NYSUT celebrates Women’s History Month with a new poster honoring women in the military.
The 1948 Women’s Armed Services Integration Act formally allowed women to serve in the military, but women have had an impact on the armed services for more than 200 years.
Initially formally relegated to civilian support roles, including laundresses, cooks and spies, women gained entry in 1901 with the formation of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and later served as Yeoman in World War I. By WWII, all four branches of the military — Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — enlisted women in their ranks. In fact, nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform during the war.
In 1975, women were allowed to be admitted into military colleges, furthering their mobility within the ranks of the armed forces. And in 2015, just 10 years ago, one of the last remaining barriers was broken when women were allowed to serve in combat roles.
Downloadable PDF versions and printed copies, in limited quantities, are available to NYSUT members. Download this poster and past Women’s History Month posters at nysut.org/publications.