These young women are training to be U.S. Marines at boot camp on Parris Island, South Carolina.
On January 24, 2013, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta ended the ban on women serving in combat roles on the ground. The United States now joins a number of other countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Israel, and France, which allow women to serve as ground combat soldiers.
The United States first allowed women to enlist in, or officially join, the military during World War I. Women served as nurses, clerks, and telephone operators. They were usually kept far from the fighting, but still more than 400 women died during the war.
During World War II, the number of enlisted women increased to more than 350,000. Their roles also expanded to include mechanics, drivers, and even soldiers and pilots. However, female soldiers and pilots were kept in the United States to defend the country and to free more men up to fight overseas.
After World War II, the nature of warfare began to change. During the Korean War and Vietnam War, combat zones were often hard to determine. Even though they were serving in non-combat roles, women in the U.S. military sometimes came under enemy fire. During the Iraq War, they often found themselves in combat situations. Today, in the War in Afghanistan, women soldiers continue to come under direct enemy fire.
Today, more than 200,000 women serve in the United States military. By removing the ground combat ban on women, the U.S. military hopes to make all combat roles “gender neutral.” This means that if a soldier—male or female—meets the physical requirements necessary for a combat role, he or she will be allowed to serve in that role.
Below are some milestones for the expanding roles of women in the modern U.S. military.
- 1978 The U.S. Coast Guard allows women to serve in any position
- 1991 Congress removes the ban on female pilots in combat
- 1993 Congress removes the ban on women serving on U.S. Navy combat ships
- 2005 For the first time in U.S. history, a female soldier receives the Silver Star for bravery in combat
- 2010 The U.S. Navy allows women to serve on submarines
- 2013 The U.S. government lifts the ground combat ban on women
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