Effects of Nursing Efforts During the war on the future of women in the military
Roles of women at the end of the war
Iconic End of WWII Picture Nurse and Sailor
Photograph #28 on Source Page
American women already had a long military history, but it was a history that had largely seen them confined to separate branches of the military, such as the WAVES and WAAC. They were only called to duty in order to 'free a man to fight.' While women were utilized in World War II, they were able to work only in limited capacity and were mostly only used so that there would be more men to fight. An example of this is the nurses, who were utilized to heal soldiers and send them back out to fight. After World War II; however, this subservient role women were forced into began to change. There is a debate over whether the roles of women in the military have truly changed, though many believe that without the crucial roles of women in the armed forces, World War II would have been even more catastrophic. (32)
Realization of the Value of Servicewomen
Realization of the Value of Servicewomen
The role of servicewomen was integral to the military during World War II, as they provided a tenth of the office-power needed and worked as nurses in the field saving countless lives. Because of their utility, as the amount of manpower decreased, commanders such as General Dwight D. Eisenhower began to understand and appreciate women's roles in the war effort, realizing that they were more than emergency substitutes for men. However there was not significant change until the Armed Forces Integration Act of 1948 was passed.
Armed Forces Integration Act of 1948
Although most women were demobilized quickly after World War II, the role of servicewomen was noted by the government, which passed the Armed Forces Integration Act of 1948, establishing the first permanent group of women in the military, which was a huge step for the time. (33)
BUT
Armed Forces Integration Act of 1948
Photograph #29 on Source page
The law severely restricted the number of women, the number of officers, the rank they could achieve, and the roles in which they could serve. Women were banned from serving in combat aircraft and all ships except transport/hospital ships. The Armed Forces Integration Act of 1948 was extremely limiting to women in the roles with which they could assist in military efforts. The law showed the gender bias of the time as there was no ban from ground combat because it was an assumed restriction.
Newspaper Headline
Photograph #30 on Source page
Evolution of Nursing as a Career After the War
In the post-World War II years, nursing came to be viewed as a serious profession. The role of women on the front lines as nurses during the war led to the view that nursing was to be a respected profession rather than just women's work. Through World War II, the nursing field was completely changed, with greater numbers of nurses enrolling in school and training to become respected members of the medical field rather than nursing being viewed as easy and safe work for young women. (34)
Quote on Changing Role of Nurses:
"the war forever changed the face of the nursing field"
-Judith A. Bellafairein author of The Army Nurse Corps (35)
Nurses in Training after the War
Photograph #31 on Source page
Nurses Learning New Techniques after WWII
Photograph #32 on Source page
Growth of Women in the Military after WWII
Why did women become more involved in the military after WWII?
(both as nurses and in other positions)
Part of the reason why women became more involved in the military is because women were beginning to participate in the workforce on a greater scale. Women were no longer the wives whose jobs were to take care of the husband and the children, they were working women with desires and dreams of making a change. Women's increased participation in the civilian labor force as well as trends toward ensuring equal rights for women, facilitated greater inclusion of women in the armed forces. (36)
Statistics
on After War Enlisted Female Participation in the military
1948 - 1,460,000 active duty personnel, 6,000 enlisted women = 0.4% of military personnel
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1952 - 3,504,000 active duty personnel, 31,000 enlisted women = 0.9% of military personnel
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1976 - 2,098,000 active duty personnel, 95,000 enlisted women = 4.5% of military personnel
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1980 - 2,033,000 active duty personnel, 150,000 enlisted women = 7.4% of military personnel
Fluctuation of active duty personnel coincides with periods of armed conflict such as the Korean War and Vietnam War. Recruitment of women, though, didn't follow the same pattern. The numbers of enlisted women continued to increase from less than half of the women serving in World War II being enlisted, to nearly 87 percent of the women in the military in 1980 (37)
First African American Nurse Unit WWII
Photograph #33 on Source page
Women Serving in Vietnam
Photograph #34 on Source page
arguments against the effectiveness of women in the war and policy failures
The two arguments
One argument asserts that the number of women was too small to make an appreciable difference; the second comes from those who debate that only battlefield accomplishments matter in a war. (38)
However
The two arguments about the effect of women state that their roles were largely ineffective. They omit the fact that the victors mobilized women extensively as a part of an effort to use all available resources, while the losers did not. It has been shown that those countries who most actively involved women from the beginning of the war maintained a distinct advantage. (39)
Nurses in the Vietnam War
Photograph #35 on Source page
Failed Legislation
Despite the large numbers and varied roles of women who served during World War II, the war's end brought demobilization and restrictions on the role of women in the military. In the United States, for example, legislation such as the Armed Forces Integration Act of 1948 provided for continuing women's armed services but severely limited their numbers and permitted activities. These failed measures to truly achieve equality in the armed forces shows how under-appreciated the roles of servicewomen (including nurses) were after the war ended. Though they had sacrificed a great amount to serve the nation in every capacity they could, women would not receive any meaningful or major legislation on their roles in the military until 30 years later. (42)
