TMCnet News

Thousands of positions in 132 Army jobs will be opened to women [Stars and Stripes :: ]
[January 24, 2014]

Thousands of positions in 132 Army jobs will be opened to women [Stars and Stripes :: ]


(Stars and Stripes Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 24--WASHINGTON -- Starting in April, female soldiers will be eligible to serve in about 33,000 positions previously off-limits to them because of a now-canceled policy designed to keep women out of combat.



The positions are in 132 military occupational specialties, including Black Hawk pilot, paralegal specialist and geospatial engineer. Women had already been doing each of the jobs elsewhere in the Army, officials said. What's new is that they will soon be eligible to serve in direct ground combat units below brigade level throughout the Army.

"This will allow more flexibility in determining how who gets assigned to a position," said Col. Linda Sheimo, head of the command programs and policy division for the Army deputy chief of staff for personnel. "The focus of the Army implementation plan is to have the best soldier in our Army, and we are on track to accomplish that." The Army opened 22,000 such positions beginning in May 2012, when it allowed women to begin serving in maneuver battalions in nine brigades as part of an assessment period. The number of brigades was expanded to 26 last summer. Almost 600 women have since been assigned to those brigades.


The Department of Defense notified Congress of the Army's latest move on Jan. 17. The positions should open up around April 4, unless Congress passes legislation to prevent it, she said.

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the end of the ground combat exclusion policy in January 2013, shortly before he left the Pentagon.

The newly announced positions open to women do not include MOSes such as infantry, nor do they cover special operations units. U.S. Special Operations Command is conducting its own assessment of how to open additional jobs to women. According to the timeline Panetta announced, the military has until 2016 to fully integrate women into the force.

When asked about the opening of combat unit positions to women in a press briefing Thursday, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel shares Panetta's commitment to integrating female troops as much as possible.

"And he's committed, as was Secretary Panetta before him, to removing as many barriers to that service as possible and to make the military service a vocation that one wants to pursue and can pursue for a career," Kirby said.

[email protected] Twitter: @chriscarroll_ The jobs ...

The Department of Defense has notified Congress of the following positions that are now open to women: 12C Bridge crew member 12D Diver 12H Construction engineering supervisor 12N Horizontal construction engineer 12R Interior electrician 12X General engineering supervisor 12Y Geospatial engineer 12Z Combat engineering senior sergeant 13T Field artillery surveyor/meteorological crew member 13Z Field artillery senior sergeant 14J Air defense C41 tactical operations center enhanced operator-maintainer 14S Air & missile defense (AMD) crew member 15E Unmanned aircraft system 15W Unmanned aerial vehicle operator 25B Information technology specialist 25C Radio operator-maintainer 25E Electromagnetic spectrum manager nodal network systems operator-maintainer 25F Network switching systems operator-maintainer 25L Cable systems installer-maintainer 25P Microwave systems operator-maintainer 25Q Multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer 25S Satellite communications systems operator-maintainer 25T Satellite/microwave systems chief 25U Signal support systems chief 25W Telecommunications operations chief 25X Senior signal sergeant 25Z Visual information operations chief 27D Paralegal specialist 29E Electronic warfare specialist 31B Military Police 35F Intelligence analyst 35G Imagery analyst 35L Counter intelligence agent 35M Human intelligence collector 35N Signals intelligence analyst 35P Cryptologic linguist intelligence senior sergeant/chief 35T Military intelligence systems maintainer/integrator 35X Intelligence sergeant 35Z SIGINT senior sergeant/chief 37F Psychological operations specialist 38B Civil affairs specialist 42A Human resources specialist 46Q Public affairs specialist 46R Public affairs broadcast specialist 56M Chaplain assistant 68S Preventive medicine specialist 68W Health care specialist 74D CBRN specialist 79S Active duty career counselor 88M Motor transport operator 88N Transportation management coordinator 89B Ammunition specialist 89D EOD specialist 91B Wheeled vehicle repairer 91C Utilities equipment repairer 91D Power generation equipment repairer 91E Allied trades specialist 91F Small arms/artillery repairer 91G Fire control repairer 91H Tracked vehicle repairer 91J Quartermaster and chemical equipment repairer 91L Construction equipment repairer 91X Maintenance supervisor 91Z Senior maintenance supervisor 92A Automated logistical specialist 92F Petroleum supply specialist 92G Food service specialist 92R Parachute rigger 92S Shower/laundry & clothing repair specialist 92W Water treatment specialist 92Y Unit supply specialist 94E Radio & COMSEC repairer 94F Computer/detection systems repairer 94M Radar repairer 94W Electronic maintenance chief 94Z Senior electronic maintenance chief 00B General officer 01A Officer generalist 12A Engineer 12B Combat engineer 12D FCCME 14A Air defense artillery 25A Signal, general 27A Judge advocate general 31A Military Police 35D All source intelligence 36A Financial manager 37A Psychological operations 38A Civil affairs (AA and USAR) 42B Human resources officer 50A Force development 51A Systems development 51C Contract & industrial management 51R Systems automation acquisition & engineering 51T Test & evaluation 51Z Acquisition 56A Command & unit chaplain 57A Simulations operations officer 59A Strategist 60A Operational medicine 61N Flight surgeon 62B Field surgeon 65D Physician assistant 70B Health services administration 70H Health services plans, operations, intelligence, security and training 70K Health services material 74A CBRN 90A Logistics 91A Maintenance & munitions material officer 92A Quartermaster, general 011A Branch MOS immaterial 120A Construction engineering technician 131A Field artillery targeting technician 140A Command and control systems integrator 150U Tactical unmanned aerial systems operations technician 153D UH-60 pilot 154C CH-47 pilot 155A Fixed wing aviator (aircraft nonspecific) 251A Information systems technician 254A Signal systems support technician 255A Information services technician 255S Cyberspace defense technician 255Z Cyberspace network operations technician 290A Electronic warfare technician 350F All source intelligence technician 740A Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) warrant officer 890A Ammunition technician 915A Automotive maintenance warrant officer 915E Senior automotive maintenance officer 919A Engineer equipment maintenance warrant officer 920A Property accounting technician 921A Airdrop systems technician ___ (c)2014 the Stars and Stripes Visit the Stars and Stripes at www.stripes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]