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Revolutionary War
Women have been involved in all of the U.S. major battles, including the Revolutionary War through Civil War, but mostly in the civilian fields of nursing, laundering, cooking, seamstressing. They've always offered support, and provided comfort and care to those who’ve served. Unofficially, women made great spies in this time period because men looked down on their intelligence and thought them too simple for complexities like the nuisances of war. As such, they were able to covertly observe. -
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Civil War
Much like during the Revolutionary War, women have been involved in all of the U.S. major battles, including the Revolutionary War through Civil War, but mostly in the civilian fields of nursing, laundering, cooking, seamstressing. They offered support and provide comfort and care to wounded. -
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World War I - The Great War
Women were able to enlist as nurses, cooks, clerks, and telephone operators. -
First Woman Enlists
Women saw the formal establishment of programs aimed at including them during WWI. Secretarial service in the army and navy. Loretta Walsh was the first enlisted woman in 1917. -
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World War II
Prior to and during WWII there were more formal measures taken to facilitate programs for women who served. The army nurses corps saw army nurses KIA and captured as POWs during their service for the first time in WWII. -
WAAC
Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) - women were not actually IN the army, but they served "with" it. Not given full benefit of serving. Mildred McAfee would charge this effort. -
WAVES
Women’s Naval Reserve - Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). Could be called upon and mobilized during wartime to support. -
Women Aviators in WWII
WASP - Initially, 25,000 women applied to join WASP; 1,800 were accepted but just over 1,000 passed the training and joined the group. Another member of the pioneering aviators, Margot De Moss, 92, said: “We were trailblazers because we got in to where no women had ever been in before.” (Wyant, 2014) More information available at: Link text -
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Korean War
There were 22,000 women in uniform when World War II ended and 120,000 on active duty during the Korean War. Roughly one-third of them were health care providers. Medical personnel who served in Korea did so in Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH units), on-board hospital ships, in MEDEVAC aircraft, and in hospitals in Japan, Hawaii, and the USA that were receiving the wounded from Korea," (Brown, 2017)
Read more at: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/women_in_korea/women_in_korea.htm -
Recruitment of Women for the Armed Forces
Poster recruiting women for the Military, Army, Navy and Airforce. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation estimates that approximately 11,000 military women were stationed in Vietnam during the conflict. Nearly all of them were volunteers, and 90% were military nurses, though women also worked as physicians, air traffic controllers, intelligence officers, clerks and other positions...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED See: http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/women-in-the-vietnam-war -
Coast Guard Opens All Positions to Women
See more information on women's history of involvement in the Coast Guard here: https://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/womenchronology.asp -
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Desert Shield / Desert Storm (Persian Gulf War)
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm saw the highest number of deployments for military women in U.S. history. More than 40,000 women were deployed. Fifteen were killed and two were imprisoned by Iraqi forces. (wiki, n.d.) -
Congress Lifts Ban on Female Pilots in Combat
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Navy Tailhook scandal
According to the reports, 83 women and 7 men were assaulted at a Las Vegas aviator’s conference by over 100 aviation officers. At this time, senior officers taught troops that to prevent rape and/or sexual assault, they must lock their doors and windows. In other words, it was the potential victim's responsibility to protect oneself rather than others for controlling oneself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailhook_scandal -
Congress Lifts Ban on Females Serving on Navy Combat Ships
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Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, & New Dawn
11.6% of Veterans who served in active roles during the OIF, OEF, & OND are women. (v.a., n.d.) Over 102,128 women served in OIF/OEF. -
First Silver Star for Bravery in Combat Awarded to Female Soldier
"Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007. After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away,"(a.p., 2008). More of this article available at: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23547346/ns/us_news-military/t/female-medic-earns-silver-star-afghan-war/ -
Navy Allows Women to Serve on Submarines
"Admiral Bruner says preparations to put women on the submarines include re-emphasizing training, for men and women, aimed at avoiding sexual harassment, improper onboard relationships and related problems. But the admiral, who is a career submarine officer, says he does not expect serious problems," (Pessin, 2010)
Read full article at: https://www.voanews.com/a/us-navy-allows-women-on-submarines-92469079/161879.html -
Air Force Sexual Misconduct Accusation
“I learned quickly that the enlisted females who do well are the ones who keep their mouths shut" (Jennifer Smith as quoted by Risen, 2012). Jennifer felt as if men thought they were in charge and that women had nothing to say about it (Sorcher, 2013). She noted that men used pornography as pep for missions and that they hung inappropriate photos and called her inappropriate name.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/us/women-in-air-force-say-sexual-misconduct-still-rampant.html?mcubz=0 -
Congress Lifts Ground Combat Ban on Women
On January 24, 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta ended the ban on women serving in combat roles on the ground.
Read more here: https://hmhinthenews.com/womens-expanding-roles-in-the-u-s-military-2/ -
All Military Positions Open to Women
Excepting a few special forces positions, women are now able to enlist and serve in any capacity they meet the qualifications for, creating a much more diverse array of careers to choose from. -
Women in the Services
Current statistics from the Department of Defence on women in the armed forces
