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Women in the military 

Women have been serving their nation for hundreds of years- there have been many achievements made by women in the military, and their ability to integrate into military culture is still growing with the Department of Defense opening all combat jobs to women in 2016. 

Click on the photos to learn more!

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TIMELINE

1901

army nurse corp. established

1901

Navy nurse corp. established

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1917-1918

World War I

Woman served as nurses and support staff. 

1917-1918

Women's Armed Service Integration

Woman are permitted to serve as permanent members of the military

1934-1963

U.S. Army COlonel Ruby Bradley

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1941-1945

WORLD WAR ii

Over 400,000 women served in non-combat

roles, including mechanics, pilots, clerks,

nurses, etc.

1941-1945

U.S. Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Carmen (Contreras) Bozak

American Red Cross,

World War II

Army Nurse Corp,

World War I

WOMEN'S ARMY CORP (WAC),

World War II

1945

Rosy THe Riveter

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Training Women for War Production
1937-1943

The NYA trains girls to sew, to make military and civil defense posters and signs, to prepare food, and to assist in hospital work (feeding and massaging patients, sterilizing instruments, making x-ray pictures, etc.). Women learn to operate machine tools (drill presses, lathes, etc) in an airplane plant, to weld sheet metal, to solder and drill radio parts, and to inspect finished work. Eleanor Roosevelt introduces and narrates the film.

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1950-1953

Korean War

Approx 50,000 women served in the military, many as Army nurses in forward deployed M.A.S.H units and aboard ships

1962-1972

Vietnam War

Approx 11,000 military women are deployed to Vietnam, 90%  of whom served as nurses.

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1991-1992

dESERT sTORM

Approx 41,000 servicewomen deploy to the Middle East

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1975-2012

Ret. U.S. Army Gen Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody 

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1982-2019

U.S. Army

Leitenant General Nadja West

1975-1984 Army enlisted mint green summer uniform

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2001-2011

Afghanistan war

The role of women in the military grew significantly post 9/11. By the end of the War in Afghanistan over 203,000 females served in the military, or 14.5% of active duty military personnel. 

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1998

Female Fighter pilots

.Females fly combat missions for the first time during a four day Iraqi bombing mission

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Late 20th Century

2003

First Lioness Teams

Three female soldiers are taken prisoner of war during the invasion of Iraq. The first Lioness teams, the precursors to Female Engagement Teams, form and deploy to Iraq. 

2003-2014

iraq war

Approx 41,000 servicewomen deploy to the Middle East

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Female officer dress white

1986-Present

CA Army National Guard

Maj. Gen. Laura L. Yeager

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2009

The role of women on the battlefield expands with the establishment of the U.S. Military's Female Engagement Team, which are tasked with building relationships with Afghan Women.

2016

First females become Army Rangers

Griest and Haver become the first females to complete Ranger School, alongside 94 male peers.  

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