Army officials believe the 1994 direct ground combat assignment rule closes the two fields to women. Their fall report to the secretary concludes that consistently applied DoD policies on direct ground combat and collocation would not preclude opening the positions to women. The advisory committee also said the risks faced by special operations air crews doesn't justify invoking the combat rule to bar women. On the list are the impact of operations and personnel tempos on quality of life, issues concerning dual-military couples, and all the services' training on dignity and respect for others. Committee members visit military personnel in the field and fleet throughout the year, document issues raised and determine whether the concerns are isolated or widespread.
Members meet twice yearly to discuss issues and concerns raised during their visits.
Members seek more information from the service or services involved when an issue appears widespread. At the conferences, subcommittees raise and discuss issues and members vote on report recommendations to the secretary, Lewis said. Subcommittees are equality management, forces development and utilization and quality of life.