The effects of the drawdown on promotion and career opportunities of female officers

Abstract

This thesis examines the promotion and career patterns of female officers in the Department of Defense (DoD) during the force reduction (1987- 1994), focusing on the relationship between occupation and promotion as well as trends that may be of interest to personnel policy planners. Both cross- sectional and cohort data files are constructed and analyzed. The study found dramatic increases in the representation of women within nontraditional occupations. At the same time, the distribution of women across occupations reveals a shift out of traditional, administrative fields into health care positions that have been historically filled by men. DoD women in nontraditional occupations had the highest rates of promotion. Non-technical occupations had the lowest promotion rates for both sexes. Logit models revealed no systematic trends in the significance of occupation by entry cohort, service, or gender. The data suggest that policies used to downsize the force have not adversely affected the promotion opportunities of women.