The chief of human resources for the Coast Guard, responding to a recent study that looked at why so many more women than men are leaving the service, said there was no big surprise in the findings. Rather, they pointed to a “totality of events” that force women to make a decision whether or not to stay in, he said.
A study from the RAND Corp. made public last week detailed the wide-ranging reasons women leave the Coast Guard, from experiences with poor leadership to family decisions.
At the 10-year mark, the retention gap between men and women is 12.6 percent for officers and 12.3 percent for enlisted personnel.
“Our entire service needs to take a pause and read the study, digest that study and have discussions about the study,” including leaders at “every level,” Rear Adm. William Kelly said during a sit-down interview Wednesday at the Coast Guard Academy.