From Triumph to Setback: The New Battle for Women in the Military
THE FIGHT TO FIGHT Has Been Thrust into Urgent and Developing Events
Official records of the first women to serve in combat roles are being eradicated from Defense Media Activity (DMA), which owns the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) and social media sites for all the armed services. The above message started appearing on social media pages operated by each of the armed services on February 27, 2025. In addition to purging records, many posts are being deleted, rewritten and reposted after removal of such banned words as “first,” “female,” “women,” “sex,” “LGBTQ” and many others.
Screen shot taken on February 27, 2025
Immediately after Secretary of Defense (SecDef) Pete Hegseth took office in January, a participant in our film received a “cease and desist” order to stop communicating with our team. This person (name withheld to protect their identity) was threatened with a potential court martial even though the U.S. Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice protects the right to tell personal stories.
Cease and desist orders are given when an action or behavior is deemed unlawful, against regulations, or detrimental to the unit or mission. It is noteworthy that prior to the change of administration, my communications about filming with active-duty soldiers on a military base were well received.
In fact, the person I spoke to fully supported “showcasing exemplary women serving in ground combat roles to inspire the next generation to serve.”
But today, that goal is apparently opposed by the SecDef and, in fact, official records of the first women to serve in these roles are being eradicated from Defense Media Activity (DMA), which owns the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
In a memorandum issued by Assistant to the SecDef for Public Affairs on February 26, DIVIDS and all online media sites operated by the U.S. military were ordered to purge content relating to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This resulted in the eradication of media about women’s integration of ground combat roles that used to be publicly available, effectively erasing these stories from the official record.
Fortunately, our team has independently archived a great deal of the purged material, and we intend to use it to explore the struggles and achievements of the first women in history to integrate the combat arms. Unfortunately, the footage highlighted in our film showing these brave women may be the only way the general public will ever see it.
The Dream Deferred
I have been following the ongoing battle for gender equality in the military for many years. I served as a Navy pilot from 1986 to 1993. On my first at-sea deployment as a combat support helicopter pilot, I was the only woman among 7,500 men in an aircraft carrier battle group.
Later, I flew off an ammunition ship reloading aircraft carriers during the Gulf War. At the time, without regard to my skills or abilities, I was barred from flying combat aircraft or being assigned to combat ships simply because I am a woman. My experience gives me a deep understanding of the bias and hostility women in the film face.
I began this documentary as an effort to tell the story of women breaking barriers to full participation and equality in the military, focusing on the turning point in 2015 when ground combat positions were finally opened to women. I envisioned a triumphant celebration of brave women who overcame obstacles and proved they have what it takes to serve on the front lines.
Instead, my intended story of triumph has been shattered by the new SecDef, who has publicly stated, "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles."
Since taking office in January, the SecDef has systematically fired women and people of color from positions of command. Through my extensive network of veterans and active-duty women, I am aware that many women currently serving in ground combat roles are being targeted for persecution and have concerns about potential reassignment or removal.
Why We Are an Independent Film
Today, our film team finds itself in the midst of capturing something important and timely. Our film’s participants have been thrust into the middle of urgent and rapidly developing events. Direct threats to free speech are occurring at an alarming scale and careers are being destroyed. Participants in our film are taking personal risks to tell their stories.
In the current “culture war” climate, it is essential THE FIGHT TO FIGHT is made as an independently funded film so that editorial control will not be relinquished in ways that might weaken the agency of the filmmaking team and our commitment to participants in the film.
This means we must rely on funding that comes from foundations, grants and individual donors. We have made a solid start in raising those funds, however, to date, we have only secured about half of the funds needed to complete the film.
Please consider recommending our documentary to foundations or granting organizations that will enable us to remain an independent film and free from adverse influence from distributors or streaming platforms, which might put the participants in the film at risk. Also, please consider an individual donation to help us complete the film. At the current time all first-time donations will receive matching funds. Second-time donations, to receive matching funds, must exceed the previous amount donated. Click the link below to find out how.
It is my mission and the urgent mission of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT film to celebrate the story of the exceptional women who integrated the combat arms and keep their achievements from being erased.
Joy Bronson served as a Naval Aviator from 1986 to 1993 and is the Director/Producer of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary feature film.
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