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4h ago

Pentagon Disbands Longstanding Women’s Advisory Panel, Citing ‘Divisive’ Agenda

The move follows a department-wide advisory review, reversing a memo days earlier that had set the group on a path to resume.

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The Pentagon | (AFP/Getty)
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Overview

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a Sept. 17 memo ordering the formal disestablishment of DACOWITS, with termination to proceed under Federal Advisory Committee Act rules.
  • Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the committee pursued a “divisive feminist agenda” that hurt readiness, as Hegseth prioritizes uniform, sex‑neutral standards.
  • A Sept. 8 memo had directed a phased return of paused advisory committees, including DACOWITS, before the subsequent decision to end the panel.
  • Founded in 1951, DACOWITS issued more than 1,100 recommendations on recruitment, retention, integration and health, with roughly 94–97% adopted in whole or in part over decades.
  • Lawmakers and committee supporters warn the shutdown will create gaps in data and policy advice for servicewomen, affecting efforts to address recruitment, retention and health needs.