Operation Desert Storm

The proportion of blacks in the active duty force deployed in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm was three-percent higher than their proportion in the total active duty force. The proportion of whites deployed was four-percent lower than their proportion in the total active duty force. The deployed active duty force also contained a higher proportion of men than the active duty force as a whole. Men also comprised a considerably higher proportion of both total and deployed active forces than they represent in the general population. Women, on the other hand, make up more than half of the U.S. population and 11 percent of the active duty forces yet represented only six percent of the active duty deployed personnel. Pentagon officials attribute this situation to the combat exclusion restrictions that reduce the number of women assigned to units and job categories most likely to be included in a hostile deployment.

GAO found that: (1) the proportion of black personnel in the active duty force deployed to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm was 3 percentage points higher than their proportion in the total active duty force; (2) the proportion of white personnel deployed was 4 percentage points lower than their proportion in the total active duty force; (3) men comprised a considerably higher proportion of both total and deployed active forces than they represent in the general population; (4) women made up 11 percent of the total active duty force and 6 percent of deployed active duty personnel; and (5) there was little difference between the racial composition of total and deployed active duty officer personnel, but a comparison of enlisted personnel showed some differences in the representation of black and white populations.