Five reasons it's awesome to be a woman in the Air Force Published March 21, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Autumn Velez 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- As a woman myself, I may be biased, but there are numerous reasons why it's awesome to be a woman, definitely one that serves her country. In honor of National Women's History Month, here are five reasons why it is awesome to be a woman in the Air Force. 1. Women haven't always been able to serve. When President Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948, women were finally able to serve in the armed forces. This act allowed women to become permanent members of the military. Before this, women, with the exception to nurses, were only allowed to serve during wartime. 2. No more barriers. As women, we are often seen as inferior to men. The playing ground was leveled in early 2013 when Leon Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, lifted the Department of Defense ban on women serving in combat. Even though implementations are still in progress, expect to see strong, capable women in combat in the near future. 3. Zero gender setbacks In the United States, military pay and career opportunities are based on skill and rank, not gender. Women are not only given the liberty to serve alongside men, but they are also given the chance to soar above them. 4. Women can have it all Often, women are told they cannot have it all, that they cannot have a full-time career and a family, but this isn't true. Women that serve are able to be Airmen, wives and mothers if they choose to do so. There are no limits on the capabilities of a woman in the Air Force, especially when she has her Air Force family standing behind her. 5. Women rock Just being a woman, on its own, is an awesome thing. The fact that women are able to give back to their country in an equal capacity as men is phenomenal. In and out of uniform, female Airmen are women of character, courage and commitment. They are the ones writing history each and every day.