Value of Service (original) (raw)
All-Volunteer Force Desegregation of the Military Women's Integration Into the Armed Forces Opening of Combat Roles to Women
1973
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the all-volunteer force. Established on July 1, 1973, the all-volunteer force was a return to the tradition of voluntary service in the military. Every soldier, Marine, sailor, airman and guardian in the military today is a volunteer, and that effort has produced the finest fighting force the world has ever seen.
1948
This is the 75th anniversary of President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981, which abolished segregation in the U.S. armed forces. He issued the order July 26, 1948.
1948
President Truman also signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948. That act allowed women to serve as permanent, regular members of the armed forces. Prior to the act, women served only in national emergencies.
2013
2023 marks a decade since former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, eliminated the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule. They directed the military services and U.S. Special Operations Command to open all military occupational specialties to women, including frontline combat units