Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces

The role of women in the United States armed services became an important political topic in 1991. Women military personnel had engaged in combat in the most recent U.S. military actions: Grenada in 1983 Panama in 1989, and the Gulf War in 1991. Senator William V. Roth R-DE) introduced a Senate bill in 1991 to clarify women’s roles in the armed forces, including combat.

Representative Patricia Schroeder (D-CO1) and Beverly B. Byron (D-MD6) then convinced the House Armed Services Committee to amend the House bill under consideration for military appropriations for 1992 and 1993 to allow combat roles for military women. In the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John Glenn (D-OH) opined that a thorough review and study of the issue of women’s role in the armed services would take up to 18 months.

Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA), Chair of the Senate Committee, then introduced several Senate bills—102 S. 1507, 102 S. 1508, 102 S. 1509, and 102 S. 1515—to create just such a commission. The Congressional conference committee chosen to reconcile the House and Senate versions of bills for 1992-1993 military appropriations (of which Sen. Nunn was a member) included creating the Commission in the approved 1992-1993 military appropriations law.

“Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces”

Specific matters for the Commission to study included

Commissioners

Each member of the commission, except for the Chair, was assigned to a panel to collect specific information relating to the commission’s purposes.

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