UnderstandiUnderstandiDifferences
PopulatiBehavioraBehaviora
Perspec
ing Gendering Gender in Military ions: A l Healthl Health ctive
Ariel L David ProjectAriel L. David, Project CoordinatorJPACC‐ Armed Services Network of LouisianaNetwork of Louisiana
GOALS FOR THIS SGOALS FOR THIS SExamine tand discuand discuservices dthese ma
• Realitie• Gendeon wom
• Racial awomen
• SelecteSelectedepreschemic
• Wome
ESSION:ESSION:the effects of military service on women’s lives uss the scope of behavioral health needs anduss the scope of behavioral health needs and delivery issues affecting women, focusing on jor areas:
es of military service
r disparity and discrimination and their impact men veterans
and ethnic disparities and their impact on n veterans of color
ed behavioral health issues of women, includinged behavioral health issues of women, including ssion and PTSD and trauma, eating disorders, cal dependence, and military sexual trauma.
n’s health services needs and delivery
Wh h iWhy are we having this conversation?
Female service members are helpingFemale service members are helping to change the face of the military as they join the service at higher rates than at any other time in our nation’sthan at any other time in our nation s history. Approximately 850,730 or 16.533 percent are women. About 11 5 percent of those who serving in11.5 percent of those who serving in the Middle East are women.
Of the 23 million veterans in thisOf the 23 million veterans in this country, over 1.8 million are women and almost a half million are enrolled in VA care This number is expectedin VA care. This number is expected to grow by 30 percent in the next five years.
L i i V t P l tiLouisiana Veteran Population by Persons, by Parish
Louisiana is home to 312,087 veterans
(9 2% / 0 1 f h l i )(9.2% +/‐0.1 of the population)7.7‐11 % of these veterans are
female
Additionally there are at least 5900 service women are living5900 service women are living within the state of Louisiana.
Brief History of Women • Women have answered the call to duty in every conflict
and the Civil War.
• 1901‐ the military realized the need for nurses and the (NNC) Navy Nurse Corps in 1908 Prior to the ANC and N(NNC) Navy Nurse Corps in 1908. Prior to the ANC and N
• NAVY – 1st to involve women in jobs other than medicawomen were filling the roles of stenographers, typists, cstock record clerks, cryptographers, translators, telephointerpreters supply officers personnel officers,interpreters, supply officers, personnel officers.
• Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 gave w2% ceiling on the number of women in the military, restcould serve in command positions to 10%. Women coulWAC or above commander in the Navy Women could bWAC or above commander in the Navy. Women could bbe assigned to ships engaged in combat.
• In 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson removed legal ceil
• 1976 –President Ford signed Law establishing the admis1976 President Ford signed Law establishing the admis
• In 1988, the Department of Defense adopted a “risk rulmissions if the risks of exposure to direct combat, hostilin the combat units they supported.
• In 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta lifted the baon the front lines for the first time in the history of the
in the US Armed Forcest in U.S. history, beginning with the American Revolution
(ANC) Army Nurse Corps was established followed by the NNC women served as contract and volunteer nursesNNC women served as contract and volunteer nurses.
al due to clerical shortages. By the beginning of WWII, clerks, draftsmen, postal clerks, intelligence analysts, one and teletype operators, photographers, mail censors
women permanent status in the military but imposed a tricted promotions, limited the number of women who ld not attain any rank above lieutenant colonel in the be discharged without cause and could not fly aircraft orbe discharged without cause and could not fly aircraft or
ings on women's promotions.
ssion of women into the academiesssion of women into the academies
e” that excluded women from noncombat units or le fire, or capture were equal to or greater than the risks
an on women in combat, allowing them to officially serve U.S. Armed Forces.
The Combat Masculine WThe Combat Masculine W
As an institution comprised priculture is shaped by men Soldculture is shaped by men. Solda masculine role—the professiocombat is defined by society asentrenched "cult of masculinitymasculine norms, values, and lcultureculture.
Warrior ComplexWarrior Complex
marily of men, military iering is historically viewed asiering is historically viewed as on of war, defense, and s men’s work. Thus, a deeply y" (with accompanying ifestyles) permeates military
There are a few key demographic differences between women and meh lthe military.
