The House-passed fiscal 2026 NDAA restores service-level Women’s Initiative Teams (WITs) that were disbanded under the Pentagon’s recent DEI shakeup, requiring each of the five services to form a team within one year. The law mandates annual reports for five years on WIT activities, policy impact and recommendations. Authored by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, an Air Force veteran, the provision aims to standardize WITs, bolster recruitment and retention, and strengthen military readiness through targeted policy changes. Concrete past WIT successes include a two-piece flight suit, cockpit relief solutions for women, and removal of height restrictions affecting pilot eligibility.
NDAA Restores Service-Level Women’s Initiative Teams and Mandates Pentagon Oversight
Marine recruits fire during rifle marksmanship training on Parris Island, South Carolina. (Cpl. Octavia Davis/Marine Corps)
The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision to reinstate service-level Women’s Initiative Teams (WITs) that were disbanded after Pete Hegseth became the Pentagon’s top civilian. The measure, tucked into the roughly $900 billion defense policy bill passed by the House on Dec. 11, requires each of the five military services to stand up a WIT within one year of enactment and mandates annual reporting on their activities for five years.
What the Legislation Requires
Under the bill, each WIT must be composed of women in uniform from a variety of ranks, backgrounds and occupational specialties. The teams are charged with:
- Identifying and addressing issues that impede women’s service;
- Supporting recruitment and retention of women in the force;
- Recommending policy changes that meet the specific needs of women in uniform; and
- Fostering a sense of community and mentorship among servicewomen.
The secretary of defense must submit an annual report for five years summarizing each WIT’s activities, assessing their policy impact and offering any legislative or administrative recommendations to strengthen their effectiveness.
Origins and Rationale
The WIT provision was authored by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), an Air Force veteran who served on active duty and in the Reserves from 1989 to 2004. Houlahan framed the teams as an issue of readiness and retention: while women make up about 51% of the U.S. population, they represent roughly 20% of service members. She argued that the teams help the military support that segment of the force and improve overall effectiveness.
“More importantly, it’s all about readiness for the military in general,” Houlahan told Military Times. “It’s important that that demographic be supported.”
Service History and Concrete Wins
The provision also standardizes WITs across services. Historically, the Air Force WIT operated for nearly two decades before being ordered to cease operations after a change in administration. The Navy’s team had been active for less than a year and was not formally disbanded, while Marines launched an unofficial team in 2020 to press for changes affecting women in the Corps.
WITs have produced tangible results: Air Force members advocated for and helped develop a two-piece flight suit, promoted cockpit systems that make it easier for women to relieve themselves during long flights, and helped remove height-related restrictions that had kept shorter airmen of both genders from qualifying as pilots. Teams have also worked on force-wide concerns such as childcare availability and parental leave.
“What I hope is that this administration really understands that this is ops and readiness for service women to do our jobs,” former Air Force WIT member Alea Nadeem said. “We’re asking for help to make us more lethal and more ready, and to give us the equipment and resources we need to do that.”
Oversight, Compliance and Open Questions
While the NDAA uses statutorily strong language (including the word "shall") and adds reporting requirements intended to create accountability, it remains unclear how aggressively the Pentagon will implement and fund these teams. Earlier in the year, Hegseth announced he had "ended" the Defense Department’s Women, Peace, and Security program; the program continues only at the minimal level required by law. The WIT provision attempts to place guardrails on the department by codifying the teams and requiring regular reports to Congress.
The NDAA’s WIT language signals congressional intent to make attention to women’s service an enduring part of defense policy—and gives lawmakers regular reporting tools to monitor progress. How effectively the services respond in practice will determine whether the teams produce sustained policy change and improved readiness.
