Active Duty Officers in the Modern United States Army
The United States Army counted more than 74,000 women on active duty in 2021, with thousands holding officer rank across logistics, intelligence, aviation and combat arms. Commissioning ceremonies, where new lieutenants raise their right hand and recite the oath of office, mark the start of a career that can span decades and multiple deployments.
Officers shoulder responsibility for soldiers, equipment and mission planning from their very first assignment. The path runs through West Point, ROTC programs at hundreds of universities, or Officer Candidate School at Fort Moore. Female officers now command battalions, fly Apache helicopters, and lead Special Operations enablers, building on decades of policy changes that opened nearly every military occupational specialty to women by 2016.