Charles W. Gill/Handout/Reuters/Corbis

1861-1865

Hundreds of women

disguise themselves as

men to fight for the

Union or the

Confederacy during the

Civil War.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

Cou

rtesy o

f th

e T

ruste

es o

f th

e B

osto

n P

ub

lic L

ibra

ry

1901

The U.S. Army

becomes the first

military branch to admit

women when it creates

an all-female Army

Nurse Corps. During

World War I, 21,000

women serve in the

Corps.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

U.S

. N

aval H

isto

rical C

en

ter

1917-1918

During World War I (1914-

1919), female telephone

operators known as “Hello

Girls” serve overseas with

the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

However, they are not

considered members of the

armed forces and are not

awarded veteran status until

1978.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

U.S

. A

rmy S

ignal C

orp

s A

rchiv

es

1943

The temporary Women’s

Army Corps (WAC) is

created during World War II

(1941-1945). More than

150,000 women enlist as

WACs to work in noncombat

jobs. The Navy, Air Force,

Marines, and Coast Guard

also create women’s

divisions.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

Bra

dsh

aw

Cra

nd

ell,

Recru

itin

g P

ub

licit

y B

ure

au

-Un

ited

Sta

tes A

rmy v

ia L

OC

1948

President Harry S.

Truman signs bills that end

racial segregation in the

military and integrate

women into the regular

armed forces. Until 1967,

women cannot make up

more than

2 percent of any one

branch of the military.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

Lib

rary

of

Con

gre

ss

1973

The draft, or required

military service, ends.

Many more women join the

armed forces, and the roles

of servicewomen are

expanded. Three years

later, West Point and other

U.S. service academies

admit women for the first

time.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

An

na C

lop

et/

Corb

is

1988

The Department of

Defense adopts the Risk

Rule. It bars women from

assignments in areas

where they are at risk for

direct combat, enemy

fire, or capture.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

Levin

e H

eid

i/S

IPA

1990–1991

During the Persian Gulf

War, 40,000 women are

deployed—the largest

number of female troops in

U.S. history up to that

point. Women are admitted

into most military units but

continue to be barred from

direct-combat operations.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

U.S

. D

ep

art

men

t of

Defe

nse

1994

The Risk Rule is abolished.

Women are allowed to hold

any position for which they

qualify, except those in

direct-combat units.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

Joh

n S

. S

tew

art

/Gett

y I

mag

es

2001–present

The wars in Iraq and

Afghanistan are the first in

which tens of thousands of

U.S. military women live and

fight alongside men for long

stretches of time. That

reality steps up the debate

about whether women

should continue to be

barred from combat units.

SCHOLASTIC NEWS EDITION 5/6

David

Tu

rnle

y/C

OR

BIS