FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

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DOD - 407 - Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services - Agency Authority

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services	Agency Name	Department of Defense
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	407
Original Establishment Date	8/11/1951	Committee Status	Terminated
Actual Termination Date	9/17/2025	Committee URL	https://dacowits.defense.gov
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	20
Terminated This FY	Yes	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	Military Director, DACOWITS
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix	COL
Current Charter Date	4/22/2024	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Seana
Date Of Renewal Charter	4/22/2026	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name	M
Projected Termination Date	9/17/2025	Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Jardin
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix	USA
Specific Termination Authority	9/17/2025	Designated Federal Officer Phone*	571 629 2574
Establishment Authority*	Agency Authority	Designated Federal Officer Fax*	703 614 6233
Specific Establishment Authority*	Agency Determination	Designated Federal Officer Email*	seana.m.jardin.mil@army.mil
Effective Date Of Authority*	8/11/1951
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	National Policy Issue Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Terminate
Legislation to Terminate Required	Not Applicable
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	All DACOWITS work, including subcommittee work, are in response to written terms of reference (ToR) or taskings approved by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense (“the DoD Appointing Authority”), or the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) unless otherwise provided by statute or Presidential directive. The DACOWITS accomplishes its purpose by providing the Secretary of Defense independent advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of servicewomen in the Armed Forces of the United States. The advice and recommendations are generated by gathering information from multiple sources, to include briefings and written responses from Defense Department, Service-level military representatives, and subject matter experts. In addition, the Committee collects qualitative data from focus groups and interactions with Service members during installation visits.
How is membership balanced?*	The DACOWITS shall be composed of no more than 20 members who have prior experience in the military or with women-related workforce issues. Members are appointed for a 4-year term of service (renewed annually), and serve without compensation. Members will include leaders with diverse and inclusive backgrounds, experience, and thought relating to the recruitment and retention, the employment and integration, and the well-being and treatment of women. These members will come from varied backgrounds including academia, industry, private and public sectors, and other professions. In evaluating candidates for the DACOWITS, the DoD considers the education, life experience, and professional credentials of individuals as they relate to the subject matters anticipated to the tasked to the DACOWITS. The DoD has found that viewing the complex issues facing the DoD through a multidisciplinary advisory committee provides the DoD and, more importantly, the American public with a broader understanding of the issues informing subsequent policy decisions. Membership shall be fairly balanced to provide variety of background, experience, and thought in support of the DACOWITS’ mission. The DACOWITS’ membership balance is not static and the DoD Appointing Authority may change the membership based upon work assigned to the DACOWITS by the DoD Appointing Authority or the USD(P&R), as the DACOWITS’ Sponsor. Each member is appointed to exercise his or her own judgment on behalf of the DoD, without representing any particular point of view, and to discuss and deliberate in a manner that is free from conflict of interest. DACOWITS members who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal civilian officers or employees, or active duty members of the Uniformed Services, shall be appointed as experts or consultants pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 3109 to serve as special government employee (SGE) members. Those who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal civilian officers or employees, or active duty members of the Uniformed Services, shall be appointed pursuant to 41 C.F.R. § 102-3.130(a) to serve as regular government employee (RGE) members. The DoD, unless otherwise required by statute or Presidential directive, does not use representative members on DoD-established or supported advisory committees.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The Committee holds four business meetings per year. At the meetings, the Committee receives briefings and written responses from the Defense Department and the Military Services on policies, research, and programs specifically aimed at the Committee's annual study topics. Additionally, the Committee uses the meetings to review the and discuss the received data, and discuss their experiences learned from focus groups results during installation visits. They also interact with guest speakers and subject matter experts on relevant topics. At the end of the year, the members use the meeting time to review and discuss gathered information, develop and vote publicly on recommendations, and write their annual report to the Secretary of Defense. Meetings also allow required public input in reference to the Committee's current study topics.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	The Secretary of Defense has determined that the independent advice the Committee provides is essential in the management of DoD's officer and enlisted force management, addressing issues unique to women who serve in the Military Services, and the integration of women into newly opened military occupational specialties or career opportunities.
