This committee, terminated in 2025, was composed of civilian women and men appointed by the Secretary of Defense to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of women in the Armed Forces of the United States. 

As one of the oldest Defense Department advisory committees, DACOWITS’ recommendations were instrumental in effecting changes to laws and policies pertaining to military women. Since 1951, the Committee has submitted over 1,100 recommendations to the Secretary of Defense for consideration. As of 2025, approximately 94% had been either fully or partially adopted by the Department. 

Patti Tutalo recounts, “Serving on DACOWITS was an honor. My fellow committee members and I shared a vision for making military service more inclusive and supportive. The work was deeply personal and deeply needed, and its end leaves a significant void. But the mission lives on through each of us who served.” 

Under Congressional mandate, this committee is conducting a consensus study that will review and assess existing evidence on challenges and prospective solutions associated with sexual assault at sea aboard Coast Guard vessels, to include the provision of survivor care, forensic examination of the victim, and evidence collection. The study will review best practices of conducting sexual assault forensic examinations and evaluate the operational capabilities of the Coast Guard in providing alleged victims of sexual assault immediate access to care onboard a vessel.