How Many Women Serve In The Armed Service

By Danielle DeSimone

From the battlefields of the American Revolution to the deserts of State of kuwait, women take been serving in the military in one class or some other for more than than 200 years. They have had to overcome decades of obstacles to get to where they are today: serving in greater numbers, in combat roles and in leadership positions all around the world.

Here is a wait at the history of women in the war machine, and how their roles accept inverse over the years.

Revolutionary State of war

Although women were not always permitted to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces, many still found ways to serve their nation.

During the Revolutionary State of war, every bit colonial militias armed themselves and joined George Washington'southward Continental Army, many of these soldiers' wives, sisters, daughters and mothers went with them. These women traveled alongside the Continental Army, where they boosted morale as well as mended clothes, tended to wounds, foraged for food, cooked and cleaned both laundry and cannons.

Photo credit Library of Congress

Later on her husband was killed in battle, Margaret Corbin continued to fight from his mail service at Fort Washington.

Some women plant means to join the fight for independence. Margaret Corbin, for example, disguised herself as a homo and traveled with her husband to the forepart lines of the Boxing of Fort Washington, where she helped him load his cannon. When her husband was shot by enemy burn, Corbin carried on fighting, fifty-fifty after beingness shot three times. She was given a military machine alimony in acknowledgment of her efforts, and years afterwards her decease was reburied at West Betoken with total military honors. Similarly, Deborah Sampson fought disguised as a man for years earlier her true sex was revealed. Other women, such every bit Lydia Darragh, likewise supported the war effort by spying on behalf of the Patriots.

Nonetheless, women's roles in the military became even more crucial during the Ceremonious War, as their support expanded.

Civil State of war

During the Civil State of war, nearly xx,000 women lent their skills and efforts in everything from growing crops to feed Union troops to cooking in Ground forces camps. Other tasks included sewing, laundering uniforms and blankets and organizing donations through door-to-door fundraising campaigns.

Photo credit U.S. Army Heritage and Instruction Middle

Nurse Annie Bong with patients after the Battle of Nashville during the Civil War, circa 1864.

Notably, it was during the Civil War that women began to serve every bit nurses on a much larger and more than official scale. Approximately iii,000 women served as nurses for the Wedlock Army during the war. Legendary nurse and founder of the Red Cross Clara Barton even received a special "military pass" that permitted her to travel directly onto the battleground, where she drove her medical wagons straight into the fray to tend to wounded soldiers. Fellow trailblazer Dorothea Dix was even appointed superintendent of the U.s.a. Army Nurses for the Spousal relationship Army, leading her own "army of nurses" over the course of the state of war. Dix is remembered for pushing for high standards of behavior and training amidst her nurses, as well as providing ample opportunities for female nurses working in back up of the war machine.

Meanwhile, some women even marched on the battlefields. Historians approximate that well-nigh 1,000 women disguised themselves as men and fought on both sides of the Civil State of war.

Globe War I

The 20th century changed everything for women in the military.

At the onset of the United States' entry into Globe War I in April 1917, the U.S. Regular army Nurse Corps (ANC) – formally established in 1901 – had only officially been in beingness for less than xx years, and just had 403 nurses in its agile-duty ranks. Past June 1918, just over a twelvemonth afterward, there were more than 3,000 American nurses deployed to British-operated hospitals in France. These nurses oftentimes worked in unsafe conditions well-nigh the front lines, caring for service members and civilians alike, and ensuring the health and safety of Centrolineal troops.

Photo credit Library of Congress

American nurses care for injured soldiers in France in 1918.

However, WWI is also notable because it was the outset time women – who did non yet have the correct to vote – were immune to openly serve in the U.Due south. military.

With big numbers of American men being sent to war overseas, the Military – and the U.S. Navy in detail – needed stateside replacements for the roles that were left behind. Subsequently finding a loophole in a naval act that would allow women to serve in non-commissioned officer and non-gainsay roles, the Navy enlisted its first "yeomanettes." Around 12,000 women served in the rank of yeoman, mostly working clerical duties, too as telephone and radio operators and translators.

Photo credit National World War I Museum and Memorial

Telephone operators – likewise known equally "Hello Girls" – in the U.South. Bespeak Corps Female person Telephone Operators Unit are pictured here working 3 kilometers from the trenches in French republic. Helmets and gas masks can be seen in their numberless on the backs of their chairs.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Regular army Signal Corps enlisted women to piece of work as telephone and switchboard operators. These women – nicknamed the "Howdy Girls" – oftentimes worked very close to the forepart lines in French republic. They would not be recognized for their high-pressure work or their status as veterans until decades afterward, in 1979.

