Public sentiment overwhelmingly supports the inclusion of women in armed forces recruitment, showcasing enthusiasm for gender equality and the progress being made. While many commenters express pride and motivation for aspiring female candidates, there are notable concerns regarding eligibility, cultural biases, and the challenges women may face in a traditionally male-dominated environment.

Delhi High Court

Indian Armed Forces

Women Candidates

s-mores

Likely a lot of confirmation bias going on here. 

However, 'pretty privilege' exists everywhere. Welcome to being a human. It's just how it is.

SilentD

Poster child syndrome will always be a thing in the military. Whether female or male, the "ideal" image of an Airman will get you further than an otherwise fair assessment of abilities. I worked on the flight line for 15 years. Females made up an outsized number of people who got the "good" jobs than their percentage of the unit. They also get pregnant. So that is a factor. The flight line is also a pretty "bro" or crude atmosphere. Some people may not be comfortable working in that environment, and they may be more comfortable in office jobs. I am built like a dumpster, so I had limited options. Just be good at your job; in most cases, the cream rises to the top. Maybe.

tomsn95

There have been many studies on lookism in the workplace. Better looking people earn more for the same job and get more promotions.

winiboozhoo

Exec positions are not easy, and maybe the position is a good way to prove that the person is more than just a pretty face. 

Also, if 7 women and 1 man apply for the position every year there might be more to the story.

SnooPeanuts4445

I guarantee the military is the one place where you'd find executive assistants and aides to be more male dominated.

Ok-Stop9242

The_Field_Examiner

Nightide

SpecialImage6501

Had a fellow airman think this about me and it felt shitty. I don’t consider myself attractive but apparently this guy did. 

We went to tech school together and then got the same base. He always said I got better opportunities/awards because people think I’m attractive. Went up for btz and he didn’t… he said it was because I’m pretty but in reality he had an LOC for not being able to pay attention, complete tasks, be on time, and he couldn’t even stick to dress and appearance. 

He also had trouble w customs and curtesies…he was known for constantly messing up when speaking to leadership. 

Then I went on to make ssgt. Guess who cried pretty privilege. Dude missed his test even when I tried to call and text him to get him there on time. 

So even if you think it’s pretty privilege it’s more likely that other factors come into play. Either way…pls don’t blame the airman just because YOU find her attractive.

jjjintonic

Swimming-Yellow9425

This is ez, just put on a wig. If you can’t beat them, join them.

supboy1

Image fucking matters in the military. You can be the best maintainer in your fleet, but if you look like a bag of ass, the only place you will ever see is the line. When I say image I mean everything visible. Grooming, height, weight, hygiene, work space, uniform. All of it. If you are in a position to be seen publicly with someone of “importance”. It can tarnish their image when you look like shit.

seasonednerd

You sound like the type of person to lose BTZ to a woman and blame sexism.

Potential-Coat-7233

[deleted]

![gif](giphy|srllrYVoB1hPGRT3XN)

Have you been living in a tiny vault at a GSU?

Gunslinger327

WTFH2S

Literally never seen this happen at work and the times I did it was in Korea when everyone was off duty.

tinycombatboots

Do you have any evidence or just anecdotes?

Stevo485

I mean you could pretty up and get attention too, might have to get out afterwards cause they will diagnose you with gender dysphoria so they can cover up their attraction to you.

spotlight2k

If you have sleezy predators out there hiring people JUST for their looks you don't want your people working for them anyway and you should be angry enough to file a formal complaint. Not all leadership is male or straight so this could be a problem for anyone.
There's also the unconscious bias that women are better at admin work that's a bigger societal issue to contend with. People with glasses are also preferred.

Being excused to deal with personal stuff is one of the "perks" of working for higher ups. There's also days where you're stuck there late, called in on weekends, and there's no way you're leaving if there's a big meeting no matter what crisis you have in your personal life. They try to give back some of the extra  time the job demands.

