A new dissertation certified by Walden University has taken a deep look at why some women have left the United States Coast Guard before completing their service obligations. Titled “Junior-Level Women Experiences Influencing Their Departure from the US Coast Guard,” Jill L. Lazo’s research is grounded in Public Service Motivation (PSM) theory and aims to step in where, in her words, “there is a notable absence of studies examining the experiences of women in military contexts, particularly within the United States Coast Guard.”
The dissertation draws on interviews with 16 women who had separated from the Coast Guard between four- and eight-years prior. Lazo explains that her purpose was “to understand the experiences, perceived barriers, and facilitators of military service among these women.” She emphasizes that existing studies often relied on active-duty focus groups, which “inadvertently overlooked interviewing women who separated from the USCG.” By centering the voices of those who had already left, she has sought to uncover the silent perspectives shaping attrition.
The findings reveal a complex interplay of motivations and frustrations. Though not the central focus of her study, the dissertation acknowledges sexual assault as part of the broader context of women’s attrition from the US Coast Guard. Lazo writes: “My research study focused on the career development aspect for women, and I did not evaluate it from the perspective of sexual violence.”
That said, the work is situated against existing literature and government reports that have identified sexual harassment and assault as significant factors in women leaving military service. For example, she cites the Government Accountability Office’s finding that “several factors for women exiting military service are traditionally connected to experiences with sexual harassment, sexual assault, pregnancy, inferiority, and abuse, resulting in negative consequences for the USCG.”
Her interviews with the former junior-level Coast Guard women emphasize themes such as betrayal trauma, toxic leadership, lack of support, and ethical burden. While sexual assault was recognized in prior studies as a driver of attrition, Lazo’s project deliberately concentrates on leadership failures, “invisible service,” and organizational culture as the recurring themes behind premature departures.
Given the broader context of her research, Lazo notes that “while PSM remained intact for most participants, their decisions to leave were influenced by factors such as betrayal trauma, ethical burden, and invisible service.” Fourteen of the 16 women continued to pursue careers aligned with public service, underscoring that their departures were not rooted in a loss of civic commitment. Instead, recurring themes emerged: “toxic leadership, lack of support, and inadequate or incompetent leadership.”
One participant describes her experience as “invisible service,” a phrase Lazo adopts to capture the sense that women’s contributions go overlooked or undervalued. Others speak of “betrayal trauma,” reflecting the emotional toll of feeling abandoned by leaders or colleagues. Lazo concludes that “junior-level women’s stories remain unheard and unintentionally excluded from the USCG internal and third-party studies conducted,” a silence that perpetuated attrition.
The dissertation also highlights the role of leadership failures. Lazo writes that “additional recurring themes included toxic leadership, lack of support, and inadequate or incompetent leadership.” These patterns, she argues, undermine women’s ability to thrive in the organization and contribute directly to premature departures. She stresses that “without understanding their needs and expectations, the establishment may only continue to yield or achieve the same results of women separating.”
Her analysis also draws attention to broader structural issues. The Government Accountability Office has reported that “women are 28% more likely to depart the military than men,” a statistic Lazo uses to situate the Coast Guard’s challenges within a wider military context. She also references Admiral Linda Fagan’s acknowledgment that “the active-duty workforce comprises 15% women, with the remaining 85% men,” underscoring the imbalance that has persisted despite decades of policy reforms.
Lazo’s personal connection to the Coast Guard informed her inquiry. She recounts that she had served on active duty from 1993 to 1997 and later in the reserves until 2016, while also holding a civilian position with the Coast Guard. Reflecting on her own career, she explains: “I became hard-hearted but never understood why women got out because of multiple reasons such as geographic stability, to keep their marriage, or to sacrifice their career for their spouse.” Her frustration at seeing women leave propelled her to investigate the phenomenon systematically.
The implications of her study extend beyond the Coast Guard. Lazo argues that “this in-depth qualitative inquiry offers an alternative understanding of career truncation among junior-level women in the USCG.” She suggests that the findings could inform retention strategies across the military and provide insights for scholars and policymakers. The themes of betrayal, invisibility, and ethical burden, she notes, are not unique to the Coast Guard but reflect broader challenges faced by women in public service environments.
Ultimately, Lazo frames her work as a call to action. She concludes that “the study’s implications for positive social change include informing retention strategies and providing insights for scholars, military leaders, and public institutions regarding PSM-related phenomena in service environments.” By amplifying the voices of women who left, she has sought to ensure that their experiences would no longer be ignored in the pursuit of a more inclusive and supportive military.
