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Chapter 4:

 

Gender

As shown in Table 4.9, women constituted about 19 percent of officer accessions and 16 percent of the officer corps in FY 2002. The Air Force holds its place as the most gender-integrated regarding officers, with the Army and the Navy not far behind. Though the levels of women in the officer corps are nowhere near college graduate population proportions, sustained growth has occurred in the representation of women among officers (see Appendix Tables D-24 and D-29 for trends among accessions and the officer corps since FY 1973).

Table 4.9. FY 2002 Active Component Female Officer Accessions and Officer Corps (Percent)
 
Army
Navy
Marine Corps
Air Force
DoD
Active Component Accessions
20.0
18.2
8.2
21.9
19.1
Active Component Officer Corps
16.0
15.3
5.4
17.8
15.6

Also see Appendix Table B-32 (Gender by Service).

 

In FY 2002, nearly equal percentages of female officers were commissioned through OCS/OTS (20 Percent), ROTC scholarship programs (19 percent), ROTC non-scholarship programs (19 percent), and direct appointment (19 percent). (See Table 4.6.) Female officer accessions were less likely than males to have attended an academy, but considerable more likely to have received a direct appointment. The majority of directly appointed officers are in the professional groups (i.e., medical, dental, legal, and ministry). Officers from these professional groups are classified as “non-line,” are managed separately, and do not assume command responsibilities over “line” officers. Career opportunities tend to be somewhat limited for non-line officers and can result in differences in pay grade distributions. Table 4.10 shows pay grade by gender for each of the Services and for DoD as a whole. While females comprised 18 percent of company grade officers, their representation decreased to 13 percent of field grade officers and 4 percent of general or flag officers.

Commissioning source differences complicate the interpretation of variations in pay grade distributions by gender. For example, direct commissions may provide an early grade boost for women, since advanced degree requirements associated with occupations in the professional echelons are rewarded by DoD with advanced pay grade initially for commissioned officers. Assignment qualifications, interests, and policy also affect pay grade. In the Air Force, for example, status as a pilot usually enhances career prospects. (Assignment data are provided later in this chapter in the discussion of occupation areas.)

Table 4.10. FY 2002 Pay Grade1 of Active Component Officers, by Service and Gender (Percent)
Pay Grade
Army
Marine Corps
Air Force
DoD
O-1 through O-3
Male
81.9
83.8
93.0
79.1
82.4
Female
18.1
16.2
7.1
20.9
17.7
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
O-4 through O-6
Male
86.9
86.0
97.5
86.3
87.2
Female
13.1
14.0
2.5
13.8
12.8
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
O-7 through O-10
Male
96.4
95.4
98.8
95.6
96.1
Female
3.6
4.7
1.2
4.4
3.9
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

Columns may not add to total due to rounding.
1Excludes those with unknown rank/pay grade.
Also see Appendix Table B-48 (Pay Grade by Gender and Service).

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