• More than three‐in‐ten (31%) military women ablack (including black Hispanics). This is almost tthe share of active‐duty men who are black (16%
ll h i h i f i iliwell as more than twice the proportion of civiliawomen ages 18‐44 who are black (15%). In addimore women in the active‐duty force than men the active‐duty force and civilian women ages 1are of mixed racial background or some other ra
• The share of Hispanics among women and men the armed forces is similar (13% vs. 12%, respectively), and the share of military women wp y), yare Hispanic is smaller than that of Hispanic woages 18‐44 in the U.S. civilian population (16%).the number of Hispanics enlisting in the active‐dforce each year has risen significantly over the ladecade. In 2003, Hispanic women and men mad11 5% f h li h ili j11.5% of the new enlistees to the military; just syears later, in 2010, they made up 16.9% of nonservice enlisted accessions.
n in
are twice %), as an ition, in 8‐44 ace.
in
who men But duty ast de up seven ‐prior
The largest survey of racial attitudesforces reported that 75 percent of all“report that they have experienced rthan half expressed confidence that cthoroughly investigated.” Almost 20 p
• Black enlisted women are more likely than otht d d i i t ti i lti i
being given “inferior assignments or
support and administrative specialties, especipersonnel are also more likely than whites to likely than whites to be in electronic, electricacombat specialties.Bl k d d t d i• Black women and men are underrepresented ishare of enlisted personnel or the civilian laboofficers to have been commissioned through thof black officers is significantly lower than wh
• Black women officers are less likely than any also more likely to leave the service earlier in
s ever conducted within the armed l people of color in the military racially offensive behavior, and less complaints of discrimination are percent of African Americans report
her racial groups to be in functional i ll d ith hit Bl k
evaluations because of racial bias.”
ially compared with whites. Black be in service or supply specialties and less
al, or mechanical equipment repair, or
i th ffi k d ith th i in the officer ranks compared with their or force. They are less likely than white he military academies, and the average age hite officers.
other group to be promoted, and they are the “up-or-out system”.
CombBilletBillet
Bureaucramilitary toin combathaving tohaving to combatanBans have
b tcombat zodenied theservice in
bat Exclusive inging
atic maneuvering allowed the go access servicewomen’s labor t situations without actually recognize them asrecognize them as ntse not protected women in
f fi b tones from enemy fire but em recognition of their combat.
Harassment and SexHarassment and Sex
M h hi dMore than one‐third opersonnel reported hiwoman in the militarywoman in the militarystress than men due tworkers and supervisoworkers and supervisowomen in the militarysexual contact since e(17 percent in the Ma
xismxism
f ll f l iliof all female military igh levels of stress as a y; women reported morey; women reported more to problems with co‐ors; and 12 percent of allors; and 12 percent of all y reported unwanted entering the military g yarine Corps).
News Media’s Gender Narratives about female soldautomatically fail as soldiers: either they are considautomatically fail as soldiers: either they are consid
disruptive to military discipline and morale.
diers facilitate the social perceptions that women dered too weak to serve or are thought of as too dered too weak to serve or are thought of as too
“Men are soldiers, but woMen are soldiers, but wo
While the military may be lwomen have yet to reach sowomen have yet to reach so
omen are female soldiers”omen are female soldiers
legally inclusive of women, ocial and cultural integrationocial and cultural integration
NON-GENDER SPNON-GENDER SPPEFICIC FACTORS PEFICIC FACTORS
a. Physical Performance
b. Alcohol Availability
c. Living Arrangements
d. Types of Service and Deployments
e Prescription practices e. Prescription practices
f. Post deployment assessments
g. Policies regarding drug testingg g g g
h. Military to Civilian Transition
Mhtew
Ftee
Military members are at yhigh risk for exposure to traumatic events, especially during times of war.
Future studies are needed to better understand the effects of women's
bexposure to combat.
Overall women veterans are less llive in poverty. (10% vs 16%) Howlikely than their male counterparlikely than their male counterpar
pove
36% of women veterans age 18‐2significantly more likely to be uneg y y
non‐veteran women wit
likely than non veteran women to wever, women veterans are more rts to be unemployed and live inrts to be unemployed and live in erty
24 nation‐wide are unemployed; employed than male veterans and p ythin the same age range
homelessnessWomen veteransbecome homeleshomelessnessbecome homeles33% of homeless with them, comp
are two to four times more likely to ss compared to non‐veteran womenss, compared to non veteran womenwomen veterans have a minor child living
pared to 8% of homeless male veterans
DRUG USE• The percentage of both men and womreporting prescription drug misuse inmilitary services combined (11 5 percmilitary services combined (11.5 percwas more than twice that of the civilipopulation in the age group 18‐64 (4percent).
• Prescription drug abuse among womactive duty (13.1 percent) was more tfour times the rate for civilian womenfour times the rate for civilian womenpercent)
• Women in the military were shown toWomen in the military were shown toa higher rate of past‐month use compto males.
