ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 111400Z FEB 02 ZYB MIN PSN 694877J41
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N05750//
NAVADMIN 026/02
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/N1//
 
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF WOMENS HISTORY MONTH 2002//
 
RMKS/1.  MARCH 2002 MARKS THE 15TH ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S
HISTORY MONTH.  SINCE 1987, THE PRESIDENT HAS ISSUED AN ANNUAL
PROCLAMATION OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.  IN LAST YEAR'S PROCLAMATION,
PRESIDENT BUSH STATED "OUR NATION BOASTS A RICH HISTORY OF WOMEN
WHOSE HEROIC ACHIEVEMENTS SPEAK TO THE SENSE OF EXCELLENCE,
POTENTIAL AND PATRIOTISM SHARED BY ALL AMERICANS."  WOMEN'S HISTORY
MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMEMBER, HONOR, AND CELEBRATE THE MANY
CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN THAT HELPED TO CREATE THIS GREAT NATION.
 
2.  THE THEME FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2002 IS "WOMEN SUSTAINING
THE AMERICAN SPIRIT."  FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NURSE CORPS IN
1908 TO THE WAR ON TERRORISM, WOMEN OF COURAGE AND VISION CONTINUE
TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR GREAT NAVY.  WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE ROLE OF WOMEN
IN THE NAVY AND THEIR ROLE IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM DURING AN
INTERVIEW ON C-SPAN'S WASHINGTON JOURNAL 4 DEC 01, THE CNO STATED:
"I AM SO PROUD OF THE JOB THAT THEY ARE DOING.  WOMEN IN THE NAVY ARE
A KEY PART OF OUR SUCCESSFUL COMBAT OPERATION GOING ON IN THE INDIAN
OCEAN TODAY."
 
3.  THROUGHOUT THIS CENTURY THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS WOMEN WHO HAVE
EMBODIED THE NAVY'S CORE VALUES OF HONOR, COURAGE AND COMMITMENT.
NAVY WOMEN SERVE IN ALMOST EVERY FACET AT EVERY ECHELON, FROM YEOMAN
TO FIGHTER PILOTS AND ACROSS ALL RANKS FROM SEAMAN TO VICE ADMIRAL.
TODAY THERE ARE NEARLY 70,000 WOMEN IN THE ACTIVE NAVY AND NAVAL
RESERVE.  WOMEN COMPRISE OVER 14 PERCENT OF THE ACTIVE FORCE AND
NEARLY 20 PERCENT OF THE RESERVE FORCE.
 
4.  ALL NAVY ACTIVITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPONSOR LOCAL PROGRAMS AND
EXHIBITS, PUBLISH ITEMS OF INTEREST IN COMMAND BULLETINS, AND
SOLICIT INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION IN APPROPRIATE OBSERVANCES OF
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.  PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMS BY
CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
5.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU MAY CONTACT THE OFFICE OF WOMEN'S
POLICY (PERS-OOW) AT (703) 695-9232/DSN 225 OR THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S
HISTORY PROJECT AT (707) 636-2888.  OTHER WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION
ON WOMEN IN THE MILITARY AND/OR WOMEN IN THE NAVY ARE:  WWW.NWHP.ORG,
WWW.DEFENSELINK.MIL, WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/FAQS/FAQ48-1.HTM,
WWW.CHINFO.NAVY.MIL/NAVPALIB/PEOPLE/WOMEN/WINTOP.HTML,
WWW.DTIC.MIL/DACOWITS, WWW.WOMENSMEMORIAL.ORG, WWW.NWHM.ORG, AND
WWW.WREI.ORG.
 
6.  RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.//
 
BT