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2002 -- S 2455 | |
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LC01913 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2002 | |
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N | |
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CONGRATULATING LIEUTENANT COLONEL MARTHA ELIZABETH MCSALLY FOR | |
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THE COURAGE AND INTEGRITY SHE HAS DEMONSTRATED IN HER QUEST FOR | |
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EQUAL TREATMENT AMONG U.S. SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN | |
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Introduced By: Senators Gibbs, Parella, Irons, Sosnowski, and Algiere | |
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Date Introduced: January 31, 2002 | |
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Referred To: Senate read and passed | |
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WHEREAS, Concerns about terrorism and harassment of American military personnel in |
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Saudi Arabia after the Persian Gulf War prompted the United States Department of Defense to |
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establish policies regulating dress and conduct off-base, and U.S. servicewomen stationed in |
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Saudi Arabia were required to wear traditional head-to-toe coverings called abayas with matching |
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head scarf whenever they traveled off the grounds of their military base; and |
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WHEREAS, Contradictory U.S. Department of Defense regulations prohibit male |
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military personnel from wearing traditional Islamic apparel, and permits males to dress in casual |
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attire that does not conform to customary Islamic garb; and |
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WHEREAS, Treatment of U.S. servicewomen was further distinguished from that of U.S. |
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civilian women in Saudi Arabia who are not subjected to similar dress restrictions. The state |
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department does not compel its female employees to wear abayas, and wives of military |
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personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia are not required to wear the garment; and |
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WHEREAS, The military’s policy is especially ironic in view of American outrage over |
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the strict Taliban dress code imposed upon Afghan women, and the widespread celebration that |
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occurred when Afghan women were freed from their obligation to wear burqas. Female soldiers |
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who are fighting the war that freed Afghanistan from the Taliban’s repressive requirements were |
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also obligated to follow restrictive dress codes when leaving their base; and |
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WHEREAS, After many unsuccessful attempts to encourage a policy change through the |
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chain of command, Lt. Col. Martha McSally of the United States Air Force, an accomplished |
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Rhode Island native who is now the Air Force’s highest-ranking female fighter pilot, has put her |
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stellar military career on the line and filed suit against Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, |
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asking that the Department of Defense rescind regulations requiring servicewomen to adopt |
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Islamic dress and adhere to Islamic customs; and |
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WHEREAS, Lt. Col. Mcsally believes that the policy is unconstitutional because it |
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discriminates against women and violates their religious freedom by forcing them to adopt the |
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dress of another faith. Lt. Col. McSally, who pledged loyalty to the Constitution of the United |
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States when she took her oath of military service, argues that all discriminatory policies relating |
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to military personnel conflict with cherished constitutional values for which men and women in |
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uniform have died; and |
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WHEREAS, General Tommy Franks, head of the United States Central Command, has |
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issued an order which no longer requires U.S. servicewomen to wear abayas off-base in Saudi |
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Arabia, but strongly encourages that the garment be worn in public. Since the order has been |
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interpreted to leave discretion to local commanders in the Middle Eastern theater, resulting in |
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continued inconsistencies in treatment of U.S. servicewomen, Lt. Col. McSally has decided to |
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continue on with her lawsuit; now, therefore be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
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hereby congratulates Lieutenant Colonel Martha Elizabeth McSally for the courage and integrity |
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she has demonstrated in her quest for equal treatment among U.S. servicemen and servicewomen, |
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despite significant potential risk to her remarkable, groundbreaking military career; and be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to |
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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Lt. Col. McSally. |
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LC01913 | |
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