This handbook provides the reader with an historical and contemporary overview of the service by women in all branches of the U.S. military, tracing the causes and effects of evolving policies, issues, structural barriers, and cultural challenges on the record and in the future of the accomplishments by women warriors. Women in the United States Armed Forces: A Guide to the Issues covers over a century of accomplishments of military women, from the Civil War to the current wars in the Middle East. Readers will learn, for example, that during World War II, 565 women in the Women's Army Corps stationed in the Pacific theater received combat decorations, proving that women had the courage, strength, and stamina to perform in a combat environment. They will also learn that, perhaps surprisingly, it wasn't until the mid- to late 1970s that women had their first opportunities to serve at sea and as aviators (crew as well as pilots), albeit on noncombatant ships and aircraft. The book's final four chapters discuss the issues that continue to plague women in the military, including sexual harassment, noting that women's performance in America's two-front wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made a positive difference in attitudes. The handbook closes with an epilogue that is at once a summary of the issues and a call for action.

Women's participation in the U.S. Armed Forces has grown over time in response to the national need for their services. Throughout each era of American history, patriotic women volunteered to serve their country in a wide variety of official and unofficially sanctioned capacities. When there was a call to duty, the United States Armed Forces always relied upon women to be a part of the effort. This book provides information to enable students and scholars to understand the effect women have had on wars that have shaped the United States.

Women of the Military is a compilation of 28 stories of women who have started their path to military life, are currently serving, separated or retired. There are 4 stories from women in the process of joining, 14 stories from Air Force members, 8 stories from the Army, 1 from the Navy, and 1 from the Marine Corps. Women have served in the American military since as far back as the Revolutionary War. As years passed the role of women in the military has grown and changed. In 1948, women were allowed to serve in the US Military outside of war periods. During the Vietnam War, Cmd. Elizabeth Barrett was the first women to hold command in a combat zone. In 1976, the first woman attended a military academy. In 1998, female fighter pilots flew the first combat mission. And in 2016, after years of women serving in combat roles during Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom, all jobs were open to women in the military. There is such a rich history of women serving in the military. And while at one point in time most women served in the role of a nurse. Today, women are a part of every job. The role of women expanding military wasn't by chance. Instead, it was from women proving over and over again that they were a valuable asset and could be used and relied on in the field of battle. How do we know what happened beyond the highlights written in history books? I wanted to answer these questions so I started a journey. A journey to hear the stories of military women. Today I host a podcast, Women of the Military, where I get to talk to women who have served in the military. But before the podcast, my interviews were back and forth on paper. I have put together these stories. Women who have served as far back as Vietnam and as current as those entering the military in 2018. Stories from women who have served in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. If you've ever wondered what it's like to serve as a female in our military, you need to read this book.

This revised edition of Maj. Gen Jeanne Holm's classic work on the history and role of women in the U.S. armed forces brings the reader up-to-date by covering the role of American military women in all post-Vietnam military operations -- including the recent Persian Gulf War. Just as important is her discussion of the changing role of women in the military during the 1980s and 1990s. Book jacket.

This revised edition of Maj. Gen. Jeanne Holm's classic work on the history and role of women in the U.S. armed forces brings the reader up to date by covering the role of American military women in all post-Vietnam military operations - including the recent Persian Gulf war. Just as important is her discussion of the changing role of women in the military during the 1980s and the current debate over combat exclusion law and policies. From the day Molly Pitcher fired her cannon without congressional sanction at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778 until 1948, when women were accorded full legal status in the regular armed services, the military was viewed as a wholly masculine preserve. During the Revolution and Civil War, women were forced to disguise themselves as men order to gain access to the ranks. The fight against the "built-in institutional resistance of the tradition-bound military subculture" is a large part of General Holm's story. Women's battle for status and recognition is the other part. Women always had to be superior to male counterparts in education and moral standing. Uniforms and accommodations were major stumbling blocks. The "emphasis was most often on bathrooms, not bullets", General Holm observes. Although women are now an integral part of each of the services, the controversy is far from over; the revolution continues. But, as recent events have so aptly demonstrated, it is now impossible for America to go to war without its women.