Some major gender
men n all cent)
Some major gender differences regarding drug use within the services:
cent) ian .4
Except in the Marine Corps, women in the military tend to be more likely than their male
en on than n (3 2
counterparts to use illicit drugs.
A thn (3.2
o have
Army women are more than twice as likely as men in the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Navy to have used any illicito have
pared Navy to have used any illicit drug, including prescription drugs used non‐medically, in the past month.the past month.
Alcohol UseAlcohol Use
Th NHSDA (N ti l H h• The NHSDA (National HousehSurvey on Drug Abuse), repofollowing alcohol use among g gnearly 30 million veterans agand older living in the United
ALCOHOL USE F l V• ALCOHOL USE: Female Veteravs. Males Veterans 56%
• BINGE DRINKING: Female Vet14% vs. Male Veterans 23%
• HEAVY DRINKING: Female Vetvs. Male Veterans 7%vs. Male Veterans 7%
h ldhold rted the the
ged 18 d States:
41%ans 41%
terans
terans 2%
• Women in military populatiolikely to develop PTSD thanwomen and 4% for men).
• Among women veterans oAfghanistan, almost 20%PTSD. We also know thaPTSD. We also know thaVeterans suffered from PTpostwar lives. Of men who srate of PTSD was 31%.
ons are more than twice asn male counterparts (10% for
of the conflicts in Iraq andhave been diagnosed with
at 27% of women Vietnamat 27% of women VietnamTSD sometime during theirserved in Vietnam, the lifetime
The Department of Defense defines Milassault and sexual harassment Even byassault, and sexual harassment. Even byconsidered an epidemic.
DoD FY 2013 Total number of sexual assl 50% FY 2012 b (3 37nearly 50% over FY 2012 numbers (3,37
However, the Pentagon estimates that 8unreported. In 2012, surveyed Active Duunreported. In 2012, surveyed Active Durevealed 26,000 instances of unwanted abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexulaw.
Women make up 16.5 percent of active‐p pvictims.
itary Sexual Trauma (MST) as rape, sexual y conservative standards MST can bey conservative standards, MST can be
sault reports: 5,061 reports, an increase of 4 t t l t )4 total reports).
85 percent of sexual assault crimes go uty Members of the military anonymouslyuty Members of the military anonymously sexual contact. This included coerced and ual assault and rape ‐‐ all prohibited by military
‐duty forces, but 47 percent of sexual assault y , p
17.9 % of all DOD enlistments between 2003‐2006 were “ Morality Waivers” :2006 were Morality Waivers :
“All commanders are charged with the responsibility of recommending or approvwaivers for applicants who, to the satisfaction of the commander concernedhave been rehabilitated; are good risks fra moral standpoint; and possess aa moral standpoint; and possess a documented, meritorious waiver requestcommander or acting commander(on ordwill personally interview all applicants
i i i i i l i d
• Out of 125,524 moral waivers, a total of 4,230 con
requiring a serious criminal misconduct waiver either in person or by telephone.”
, , ,guilty of vehicular homicide, rape, statutory rape, with dangerous weapon, assault, intentionally inflifelony. On top of this, 43,977 of these recruits hadincluded robbery, burglary, negligent homicide, as
• The DOD has no systematic tracking or monitoring
ving
d, om
… ders)
nvicted felons were enlisted, including individuals found , gunlawful sexual contact, aggravated assault, assault icting great bodily harm, assault with intent to commit d been found guilty of a serious misdemeanor, which sault/assault and battery.
g of recruits with waivers once it signs them up.
Other Health ConcernsOther Health Concerns…oWomen Veterans also had higher though lower substance use disorthough lower substance use disor
o Suicide risk was reported as beingbut the standardized mortality ratreportedly higher than that of mareportedly higher than that of mathe differences among Veterans vvs. men. For example, the suicide female) is estimated to be 66 percgeneral population. Also, among sVeterans were 1.6 times more likenon‐Veterans).
owomen deployed with combat exlikely to develop disordered eatinlose an extreme amount of weighh d l d b t did t twho deployed but did not report
…risks for depression than men, rders.rders. g lower among women Veterans, tio among female Veterans is ale Veterans Most studies focus onale Veterans. Most studies focus on vs. non‐Veterans more than women rate among all Veterans (male and cent higher than that of the suicide decedents, women ely to use firearms (compared to
posures were 1.78 times more g and 2.35 times more likely to ht when compared with women
b tcombat exposures.
AnyAny Questions?Questions? Comments?Comments?
Ariel L DavidAriel L. David
(504) 361-2515 (office)
adavid@jpda [email protected]
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