Following is the DoD text:

The Department of Defense announced today a new and enhanced role for the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service (DACOWITS), which will be revitalized in an effort to make it more relevant, efficient and effective.

The 53 year-old charter under which DACOWITS operated focused on attracting more women to military service. Today's military, with more than 200,000 women currently on active duty, bears little resemblance to that of 1951. Accordingly, the Defense Department has developed an improved charter to better address the needs of women in the military and their professional development.

The committee's new charter will also broaden its focus to include improving conditions for those who serve and their families, whose sacrifices are yet another form of service to the nation.

The revised charter sets a priority on recruiting and retaining highly qualified professional women while considering the treatment, employment, integration, and well being of women service members.

The new charter is on the web at http://www.dtic.mil/dacowits/charter.html.