Getting an exec job isn't necessarily about being "pretty" or "handsome" as much as it is having a higher standard of grooming, being confident and assertive, but still likeable. Then you have to back it up by knowing what you're talking about and being damn good at your job. You represent your boss and are usually the first impression people get before a meeting.

Crisp uniforms, clean boots, sharp hair, hitting the gym more than just before a PT test, being comfortable briefing leadership and good at admin are the bare minimum requirements. They're not going to hire someone in their front facing office and assume they'll get it together before they start on Monday.

The recent AF memo just confirmed that there's a certain "look" we want to see so don't expect "pretty privilege" to go away. SecDef also doesn't seem to care much for women, so can't imagine there being too many opportunities for them in the future. This might be your year if you clean yourself up! As a guy who worked as an exec I was expected to look like I "stepped off a recruiting poster at all times."

Few_Crew_9207

I’m more about abolishing selective service all together.

eastern_shore_guy420

&gt;Guns and other technology level the playing field in battle.

You have to be able to carry those guns and technology.

[Helmet, uniform, boots, armor, weapon, ammo, food, canteens, compass, first aid kit—everything a soldier wears and carries (their “load”) can add up to more than 68 pounds. In a combat mission, that weight can skyrocket to as much as 120 pounds.](https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/how-soldiers-carry-weight/#:~:text=Helmet%2C%20uniform%2C%20boots%2C%20armor,as%20much%20as%20120%20pounds.)

The battlefield also isn't just about aiming at the bad guy and pulling the trigger. It's about crossing open distances to cover ASAP. It's about clearing obstacles. It's about carrying your wounded buddy to safety. As far as common infantry tasks, physical strength is still extremely valuable, and something where the average man has an extreme advantage over the average woman.

***However***, only 15% of the army force is infantry. There are plenty of necessary roles to be filled that don't require those things I listed above. We can absolutely draft women and have them fill vital needs for the armed forces without sacrificing battlefield capability.

babno

Dude, it was women who pushed to allow women in combat. The SC said women can be part of the draft. The only thing that needs to be done is make a bill for it. There have been bills for that, but Republican's keep nuking them.

Maybe you should vote differently? But then what left do you have to bitch and moan about?

kendrahf

I agree that women should have military service too.

Have nothing against that to be honest.

My only "but" is that it is well known that there is a lot of sexual harassment and abuse in the military(and in such a rigid hierarchy where lower ranks can't ever talk back to higher ranks or accuse them, abuse of power is basically a given and those in lower ranks have no chance to defend themselves), so something should be done about that first if women were to start being drafted today,

NightmaresFade

It isn’t really a double standard. People who want equality…typically advocate against the existence of the draft. Society not giving them that isn’t a double standard. It’s that society hasn’t yet caught up to their standard.

One-Branch-2676

The responses in this post saying how there should just be no more wars Are utterly ridiculous.

mute1

Soldiers are expected to be able to carry a weight threshold across large distances. The number of women who can carry said threshold across said distance isn't a lot. Not saying this as a point against women, I'm just noting that standard equipment is rated for a male physique that's been pushed to said physiques limits and beyond.

For the average woman, they'd need hormone boosters to keep up with the muscle mass requirements necessary for non support roles.

For support roles, 100% they can be drafted. For nonsupport roles, without lowering physical requirements to maintain standards and ground capabilities, I'm just not seeing it.

Ragelore004

100% agree time for real equality not just fun equality. If unemployed woman is not funding work and not applying as a laborer or other work like that she gets a chance to apply before losing benefits- ZERO privilege going forward.

DiveJumpShooterUSMC

Yeah isn’t being in the military like 90% manual labour? I haven’t served but I heard story’s

Make women pass the same physicals as men 

magnaton117

Women generally had children to take care of. That being said lots don't now.

CheeseSeas

Agreed.

I'm against conscription to begin with, but if you're going to go that route, at least have the decency not to be sexist about it.

Feminists only want the good part of being a guy -Bill Burr

standardtrickyness1

Men are bigger, stronger, and faster than men in the vast majority of cases. Also, having women die in battle will greatly screw over a population. One man can impregnate any number of women. Many women will get pregnant and need to be sent home anyway, unless you'd like pregnant women in war. One of my Seabee friends said when ship duty time came around, a lot of women get pregnant. 

 Men can live in filthy conditions better than women. Women of childbearing age would have to be in ear, unless you want aunties and grannies defending you. 

Why do we go through this every few weeks here? Most countries esp in the West want their populations and birth rates to increase. No one wants to conscript women the same way you'd conscript Men.

tiffytaffylaffydaffy

How about nobody gets drafted? Because (especially forceful) drafting is taking away human rights. 

Why is it that when someone wants equal rights your first instinct is to make both suffer? Why isn't it that nobody suffers? 

--

The reason why men are and were the ones getting drafted over women is because, just like today, child care and care of the household falls on women, and women are seen as the ones who's job is to take care of everyone. And because with the lack of women there will be lack of children. Woman can give birth once a year, a man can get multiple women pregnant throughout the year. 

Overall equal rights equal fights doesn't mean you should take everyone's rights away, you should be fighting for everyone to have their rights.

DotTechnical3442

Sure. As soon as the sexual assault rates for men and women in the military are equal, then women should be equally drafted. Otherwise it's being forcibly drafted to be raped at higher rates than expected as a civilian.

firefoxjinxie

First of all how many men do you know that have been drafted? Is this even a problem in the place where you're from? I swear to god, I don't know one singular man who was sent to any front. Most of my male friends wouldn't even qualify for A class, which would mean mandatory service back in the day (now means reserve). The mandatory service we had lasted a few months and was simply a training. 

Secondly, check stats on how many women in military are raped and sexually assaulted. Rape is a tool of war. Mainly rape on women. It's not only attack on morale it's also biological warfare. You know how many Russian soliders have aids? Now imagine they not only have access to civilians, but also there's steady influx of female soilders. Additionally you have to be practical, you cannot take all reproductive age adults into the war. You need people to take care of children, elders, disabled, working to keep the country running. You need someone to oppearate weapoms, but you also need someone to make them. 

And i won't even mention that women have been working in wars for centuries. Fucking Skłodowska-Curie with her daughter joined armies in WWI. In WW2 Polish women were crucial part of intelligence smuggling information, saving Jewish kids, providing medical care, and yes, fighting with weapons in their arms.

ltlyellowcloud

While I understand the sentiment regarding 3rd wave feminism, it is a cowardly and failing nation that would send its women off to war.

Sirconseanery

Completely agree it’s far past time we recognize women’s rights. There needs to be completely blind conscription and draft right to the front.

Sufficient-Money-521

Whether or not we have one at all is a different discussion.

But since we do, I agree. And the battlefield issue isn't even the issue. There are massive support roles that don't require you to be in battle in a time of war. There is no reason women can't interrupt their lives the way men have to to fill those roles.

marks1995

Men are far more disposable than women when it comes to repopulating a country, which is what governments take into consideration. That's all there is to it. Males are a dime a dozen.

trustmebuddy

Equal Rights, Equal Fights. 

Same physical standards. Same appearance standards. Massive fucking equality.

MacSteele13

Or... No one should be drafted. Also, most of the equipment is not manufactured in a way that fits womens bodies anyway. So the argument that it "evens the playing field" is moot when the equipment doesn't perform as well due to size differences.

Spinosaur222

Instead of saying women should be drafted too, why not say no one should be drafted?

Acrobatic-Ad-3335

Nah. You can send the feminists, but as a normal woman who has already served, definitely not.

inquiringpenguin34

I find it funny how men have created this system and then constantly complain about it and now want to force us into it. Y'all wouldn't even let us vote and now you want us to fight your battles for you?

Every war ever was started by men. War is a man's invention. Why not solve your problems with words? If you are the leader of a nation and you have a problem with another nation that you can't solve with words, you shouldn't be the leader of a nation. War is a stupid person solution. 

Women don't need to be drafted, we need to be in positions of power so we can clean up your mess.

whatswrongwithme223

But the patriarchy is designed to benefit men so men should take full and sole responsibility 

Wild feminist appears

classco

I would agree if the majority of women in the military weren't raped by their fellow soldiers and nothing is done about it.

Women should serve in non-direct roles in war for the most part, although many countries do impose mandatory training for women (see Israel). Women are physically weaker compared to men, so if they don't serve, I can see why. I would however like to have men be appreciated and rewarded for serving while their female counterparts do not and don't have to risk their lives (see Ukraine).

AmuseDeath

Men and women aren’t just physically different they are psychologically different. Women aren’t mentally built for war the same way men are. Besides, if the war was truly an existential threat to a certain nation or country you can’t just send your entire population into a meat grinder because then there would be no one to produce the next generation. 

But I do agree that it’s unfair that women get to reap all the benefits men have without any of the sacrifice. Yeah maybe they couldn’t vote but they also weren’t dying in trenches and watching your friends get blown into pieces.

Reeseman_19

surroundedbydumdums

Most women will just get themselves pregnant before or during the time they are deployed. Most talk a good game about equality but many are not willing to fight for it.

Aside from being able bodied. It made sense for men to volunteer since they were the beneficiaries in the economy.  They were responsible for the protecting their families.  And young women were often raising children.

Now, economically women have just as much if not more skin in the game. And fewer women are having children at all.

Yeah, guess in these times. They should be thrown to the fodder like men have been

It’s like there are 4-5 topics on this sub that just run on repeat. Feels like I’m having dejavú here.

Small_Middle_945

Make the draft an international crime, give everyone the right to enforce it, there will be fewer wars.

Patient_Brief6453

So, gotta say I agree with your proposal, at least in the US.

At the minimum we need to start having the same standards across the board.

The registration requirements in [50 U.S.C § 3802](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3802) should follow the definitions outlined in [10 USC § 246](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/246) *and* [247](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/247)***.***    
Due to the revocation of the female combat exclusion in 2013, the text of the law in [10 USC § 246](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/246) should be amended to say "*all able bodied citizen*s", and the section specifying "*and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.*" should be redacted, since they will already be included under "*all able bodied citizens".*

I personally think the selective service act should be abolished, but I don't see that happening.

Abolishing the selective service act would mean politicians surrendering authority, and that is a hard sell. Authority surrendered is authority that can't be exploited to farm campaign contributions and stock tips from wealthy donors.

Hangulman

In my opinion,  the selective service should be for both sexes, however if they are married and have a family, then that family gets to choose which one of the two partners goes to fight while the other stays home to raise the kids, and support the household.

nonamegamer93

A draft doesn’t necessarily mean infantry. I agree, women should certainly be eligible.

_Bearded-Lurker_

The lack of understanding about war and how it works throughout this thread is astounding.

philosopherberzerer

Counter point: no one should be conscripted

RickySlayer9

We need to rethink the draft. Would anyone want to pick a random person to be their surgeon? Airline pilot? Any other profession that could endanger their life should they make a mistake? NO? Then the draft is just as dangerous, if not even more dangerous!

barzbub

Neither-Following-32

I’m a man and if the US got involved in the war I am not fighting and I’d leave the country lol

justanother-eboy

Personally, I don’t think anyone should be drafted.

………do woman not go fight for their country? Was it not women who fought for the right to go into combat?  Was it not women and men who fought against the draft as a whole?

LocalBrilliant5564

Yes, women should be drafted or conscripted just like men. There are hundreds of non-combat occupations in the military, that women could be drafted to serve in. While the men are drafted into combat occupations.

MassiveAd1026

or how about no one should be drafted ? plenty of people do military service voluntarily, and assuming you're from the US the draft literally doesn't exist so you won't be drafted anyway. there are only about 20 countries that still have the draft, and most of these include both men and women. this is such a pointless argument I see people bringing up who clearly haven't spared 20 seconds to even check their facts

Gold-Inevitable-2644

This is the only way you can get them to remove the draft, because they won't lift a finger to remove it when it only affects men.

HotwheelsJackOfficia

It’s been 51 years since the last mandatory draft… it’s not happening again and the law is just there as a far off ‘what if’… The reality is that the military, reserves, and guard has more than enough soldiers currently for any war… We don’t do trench warfare anymore. We don’t slog it in the jungle.. We have technology beyond simply them shoot at us and we shoot at them…

In short this is a non issue for both men and women at this point.

Just be prepared for the same division of labor bc while women can fly planes and shoot sniper rifles, they aren’t putting many women on the front lines in trenches.

tareebee

All the perks, but no responsibility. Only fools fail to recognize the essence of feminism, and every other self-interested movement on Earth, and continue to believe that it's really about equality.

GalMol1234

On behalf of women, we will concede and agree to being drafted when we have reached equality in the number of orgasms we have during hetero sex. Yes, there is a spreadsheet. No, I won't be elaborating.

ImpureThoughts59

I do not have a problem with this, so long as there was a mechanism to prevent drafting both parents of a minor child.  Lack of that mechanism makes it effectively non functional as an option.

Stefanina

Interesting take! I actually agree with a lot of it. I do think women should also be drafted if needed (I’d prefer no draft). But we also need to take into consideration a lot of adult women are primary or only caregivers to children and other dependents, how would that be managed? Could you draft single moms or those who have adult dependents and what would happen to their dependents?

No_Inspection_7176

I would love for the draft to be gone. I would love for war to be gone. I would really love for the men who make war to be gone as well. 

I didn’t get that I didn’t have to sign up for the selective services. I was shocked that I didn’t, in the late 90’s. I found it odd and unfair. So yes,I think it should be everyone or no one.  I think a lot of people feel this way.

Bunnawhat13

We all know that lots of women are Schrodinger's feminist. They are victims yet empowered at the same time. So when they are asked to do their duties, they run away. I say that all women of the legal age should be mandatorily conscripted all around the world to serve their countries ie Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea.

Madterps2021

A lot of things are unfair in this world, so yes if there was war women should go too. Do they have a disadvantage? Of course, but being a strong independent woman comes with great responsibility and accountability. It’s not equity in this case, but this is what equality looks like, everyone is treated the same regardless of differences. In the case of war it would be natural selection, the stong live the weak die. Harsh reality

patrickstar3330

My answers are probably not correct for this generation of Airmen as a crusty 19 year E7, but here we go. 

Coming in at 30, you will see some stupidly childish behavior. Coming in as a parent, others may want you to perform that role for them - they may want you to be the shop Mom. Coming in married, no one will notice or care that you've got a ring, it won't stop the stupid. 

Cut all the wishy washy words out of your vernacular. Don't give wiggle room based on how your softened phrasing could be interpreted - right is right. Don't be concerned with people considering you a bitch, it's gonna happen anyways, so just let it roll off your back. Just be concerned about becoming the subject matter expert, and be direct, so you will be listened to. 

You will have to grow thick skin, but it's a balance for how much bullshit to put up with. Defend your fellow Airmen and lend them some of your fortitude when needed. 

Don't shit where you eat. Don't allow romance or flirting or sexual talk of any kind at work. Keep your personal shit personal - don't give fuel to the gossip machine. Lock down your socials. 

Keep the receipts. Document the things that don't sit right with you, even if you never do anything with them. Some might say it's keeping a hate file, but whatever. Cover your own ass. 

I'm sure there's more, but I need more coffee.

Sierra_Baker

ake-n-bake

&gt; how do you advocate for your female colleagues?

I treat my female airmen like everyone else. I'm married to a woman (that helps?) and have two daughters, so I'm sensitive to female-specific issues. I've made it clear to all my airman that if there's any issue with harassment, bullying, gossip, etc., they can just come to me and I'll take care of it. Fortunately, we've had no issues thus far.

Something to keep in mind: **shame is a more powerful tool than guilt because people care more about saving face than doing the right thing.** Many years ago, when I was in the Army we had the installation commanding general come talk to us about sexual harassment/sexual assault in one of those unit-wide assemblies in the base theatre. After getting PowerPointed to death, we had a chance to ask the CG questions. I took the mic and told her about an NCO in my platoon who had committed sexual battery against soldiers and that was still in the Army. I called this guy out by name in front of hundreds of people. He had already received an Article 15, but I wanted him out. I asked the CG if she thought sexual predators belonged into the military at all, and if not, what she planned on doing about it. 

Long story short, the CG had the guy's case reopened and he was dismissed from the service. My cursory search online found that this former E6 is now working as a delivery boy in Texas.

Did the CG do this because of her commitment to protecting soldiers? Probably not. She did it because she had to in order not to look weak. My public questioning forced her hand.

Sorry if this is a long-winded response, but as a female airman, you're especially vulnerable, *but that doesn't make you weak*. If someone messes with you or disrespects you, document what they're doing, record it if you can, find someone you trust, and figure out a way to force your leadership to address the issue or risk losing face in front of their unit.

Good luck.

Roughneck16

I’m medical and an officer, so I recognize that may sway my perspective. Hold everyone equally accountable and don’t be afraid to correct things that are incorrect (I’ve been told it must be harder for me than my male colleagues because I’m a mom, even though they also have children. I’ve also been accused of having “big dick energy” for holding people accountable when others didn’t want to/were afraid to. I’ve also had one of my enlisted gents ask me for advice “as an expert” Re: dating, to which he learned that this was not only inappropriate, but I was also literally the least useful person in the shop to discuss this with.) I’ve engaged frequently with line side in advisory positions and I’ve taken the time to build up reliability and trust, and that has helped significantly with any concerns of my abilities/qualifications. I also don’t pitter patter with “well maybe” language. I tell people (respectfully) what my perceptions of the impacts of a particular decision will be, and press. I’m also not afraid to say I don’t know something/that I need to look something up and get back to them. I will also address non verbal cues where someone appears to have an issue with what I’ve said (usually privately after, unless it’s impacting ops/planning.)

Honestly, I feel like most of my advice can apply to both men and women, but again, I recognize that I have a different perspective than some others here. Hope it helps!

muchasgaseous

1. Don't shit where you eat


2. It's OK to ask for help


3. Don't let any man get away with disrespecting you


4. Stay in shape 


5. Love yourself 

One_Reception_7321

Accomplished-Yam3553

In Security Forces, I’ve heard NCO’s and even SNCO’s discuss how “every woman in SF is either a whore or a bitch”, their words - certainly not mine. So my advice is don’t go into Security Forces. 

In my experience as a male, women are pretty much the same as men. Some are absolutely stellar airmen, some are mediocre, and some are pretty poor airmen. But I will say women are judged at a higher standard than men, I’ve personally made mistakes in my job that I was let off the hook for because “good old boy, right?” And women who make the same common mistake have been yelled at or treated poorly. Its unfair to the women in security forces as it seems they’re always fighting an uphill battle. Heres things I’ve seen other men say about their female coworkers at the junior enlisted level:

Quiet? She’s seen as snobby or uptight. Talkative? She never shuts up.
Knowledgeable and teaching new troops? Shes a know-it-all and needs to learn her place.
She was listening to someone talk about another person? That girls a drama queen, don’t talk to her.

Etc, etc, etc.

So, yeah, don’t go Security Forces.

Competitive-Money-36

Don't be a complete asshole to your fellow female Airmen. I hated that while in. It is a sisterhood and your negative energy sucks. Also, do NOT stay quiet about things that need to be taken care of properly (MST), there are systems in place, that if worked properly, should not fail you. Now my last piece is based on personal experience, on base GYNs suck...see if you can go off base if possible. 


That is all.

Luckilygemini

Please don’t get married young it happens all the time. I mean I can’t tell you what to do, this is just advice I would give. 

Your coworkers are gonna want to fuck you. Don’t do it. You can find someone else to bang outside of work. Seriously. 

Keep your head down, don’t tell people anything you don’t want them to tell anyone else. Do your time and go home to enjoy your life. You are replaceable. 

Don’t fucking be that person who manipulates others just to be in the spotlight. It looks extra bad just because you’re a woman. Don’t gossip. Don’t pit other people especially women against each other. 

Try to befriend your other female coworkers, but if they’re drama just stay away and mind your business. 

Don’t fuck your coworkers. Don’t fuck MARRIED coworkers. Don’t fuck anyone married god damn it.

Paramedic-Past

I would say the number one thing is to be friends with your male coworkers. You don't have to hangout after work, but be civil. I say this because if you come off the wrong way to some guys, they'll just assume you're a bitch, so it's better to be chill.

Set your boundaries early on when you arrive to your shop or when a new guy starts at the shop. In my experience, if you shut down things that "trigger" you during those times, the guys are usually respectful enough to adhere to it. An example for me was when a coworker said "relax", ain't nobody wanna be told to relax so I said nope to that right away and he hasn't done it since. 

Don't let them know everything about you because people in general like to joke around but sometimes take it too far and bring up something you might've told them that you don't necessarily want others to hear. Also, I've noticed guys loveeee to gossip (not that it's a bad thing when you're not the subject lol), so keep stuff to yourself.

When it comes to advocating for yourself, it's usually a given that you have to stand out a bit more to ensure you are being heard and you have to try a bit harder to prove yourself. Never stop fighting for yourself and your career, even if that means being annoying at times (not super annoying because no one will wanna do shit for you).

Network with the right people in the right places and you'll always have someone in your corner.

\- My personal experience

derpalisus

I’ve been in ten years (enlisted reserve then active duty officer) and have generally loved my time in. I always worked to be the best I could be and when I succeeded people around me would loudly say it’s because I was a woman. One of such was my supervisor who would fuck off every drill weekend to play ping pong and smoke while I led the shop…
I have made some of my closest friends with men and women I’ve worked with and would trust those people with anything.

However, sexual harassment and assault are VERY real threats. There were instances I brushed off when enlisted, but as an officer, when a person I was close to professionally and personally harassed a friend and I also had to speak out about his harassment, it all came flooding back and I realized just how much I put up with and shouldn’t have. All I can do is speak up for myself and particularly for others.

When I was enlisted, I let a lot slide to keep the peace and when I did report someone, my SEL told me to drop it since the guy was PCSing anyway “and they gave him a warning.”

So yeah. I’d recommend being the one to help others who may be too afraid to help themselves!

lemurcatta85

Report all inappropriate sexual behavior toward you immediately to multiple people, make a paper trail. 
Otherwise it might go away quietly like it never happened, and will keep happening/or get much worse. 

Stay away from men in alone situations.

Do not flirt with co-workers or be overly nice. They will get the wrong idea and it will create bad situations. 

This is dependent on your job field…
This is especially important  if you are in a male-dominated job like the flight line or security forces. 

I was fine in public affairs and medical…but dealing with other fields such as mentioned above was rather a nightmare to navigate.

coldinalaska7

Have your voice and spine in order. If you're perceived as being as strong as the males, you'll have their respect better. Be prepared at some point that you'll have to prove that strength in some way to the occasional male who wants to test your boundaries. Maintain your professionalism while simultaneously taking no shit. When they emotionally get the better of you with ribbing and goading, don't show it; split off for a minute to quietly regroup while you remind yourself that outside a professional context, their opinions don't impact you.

Be prepared for sexual harassment, and keep the [Integrated Resilience page](https://www.resilience.af.mil/SAPR/) bookmarked. Be very familiar with it not only for yourself but also for your sisters in arms. The sexual assault and harassment rates are still high enough that if you don't experience them in a way you feel merits reporting, someone next to you inevitably will. That page is a good beginning for resources and assistance. If you're in a bad situation, don't have access to that page, are emotionally tilted about it, and need to start working your chain of command about something, hit up the Chaplain's, First Shirt's, and Equal Opportunity offices. In some way, helping you respond to and recover from sexual harassment well is within their scope, and they can point you right directions.

