Women have worked in the military for many years, but were excluded from active duty or recognition by the government. Women have had an invaluable role during wars and peacetime. It is worth recognizing the history that women have been through to finally receive the recognition they deserve.
Over 35,000 women served as nurses and support staff in World War I. In World War II, women joined the US Army and the women’s army corps taking roles to assist in military intelligence, cryptography, and parachute rigging. It wasn’t until June 12th, 1948 when President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. For the first time, women were recognized as full members of the armed forces. They were now permanent members and could have careers in the Army or Navy. Following this law, over 7,000 women served in the Vietnam War. In 1976, the first woman was admitted to America’s service academies. In 1990, over 40,000 American military women served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Since then, over 700,000 women served in post-9/11 wars, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Prior to the signing of the law, most women worked voluntarily or for clerical positions. Sexual harassment was common, and since they were not recognized by the government, many were jobless after World War II. They were not considered veterans or given any benefits. Everyone also understood that only nurses served during peacetime. Truman’s law marked a significant progress for military women, but it was not without problems. It limited the number of women who could serve to only 2% of any military branch. The military could discharge pregnant women, limit the number of women who could be officers, prevent women from commanding men, and women could not serve in combat. It was not until 2013 when women achieved full status, with the right to serve in direct ground combat roles.
Today, there are more and more women in the military. A greater share of military women are black, and a smaller share are married. From 1973 to 2010, the number of active-duty enlisted women in the military grew from 42,000 to 167,0003. The female force is actually more racially diverse than the male force, with ⅓ of black women. Women are also equally likely to have had emotionally traumatic or distressing experience while serving and transitioning back into civilian life.
Women have played a crucial role in the military, even before they were recognized so. A significant amount of progress has been made, but discriminatory issues in the military still exist. Flight Talk would like to bring a new perspective to these issues and shed some light on current issues from real military women.
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