Female soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division train on a firing range while testing new body armor in Fort Campbell, Ky., in 2012. Female soldiers face rampant sexism, harassment and other gender-related challenges in male dominated Army special operations units, according to a report Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, eight years after the Pentagon opened all combat jobs to women. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

WASHINGTON — A culture of opposition and reluctance by some male soldiers to accept women in Army special forces units still exists despite all combat jobs being opened several years ago to female troops, a study released Monday has concluded.

“This is a change-driving study. But we have got a long way to go to change the culture,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, told reporters during a conference call.

In the 106-page report, he stated he is disappointed by some of the findings, and he is “committed to addressing these issues with candor and transparency.”

The report came after Army leaders ordered a study to find any remaining obstacles to women serving in traditionally male-dominated, special operations-oriented roles. It found significant barriers remain, such as wide-ranging gender biases and “overtly sexist” attitudes and behavior.

“Gender bias and sexism are manifesting in a variety of ways as 40% of women service members reported gender bias in the workplace as a challenge,” the study reads. “The research team captured a significant number of overtly sexist comments from male service members primarily focused on an aversion to females entering the … career field.”

The report includes several remarks from male soldiers that the Army contends contribute to the challenging environments that women are still facing in combat roles.

“Females have no place on a team,” the study reports a male soldier said. “It’s an unnecessary wrench in a perfectly functional system in the name of ‘political correctness.’ This trend is another factor that has systematically blunted the tip of the spear.”

Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter formally opened all military combat roles to women almost 10 years ago. Since then thousands of women have ascended to roles previously open only to men, including units such as the Green Berets and Rangers.

The study also noted continuing beliefs among some male soldiers that women aren’t as capable in special operations roles, and many of them are there for the wrong reasons.

“Do you think they are pursuing career opportunities? Please,” said another male soldier whose remarks were included in the study. “They are looking for a husband, boyfriend or attention. And they get it. Because the men who choose to lay down their lives and do missions that only great men can do are warriors.”

“I have decided to retire so I don't have to lead a team containing a female,” said another male soldier.

Women have been allowed to have full-time military careers for 75 years. But it wasn’t until 2013 that the Pentagon ordered all direct combat roles to be opened to women. After a study and implementation period, Carter signed off on the final order to open all military jobs to women in 2015.

Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann, who in May became the first female senior enlisted leader in the Army, told reporters Monday that some of the negative remarks about women are reflective of a generational gap.

“The vast majority of the negative comments, unfortunately, did come from senior noncommissioned officers,” Naumann said. “This is a change for many of the senior people in our formation but, overall, a positive change, and one I think is normalized for the younger generation.”

The Army report explicitly states a “mentality change” is needed to “modify the archaic attitude that supplying tools to female service members is an act of accommodation versus simply providing our warfighters with the right tools for the job.”

The study also identified sexual harassment as a significant problem. In a recent survey among women in Army special operations, 30% of them identified sexual harassment as a challenge — a figure that women in later focus-group discussions felt was far too low.

“Nearly every woman reported experiencing some degree of sexual harassment while assigned to an [Army special operations forces] unit,” the study said. “Furthermore, each of the 48 focus groups, regardless of rank demographic, included some acknowledgement of previous or ongoing sexual harassment [Army Special Operations Command] formations.”

The study also found the challenges faced by women in Army special operations were not limited to male behaviors. Many women said there continues to be difficulties with uniforms and protective equipment — such as body armor — fitting properly.

“Although prohibited by [special operations] policy, numerous women reported purchasing commercial, off-the-shelf body armor in order to remain tactically competent and proficient,” the study states. “Other concerns include the nonexistence of specialized devices to facilitate bladder relief for female aviators and flight crew … and policy resolution on female hair standards during airborne operations.”

One female soldier said: “My husband gave me body armor for our anniversary last year.”

“All female pilots dehydrate themselves before flying,” said another female trooper.

The study said about 44% of women in Army Special Forces Command said they have experienced problems with gear fitting properly, and it can hinder their performance in the field. In addition to body armor, this includes helmets that fit poorly over longer hair and backpacks that can be problematic for shorter women.

The report makes dozens of recommendations to eliminate the barriers women face in Army Special Operations Command. Some of them have been completed already, according to the study. Some of the recommendations call for equipment prototype testing for items such as body armor, helmets, uniforms and female urinary devices and increased training for gender-bias behaviors and sexual-assault prevention.

“To ensure all [special operations] soldiers are empowered to exemplify the disciplined and premier problem-solvers the nation expects, several common barriers among female service members must be addressed,” the report states. “The findings in this study infer that until all barriers are universally removed, comprehensive integration of women into Special Forces and Ranger career fields will not be possible.”