DACOWITS History of Recommendations - Fall Conference 1983

Recommendations:

1. Repeal of the Statutory Combat Restrictions
DACOWITS again strongly urges the Department of Defense and the Commandant U. S. Coast Guard to seek actively the repeal of 10 U. S. C. Sec. 6015 and 10 U. S. C. Sec 8549.

2. Uniforms
DACOWITS recommends that the Secretary of Defense take steps necessary to:

a. Ensure that more quality control of uniforms be demanded and the results be more closely monitored by uniforms procurement agencies to assure improved quality control.

b. Assign responsibilities to someone within each service to assure that availability of uniform items be increased and available within various size ranges in Clothing Sales Stores.

c. Give careful consideration to the frequency of uniform changes.

3. Intercommunication Among Women
DACOWITS recommends that the Services continue to encourage intercommunication among women on an informal basis and support, where they exist, those quasi-formal organizations that facilitate this intercommunication.

4. Media Recognition of Women's Performance
DACOWITS recommends that the DACOWITS Secretariat in concert with the OASD(PA) and OASd (EO&SP) develop articles and releases based on factual information pertinent to the performance of women. It is further recommended that this information be provided by the Services for dissemination to the various media available to all personnel in the Armed Forces and the general public. It is also recommended that the Coast Guard provide this type of information to its Public Affairs staff for dissemination.

5. Sexual Harassment
DACOWITS endorses the Recommendations presented in the OSD briefings received by DACOWITS on the Services Plans and Programs to counter Sexual Harassment and Recommends that OSD:

a. Develop and refine additional guidance relative to training targeted to the general force.

b. Refine reporting criteria in order to more accurately assess the scope of the problem and to measure the effectiveness of programs.

c. Continue to acquire separate annual assessments until reporting is integrated into annual affirmative action assessment reports.

6. Direct Combat Probability Coding (DCPC)
DACOWITS recommends that a form letter signed by the Army DCSPER be placed in the official personnel file of those female enlisted service members reclassified as a result of Direct Combat Probability Coding (DCPC). The letter should state that reclassification was directed by Department of the Army as a result of the WITA Study and that the service member should not be penalized as a result of action taken by Headquarters Department of the Army. the DACOWITS also recommends that Letters of Instruction to promotion boards address this issue.

7. Crew Configuration in Peacekeeper Missile Units
DACOWITS again recommends that the Air Force provide for the utilization of women as it develops plans for the crew configuration of the Peacekeeper Missile System.

8. Full Disclosure of Specialty Limitations
DACOWITS recommends that the Services provide information to prospective applicants, prior to enlistment or commissioning, about limitations in particular specialties which exist as a result of combat exclusion laws or policy restrictions.

9. Military Representative from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
DACOWITS recommends that the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs provide a military representative to the DACOWITS.

Chair: Dr. Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey