An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

New 2016 DACOWITS Members Announced

The Department of Defense announced today the induction of three new members to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.

DACOWITS, established during the Korean War in 1951 by Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall, is an independent advisory committee that provides the department with advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment and retention, treatment, employment, integration and well-being of highly-qualified professional women in the armed forces.  

Previously comprised of 16 members, the DACOWITS charter authorizes a total of 20 committee members. 

The incoming members are as follows: 

Retired Army Reserve Command Sergeant Major Michele Jones, Jacksonville, Florida;

Navy Veteran Ms. Janie Mines, Fort Mill, South Carolina;

Retired Navy Fleet Master Chief Jo Ann Ortloff, San Diego, California.

DACOWITS members include prominent civilian women and men representing a distribution of demography, academia, industry, public service and other professions.  They are selected based on military experience or woman-related workforce issues. 

Members are selected for a four-year term, without compensation, to perform a variety of duties, including visiting military installations each year, conducting a review and evaluation of current research on military women, and developing an annual report with recommendations on these issues for service leadership and the secretary of defense. 

More information about DACOWITS can be found at http://dacowits.defense.gov/