And so, but a few years subsequently the State of war to Terminate All Wars, World State of war II broke out and women's roles continued to evolve with the rest of social club.

World State of war Ii

WWII created an unprecedented need for service members. As more than than 16 million Americans stepped upwardly to serve on the front end lines – the majority of those existence men – the U.South. armed services was left with many non-gainsay roles that needed to be filled. So, the women of the United States stepped up too, and for the first time in history, all branches of the military enlisted women in their ranks.

Regular army: The Regular army formed the Women's Ground forces Auxiliary Corps (WAACs), which was after renamed and restructured to form the active duty Women's Army Corps (WACS). The branch likewise formed the Army'southward Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS).
Navy: The Navy formed the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES).
Marine Corps: The Marines enlisted women in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve.
Coast Guard: The Coast Guard formed the Women'southward Reserve (SPARS), which stood for the Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus – "Always Set."

In full, nearly 350,000 American women served in compatible during World War Ii.

These women took on non-combat roles in order to free up more men to fight. They connected to work clerical jobs every bit they did during Earth State of war I, just they also drove vehicles, repaired airplanes, worked in laboratories and cryptology, served as radio and telephone operators, rigged parachutes, test-flew planes and even trained their male counterparts in air combat tactics.

Photo credit U.Due south. Air Force

WACS at Bolling Field use a theodolite to obtain data on upper air catamenia of a balloon.

Women too served as nurses. 57,000 served in the Army Nurse Corps and 11,000 in the Navy Nurse Corps – and these roles were not without risk. Many of these women worked right on the front lines and came under enemy burn down, and some even won gainsay decorations. Regular army Col. Red Bradley, a nurse in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, was kept prisoner at an internment army camp in the Philippines for 37 months, during which she remained steadfast in her calling as a nurse. She performed 230 major surgeries and delivered thirteen babies during her time every bit a prisoner of state of war (POW), even under harsh weather. In full, 432 women were killed in the line of service during World War Ii and 88 were taken every bit POWs.

In England in early on 1945, WACS Maj. Charity E. Adams and Capt. Abbie N. Campbell inspect the first contingent of Black members of the Women'south Army Corps assigned to overseas service.

True to societal norms at the time, all branches emphasized the expectation of femininity within the ranks of women in the military throughout the state of war. Uniforms included skirts, not slacks, and nail polish, makeup and feminine hairstyles were not just allowed, merely encouraged. But beyond this focus on femininity, these women were finally recognized as vital, enlisted members of the Military machine.

Photograph credit National Athenaeum and Records Administration

Two members of the Navy's WAVES work on the engine of a North American T-half dozen Texan plane at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1943.

They risked their lives and were integral to American success in the war, and through it all, they faced challenges in navigating their new roles and overcoming discrimination in a male-dominated arena. Later the state of war, many of these women would return home, hoping to proceed their military career, only to find themselves pushed out of their roles and so that the men returning from war could have them. Some women would struggle for decades to obtain veteran status or benefits for their service during WWII.

Just because of their perseverance and dedication to service throughout the war, they helped pave the mode for women in the military machine who would come after them.

Korean War

In 1948, 3 years after the terminate of World War 2, President Harry S. Truman signed the Women'due south Armed Services Integration Deed into law, officially allowing women to serve as full, permanent members of all branches of the War machine.

However, this was not a guarantee of equal opportunity. The act actually restricted the number of women who could serve to only 2% of each co-operative, and likewise limited how many women could become officers. Additionally, female service members could be automatically discharged if they became pregnant, and they were unable to command men or serve in combat positions.

But regardless of the obstacles that remained in female person service members' paths, the Women'southward Armed Services Integration Act was still a step toward progress for women in the armed services. One month after the deed's passing, President Truman issued the Integration of the Armed services executive club, desegregating the war machine and ensuring that Black women could at present serve equally in all branches of the military likewise.

Photo credit National Athenaeum and Records Administration

Medical personnel – including Army nurses – of the 8225th Mobile Ground forces Surgical Hospital (MASH) with a H-13 helicopter in Korea in 1951.

And serve they did. Merely two years later, the Korean State of war broke out, and 120,000 women would get on to serve in active duty positions from 1950-1953. Although they could not serve in combat, they undertook new roles such as armed forces police force officers or engineers.

