light of changing threats, operating environments, and strategic guidance. DOD has not taken action to do this, but agreed that a thorough assessment of the issue was merited, and should include a review of the statutes and policies surrounding the registration process and the potential to include the registration of women. GAO continues to believe that DOD should establish a process of periodically reevaluating DOD's requirements for the Selective Service System.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DOD develop plans to monitor integration progress after January 2016. DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation. GAO previously recommended that DOD establish a process of periodically reevaluating DOD's requirements for the Selective Service System. DOD has not taken action but GAO continues to believe the recommendation is valid.