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WASHINGTON (AP) – About a third of female Air Force and Space Force service members say they have experienced sexual harassment, and many can describe reports of sexism and a stigma associated with pregnancy and maternity leave, a study published Thursday found .
The review carried out by the Inspector General of the Air Force also concluded that minorities and women in leadership and officer positions, especially at higher levels, are underrepresented and less frequently promoted. It mirrored much of the results of an initial review released last December that found that black Air Force service members were much more likely to be investigated, arrested, disciplined and dismissed for misconduct.
The two reviews of racial, ethnic, and gender differences in the Air Force and Space Force broadly confirm the existence of bias, but the data do not fully explain why. The studies also reflect broader campaigns within the Department of Defense and the Biden government to eradicate extremism and racism.
President Joe Biden has declared local extremism an urgent threat to national security, and the Department of Defense is working to identify and eliminate extremist behavior from the force. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin earlier this year ordered military leaders to spend a day talking to their troops about extremism in the ranks after a number of former and current military personnel participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January.
In addition, late last year the Department of Defense endorsed a number of initiatives to more aggressively recruit, retain and promote a more racially and ethnically diverse force.
“There are many differences within the Air Force,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters on the phone. “That includes things like promotions, how people are treated in their careers, how they are treated on missions, other areas of the justice system if you will, and also about the perceptions that people have.”
In the latest study, around half of all female respondents said they had a negative impact on work-life balance and family responsibilities, while only 18% of men who took part in the survey shared this view.
It also found that approximately 25% of female civilians in the Air Force and Space Force reported having experienced sexual harassment during their careers. And it was said that some women throughout the force did not trust their chain of command to address the bad behavior and feared retaliation.
Women and minorities also said they believe they will have to work harder to show their competence.
While the first study looked at the differences in black military personnel, the latest study included women, Asian, Native American / Alaskan Native people, Hawaiian / other Pacific islanders, and Hispanic / Latin American active-duty workers, the National Guard, the reserves, and civilian workers a.
As a result, the report says, thousands of women and minority members of the aerospace forces reported incidents of bias, discrimination and sexual harassment that contribute to the racial, ethnic and gender differences set out in the document.
Lt. Gen. Sami Said, the inspector general, told reporters that some of the biggest gaps are in operational jobs, which include pilots and other combat-related posts. For example, in 2020 nearly 84% of active Air Force pilots were white and more than 92% were male. In contrast, 7.7% were women, 3% Hispanic / Latino, 2.7% Asian-American, 2% Black, 0.5% Native American, and 0.3% Pacific Islander.
According to Said, the problem starts with recruiting. A common theme in surveys and group discussions is that women and minorities believe that “there is a shortage of people who look like us, who can look after us and advise us”.
Because they are not used at reasonable rates for important operational activities, they are placed at a disadvantage when competing with others for promotions and better jobs.
Additionally, the report found that Native Americans were 113% more likely to face court-martial than their white counterparts, and that they and Hispanic / Latin American Air Force members were 33% more likely to face criminal investigations.
The second report, released Thursday, set out some of the ongoing efforts to address shortcomings identified in the December review of black bias. It also found that they were promoted less often and that a third believed they didn’t get the same opportunities as their white counterparts.
The Air Force is said to be working to raise awareness of diversity among recruiters and partner with institutions with large minority populations to increase recruitment. These efforts would include directing more minorities into key occupations that have better opportunities for advancement.
The Air Force also introduced new guidelines to track administrative actions based on age, rank, gender, and race, and recommended more training for commanders and other key leaders regarding unconscious biases.
Said told reporters that he was “100% convinced” that senior executives are focused on diversity.
“It’s not a shiny object of the moment that fades,” he said.
More than 100,500 people took part in the anonymous survey on the current gender and minority study. Participants also submitted more than 16,900 single-line pages with other comments and participated in 122 small-group discussions.
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