Military nurses would also keep to play a disquisitional part during this fourth dimension. Mobile Regular army Surgical Hospitals (Mash) were heavily used during the Korean War, providing fully performance hospitals in combat zones, where many nurses worked.

Just a few years later in the Vietnam War, these nurses would be chosen to the front lines again.

Vietnam War

Approximately 11,000 women were stationed in Vietnam during the nearly 20-year war, and 90% of them were nurses in the Regular army, Navy and Air Forcefulness. Notably, near volunteered to go.

U.S. Navy nurse Lt. Cmdr. Joan Brouilette checks the status of a service member as she makes her daily rounds of the intensive care ward at the Usa Naval Support Activeness Hospital in Da Nang, Southward Vietnam in 1968.

During the Vietnam War, other female service members worked as air traffic controllers, intelligence officers and clerks – both at habitation and in Vietnam. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened promotions for women to general and flag ranks and in 1972, women were allowed to command units that included men.

Photo credit Department of Defence force (DoD)

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened promotions to women to general and flag ranks.

The U.S.' involvement in the Vietnam War came to a shut in 1973 and two years afterward, the Pentagon appear that meaning women could remain in the military.

The 80s, 90s and Today

At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, there were a lot of "firsts" for women in the military: the kickoff adult female to get a Navy fighter pilot; the showtime female four-star general in the Army; and the starting time female person rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard.

Photo credit U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

Cmdr. Rosemary B. Mariner, pictured in her A-7E at Naval Air Station, Lemoore, Calif. Mariner was one of the kickoff 6 women to become a Naval aviator, and the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron.

There was even the commencement Silvery Star awarded to a female soldier since World War Ii. Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the military medal in recognition of her brave actions during an enemy deadfall on her supply convoy in Iraq in 2005. She is also the commencement woman to always receive the Silver Star for direct gainsay action.

Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester after receiving her Silverish Star medal during a military awards anniversary at Camp Liberty, Iraq, in June 2005. | Photo credit U.S. Army/Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp

Simply information technology was not only the "firsts" that were impressive in these more recent years.

Equally more than women broke through barriers and established themselves as capable service members working in defense of the nation, the list of "firsts" slowly became less noteworthy in comparison to the sheer number of women serving, equally well as their significant contributions to their respective branches.

In the Gulf War, from just 1990-1991, more than forty,000 women deployed to gainsay zones, although they all the same could not technically serve in directly combat roles or assignments.

In 1994, President Neb Clinton rescinded the "Risk Rule," essentially allowing women to serve in all positions in the military except for direct basis combat roles. This allowed for many more women to still engage in gainsay as aviators, sailors, Air Forcefulness personnel and other roles.

Photograph credit U.S. Ground forces/Staff Sgt. Steve Cortez

U.S. Ground forces Principal of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley congratulates Capt. Kristen Griest and U.Due south. Ground forces Ranger School Class 08-15 during graduation at Fort Benning, Georgia on Aug. 21, 2015. Griest and class member 1st Lt. Shaye Haver became the first female graduates of the school.

Then, in 2013, and so-Defence Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the ban on women in gainsay would be lifted entirely, and that female service members would be allowed to serve in direct ground combat roles. In 2015, this was put into action. This historic modify opened up hundreds of thousands of jobs for women in the armed forces and essentially ensured that as long as female service members completed the necessary grooming and requirements, they could now serve in almost whatsoever role in the U.S. Armed Forces.

U.Due south. Marine Corps Female Appointment Team members clear a hallway during military operations in urban terrain grooming in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January 2021. The team is comprised of all-female person volunteers who piece of work specifically with women and partnered forces to build trust and beneficial relationships while respecting cultural boundaries and customs. | Photo credit U.Due south. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Andrew Skiver

Since the opening of combat positions to women, several female service members have trained to step into these new roles. Over the by vi years, fifty women take graduated from the Army'southward Ranger School and others have successfully completed Navy SEAL officer assessment and selection, proving their capabilities in fifty-fifty the most rigorous and challenging of assignments.

Women go along to make history in the armed services today, pushing boundaries and taking on more roles – and more prestigious roles – than ever before. More 300,000 women accept served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, more than 9,000 have earned Combat Action Badges and today, women make up sixteen% of our nation's Armed Forces, serving in every branch of the U.S. military.

Every bit the history of women in the military conspicuously shows, female service members are a force to be reckoned with – and the USO continues to stand up behind all members of our Armed Forces every bit the Forcefulness Backside the Forces®.

-This story was originally published on USO.org in 2021. It has been updated in 2022..*