Women Who Fought Alongside Special Ops Deserve Recognition: Congress May Finally Act

Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) has reintroduced the Jax Act, a bill first brought forward in 2023 to finally acknowledge women who served in combat alongside Special Operations Forces.

Rep. Issa was joined by House colleagues Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Jason Crow (CO-06). The Special Operations Association of America (SOAA) is also supporting the bill. Named after Jaclyn “Jax” Scott, this bill will amend the service records of female cultural support team (CST) members who deployed alongside special operations teams in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The Jax Act isn’t just about amending personnel files. It’s about telling the truth, recognizing courage under fire, and fighting for those who fought for all of us,” said Rep. Issa. “While this reform bill is named for Jaclyn ‘Jax’ Scott, literally hundreds of other brave women service members were asked to volunteer for the most dangerous missions, did so without hesitation, and now need us to set this right.”

During the Global War on Terror, there was a heavy utilization of Special Operations Forces (SOF). Yet few Americans know about the women who fought beside them. The CST program was first enacted in 2010, though similar programs such as the Marine Corps Lioness program and Female Engagement Teams (FETs) have been in place since the early days of the GWOT. Regions where SOF deployed such as Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East had precarious cultural mores surrounding gender dynamics, making it difficult for all-male teams to communicate with half of the population. Without female personnel, teams struggled to gain trust, gather intelligence, and communicate with half the population.

The demonstrated challenges with gender dynamics prompted the Joint Special Operations Task Force to call upon the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to implement a program embedding females with SOF units. The women came from multiple branches, MOS, and both from active duty and the National Guard. Because women were banned from combat roles until 2013, they were often listed in support roles. CSTs primarily served in Village Stability Operations (VSO)s. Two women teams would embed with SOF units where they would assist with setting up educational camps for hygiene, reading, writing, and medical literacy. This created a bond between women and children that ultimately led to intelligence gathering. Additionally, they would go into compounds with SOF teams and lead women and children to safety, allowing the compound to be cleared faster. Their role was not auxiliary–it was essential to mission success.

However, these women were not provided with Additional Skill Identifiers (ADI) to correspond with their time working with SOF in a combat role–the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) only sees their original MOS. As a result, they are denied the combat presumption that male counterparts receive; a critical factor in disability claims. These women who served among Green Berets, Rangers, and SEALs, in the same hostile conditions, involved in the same combat, and facing the same hardships after service are not given any recourse.

In the words of Rep. Miller-Meeks: “As a 24-year Army veteran, I know how difficult it can be for veterans to navigate the VA, and that challenge is even greater when their missions were classified. The women who served in Cultural Support Teams stepped onto the front lines, often in the toughest environments, to protect our nation and support our warfighters. They carried out critical missions that the public will never fully see, but their service was real, and their sacrifices were significant. The JAX Act ensures these veterans finally receive a fair, accurate review of their claims. I’m proud to support this effort and to stand with the women who stood for America.”

With bipartisan backing growing, the reintroduced bill now enters its next critical phase. The next step is for it to face a committee review. The women of the CSTs served in combat, risked their lives, and shaped the course of the war. Their records should reflect the truth. The Jax Act is not just legislation, it is overdue recognition. If your representative serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, now is the time to call. These women have waited long enough.