Women in the Military

Unlike previous wars, World War II was so vast in scale that women were required in an unprecedented scale to fill necessary positions ranging rom office staff to aircraft ferry pilots. Women also filled the traditional military role as nurses. By 1942 each branch of the military had a separate women's program.

The separation began to change in 1948 when President Truman signed the "Women's All Around Service Integration Act." The ROTC programs began accepting women in 1972, and the Women's Army Corps was disestablished as a separate branch in 1978.

The big change in the military came in 1974 after the draft was discontinued, when women were allowed to enter the military under the same status as men. Now women serve in many roles in the military forces, including some combat jobs.