Why close or partially close meetings?	N/A
Recommendation Remarks	Due to the Secretary of Defense's pause of all advisory committee operations effective March 7, 2025 and the conclusion of all committee member appointments effective April 25, 2025, the Committee met once in FY 2025. DACOWITS provides advice and recommendations in an annual report to the Secretary of Defense. These recommendations are generated from information/data gathered during quarterly meetings and from formal literature reviews. Additional information is gather during Committee travel to military installations to perform in-person focus groups with Service members. DACOWITS receives research support from a contractor. The contractor performs comprehensive focus group training with DACOWITS members; conducts an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to test the protocol perimeters for subjects; records, compiles, and analyzes both the qualitative and quantitative data the Committee collects from focus groups during installation visits; supplements current research materials on the various issues analyzed; and compiles a comprehensive report detailing the installation visit data, analysis, supplemental research, and conclusions; all of which assist the Committee to develop recommendations to the Secretary of Defense.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	No	Action Reorganize Priorities*	No
Outcome Trust In Government	No	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	Yes	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	No	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	No	Action Comment	NA
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	Not Applicable	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	NA	Grants Review Comment	NA
Number Of Recommendations*	1,102	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	The Committee did not provide recommendations in FY25 due to the pause of operations by the Secretary of Defense. The 1102 recommendations cover the period of 1951 to 2025. The total of all recommendations that have been fully or partially implemented is 94%.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	72.00%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	The staff has validated that 775 (73%) of its recommendations have been fully implemented.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	22.00%	Access Publications	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	The staff has validated that 233 (22%) of its recommendations have been partially implemented.	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	No	Access Comment	All meeting documentation is available on the Committee's web site (https://dacowits.defense.gov) or by contacting any of the DACOWITS staff. The website includes an organizational email address with which the public can contact the staff. We can provide information electronically or by hard copy.
Agency Feedback Comment*	The agency is not required or directed to provide feedback. Per the DACOWITS Charter, the agency “may” act upon the DACOWITS’ advice and recommendations.	Narrative Description*	The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness is responsible for the recruitment and retention of highly qualified and professional females to serve in the armed services. Women remain an essential part and make up one-fifth of the Total Force, supporting and contributing to the U.S. military’s reputation as the most effective, lethal military in the world. Recruiting and retaining women maximizes the value of building a team comprised of multiple backgrounds and talent sets. That allows the Services to take advantage of unique life experiences which develop different problem-solving approaches. This adds to the corporate strength, which ultimately improves our lethality and military readiness. DACOWITS provides support to P&R’s mission by identifying, studying, and providing recommendations on issues such as recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment, to name a few, which may impact a woman’s decision to either initially join or remain in the military.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$0.00	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$0.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$0.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$485,000.00	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$727,800.00
4. Payments to Consultants*	$0.00	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$16,111.00	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$120,000.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$0.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$0.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$2,866.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$35,000.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs	$129,270.00	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$516,200.00
11. Total Costs	$633,247.00	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$1,399,000.00
Date Cost Last Modified	8/22/2025 12:39 PM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	4.00
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	4.00	Est Cost Remarks	Estimated FY26 costs assume restart of committee operations.
Cost Remarks	DACOWITS operating costs for FY25 were significantly reduced due to the Secretary of Defense pause of operations for Federal Advisory Committees. Three committee meetings were cancelled, travel to committee meetings and installations visits cancelled, contract support was reduced, no ORF was used, and staff personnel were detailed to other offices (reducing Federal Staff payments). Other Costs include: contract support $124770 Conference room meeting space $4500

Interest Areas

Category Area Civil Rights Equal Opportunity Women Education Training Health Health Care Physical Fitness Treatment Labor Employment Workforce and Occupations National Defense National Security and Defense Retirement Employee Welfare Retirement Veterans Veterans and Veterans' Medical Care

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