Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)Secretary James Speaks to WIIS
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)Secretary James Speaks to WIIS
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)Secretary James Speaks to WIIS
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)Secretary James Speaks to WIIS
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)Secretary James Speaks to WIIS
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks at the Stimson Center in commemoration of Women's History Month March 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C. James spoke on the current status of women in the Air Force, the importance of women in national security and her personal experience. (U.S. Air Force photo/Scott M. Ash)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

SecAF addresses women in national securityPublished April 2, 2014
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. Torri Ingalsbe
                    
                    
                    Air Force Public Affairs Agency Operating Location-P
            **WASHINGTON (AFNS) --**Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James addressed the topic of women serving in combat roles during a Women In International Security-sponsored event to celebrate Women’s History Month at the Stimson Center, March 28.
“In the Air Force, we were already leading the pack in terms of integration of women,” said James, who was the keynote speaker at the event. “We already have 99 percent of our available positions open to women. The ones that are closed are in the areas of some special operations forces and some positions that serve with Army and Marine ground combat forces.
“We’re currently working on an implementation plan to validate gender-neutral job performance standards, and we’re working closely with the other services and the office of the (defense secretary) to get this done. It would be my expectation that these remaining career fields, which there are seven, will be open no later than Jan. 1, 2016,” James added.
She spoke about some of the challenges she has seen with ensuring women are at every echelon in every career field, the toughest being retention at the mid-career point.
“(You’re) trying to balance your professional life with your personal life and in the military when you add in those deployments, which we don’t see as much in the civilian world, before you know it, it becomes a very difficult thing to balance,” she said.
James shared many of her experiences, both professional and personal, to the collective audience of women and men from military and government jobs, as well as the private sector.
“I think she’s an example and role model for many,” said Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, the WIIS president and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute North America executive director.
“Her experience and expertise make her particularly well equipped to head up the Air Force at a time when it is facing many challenges,” she said.
James shared her own strategies that have helped her find success and balance throughout her career, primarily the ability to lean in and step back when needed.  
She provided her “top 10” list of things she feels everyone can benefit from in their personal and professional lives: Be prepared to zig-zag; seek and be a mentor; build and value a network; build competence; communicate; be a role model; don’t compromise ethics; be upbeat; persistence pays off; and along the way have fun, have balance, love your family and friends.
“It’s important to have that balanced life,” she said. “You’ll be happier for it.”Deborah Lee James 



Senior Leaders 



women's history month 



SecAF

Related Links
        DEBORAH LEE JAMES
                                June 18, 2015
                                23rd Secretary of the Air Force Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil