1775-1783
During the Revolutionary War, women serve in military camps as laundresses, cooks, and nurses. Other women serve as spies, including "Agent 335" in George Washigntons spy ring.
Overcoming the Gender Gap in the U.S. Military
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1861-1865
During the Civil War, women serve in a variety of roles, including nurses, administrators, cooks, spies, and women soldiers disguised as men.
1898
During the Spanish American War, 1,500 civilian women serve in Stateside Army hospitals, while hundreds more serve as spies, support staff, and, disguised as man soliders.
1901
Congress establishes Army Nurse Corps.
1917-1918
During WWI, women serve as nurses and support staff. More than 400 were killed in action.
1941-1945
During WWII, around 400,000 women serve in the official noncombat roles, this includes mechanics, pilots, clerks, nurses, and ambulance drivers. Hundreds of others serve as field intelligence agents in the OSS.
1948 - Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, permitting women to serve as permanent members of the military. Before the act was passed, women only served in times of war.
1976 - The first women are admitted to four of the five service academies, West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the Air Force Academy.
1978 - Female sailors and Marines are allowed to serve on non-combat ships.
1991-1993
During Desert Storm, about 41,000 servicewomen deploy to the Middle East. Two women are taken prisoner of war by Iraqi forces. Congress then authroizes women to fly in combat missions and serve on combat ships.
2009 - The role of women on the battlefield expands with the establishment of the U.S military's Female Engagement Teams.
2010 - Navy rescinds the males-only policy on submarines.
2013 - Defense Secretary Leon Panette annouces that the military's combat exclusion policy will be rescinded.
2016
Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson is the first women to lead a unified combat command.
2017
Three women become the first female infantry Marines.