The fiscal year 2026 NDAA making its way through Congress would reestablish the services’ volunteer teams that focused on women’s issues in the military, Military Times reported. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth scrapped the groups early this year. 

The teams were staffed by women service members of all ranks who worked to improve policy decisions. The Air Force team had been together for nearly two decades when it got disbanded. 

The 2026 NDAA passed in the House requires the reestablishment of these teams, with one for each branch, standardizing the practice across the military. 

“It’s all about readiness for the military in general,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) told Military Times. “As we are 51% of the population and about 20% of the folks who serve in uniform, it’s important that that demographic, for lack of a better word, be supported.” 

Air Force photo by Susan Moriarty