Always remember that all of us took the same oath, wear the same uniform, and are on the same team in a way that should supercede gender differences, and when you encounter discrimination, respond to it on that level. Boiling things down to differences between men and women enables sexual harassment and removes accountability for actions from the equation. When you encounter a bad actor who's male, don't make it about him being a bad male -- make it about him being a bad *Airman*, and keep the focus there. If the conversation can be put on ground about someone's gender, it will end up on ground about you being a woman sooner or later, and that's never productive or professional ground.

As a lady in maintenance the men can be a bit sexually charged at times. If they make any sexual advances towards you that you do not consent to. Report them immediately it doesn’t matter if they plead with you not to, that just shows they knew what they were doing was wrong. Also especially if you’re in maintenance do not be a princess and sit back, get them hands dirty! Do your best to out perform your male counterparts. Remember just because it’s a male dominated field doesn’t mean you don’t belong

No-Pepper-7231

Female here. Just be careful. A lot of the dudes are very very desperate. I’d approach friendships inside with a healthy amount of caution. I’d recommend against drinking with them for awhile, and if you do be aware of how many you have. If you feel a supervisor is being weird tell one of your fellows to make sure there’s a trail if anything actually does happen.

Work wise, yeah dudes will try to do things for you all the time. Unlike the guys here I’d say just let them do it, it gets them to go away faster. Otherwise try to do things on your own. Ask supervisors for help, not your coworkers because they’ll try to show off while likely not knowing anything. Volunteer to do things when supervisors ask. Men can’t really argue and say you’re getting put up for awards for nothing when all of them can recall a time where you hopped up to help.

But really, stay safe. There’s a lot of advocacy but this is still a good ol boys club. You’ll hear a lot of things that men shouldn’t be saying (not worth reporting most of the time) and sometimes those things will be directed at you (worth saying “I don’t think thats very funny” to so they’ll stop pestering you with it.) Male dominated spaces will always in some capacity be hostile to women, pick your battles intelligently and hopefully the nasty ones will learn to leave you alone.

(Unlikely, as I said the fellas are desperate as fuck, but a girl can pray.)

Good luck, make money, and go to medical for everything to get that VA payout ✌️

ImWatermelonelyy

Join "Female's of XXX"  groups. Saw one of my troops had a tab open on her team's when I was showing her something and honestly never knew about them. Honestly, I never would have thought twice, but I'm sure you could get a lot of insight on the career fields and how to deal with certain things with a team across the Air Force willing to help you out!

Ex. Females of 'Maintenance' I'm sure there are others, I'd ask around with leadership or female counterparts once you're settling into your first base🙂

SGTLouTenant

Honestly, make friends. It sounds simple, but a couple guy friends go a long way keeping the "not great" boys away. But be careful who you decide to be friends with. Not all, but some are just predatory and will fake friendships.

lolopiecho

As a woman — remember to advocate for your female colleagues. Even if your workplace is male dominated or doesn’t seem to have current issues, work to maintain a positive culture for the future ladies who make their way into the workspace — regardless of age, time in service, life experience, or background. Uplift and support others when possible, because as sparse as it may be to have female coworkers, it can be even more difficult to find female mentors and confidants.

Nemureru

Learn how to be strong about what you want, don’t just fold at the first pushback if you know you’re right. 

Let your skin get a little thick, the guys around you are going to tease sometimes, but recognize when someone is intentionally targeting you because of your gender. 

Make an effort to be friendly with the other women in your unit, especially if you’re maintenance. There’s not as many of us and it’s nice to have another woman to hang out with on trips who isn’t in your shop. 

Be very, very, careful about who you choose to mess around with in your unit. There are certain men who will use that as bragging material and it will get you a reputation (even though it doesn’t fucking matter, who cares).

brooke_elise2015

The Delhi High Court mandated the appointment of women to the Air Force Flying branch, emphasizing the need for gender equality in recruitment processes.

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