President Truman after signing the Armed Forces Integration Act
Photograph #36 on Source page
Views of American Leaders
After noting the influential role of women in World War II, the United States government studied how beneficial women could be in mixed-gender units, but though the units performed better, the experiment was terminated because it was not believed that national policy or public opinion was ready to accept the use of women in field force units. During congressional testimony, General Eisenhower expressed that women would be critical in any future war and should therefore be subject to conscription. His views were dismissed. This shows that high ranking officials saw the valuable role women could play in the war effort but their views were dismissed due to the gender bias of the time. (40)
Women in the Military Today
Major Changes for nurses and doctors in the military
Major changes in the extent and nature of women's participation in armed forces have occurred in the past two decades as increasing numbers of women joined the armed forces in many nations. Today, women compose 14 percent of the total active-duty military, and more than 255,000 have deployed to combat operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. These numbers show the evolution from the humble beginnings of women serving in the military in strictly nursing or support roles to now show the scope of their effect on the military in roles that expand farther than nursing. The role of female nurses showed many officials the vital role women can play if utilized in war, leading to the acceptance of women into more roles in the military. Nursing and medical care is still a crucial role in the military. Times have changed though, and now women AND men provide nursing care for the wounded in the roles of battlefield medics and even having female doctors at aid stations. Women and men have additionally received training in medical specialties improve the methods used to save lives and the likelihood of those wounded to survive and return home.
changes for women in the military between 1960-1980
1. Women entered the Army Reserve Officers Training Program (ROTC) beginning in September 1972, and the first female ROTC cadets graduated from South Dakota State University on May 1, 1976
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2. In 1975, the Army chief of staff approved the consolidation of basic training for men and women when test programs showed that "female graduates met the standards in every area except the Physical Readiness Training Program," which could be modified without compromising the value of training. By 1977, combined basic training for men and women became policy, and men and women began integrating in the same basic training units.
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3. Between 1975 and 1979, many Army rules and regulations concerning women changed.
- The defense secretary directed the elimination of involuntary discharge of military women because of pregnancy and parenthood, June 30, 1975
- Mandatory defensive weapons training was initiated for enlisted women and they were authorized to serve the same length of overseas tours as men
- Effective April 1, 1976, the minimum age of enlistment of women was reduced to the same as for men, and by October 1979, all enlistment qualifications became the same for men and women
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4. President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-106 that permitted women to be admitted to all service academies beginning in 1976. In 1980, the first women cadets graduated from U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. Since then, women have continued to enter every class there. (44)
HOWEVER...
Despite their exemplary service and performance in combat, women are still restricted from serving in more than 220,000 military positions solely because of their sex. This includes certain combat positions. Women are still limited by the legislation passed by the Department of Defense, such as the male-only selective service law, as well as other DOD policies which do not follow the 3 Tenets of America, which are:
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1. A fundamental obligation of full citizenship is the requirement to defend the nation if needed
2. The armed forces should reflect the society they defend
3. The U.S. Constitution is now interpreted to prohibit discrimination or lack of equal opportunity based solely on gender
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Current policies make it difficult if not impossible for women to be treated equally and serve in the same capacity as men.
While the role of women in the military has evolved and changed greatly since World War II, there is still a long way to go to achieve complete equality in the military and allow women in to more hands-on combat roles. (41)
Closing thoughts
In recent years, there has become heightened awareness of the importance of the service performed by American nurses (and other servicewomen) in all military campaigns. These women are extraordinary and their recognition was long overdue when the "continuing plight of women's veterans' status" came through Congressional hearings in the 1980s. The dedication of the Women in Military Service Memorial in 1997 remains a testament that women are soldiers too, showing the impact of the role nurses played in all wars and how their small numbers have led to acceptance of women in the military in different capacities, coming closer to an equality of the sexes in the military today. (43)
The Women in Military Service Memorial
Photograph #37 on Source page
Female Air Force Pilots
Photograph #38 on Source page
Female Marines in Training
Photograph #39 on Source page
Female Marines in Training
Photograph #40 on Source page