Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps was created on May 15, 1942
It was the first time women were officially recognized as part of the United States Armed Forces.
MONROE, La. (KNOE) - On May 15, 1942 an Act of Congress established the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps as a part of the United States Army. The WAAC recruited more than 150,000 women to take part in noncombat jobs during World War II.
Before the WAAC was formed women assisted as camp followers, spies, nurses, and some even dressed as men to fight. In World War I they were used as switchboard operators, but were considered civilian employees.
The Act was a major shift in the military’s inclusion of women. Those who served volunteered to serve a one year term, which could be extended to the length of the war plus six months.
Their jobs included clerical, administrative, mechanical, and other noncombat roles. In 1943 the word “auxiliary” was dropped, making it the Women’s Army Corps. By the end of World War II, women were firmly established as part of the Armed Forces.
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