10 Facts That Show How Far Women Have Come In The Military
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Politics and Activism

10 Facts That Show How Far Women Have Come In The Military

Women still face a lot of discrimination in the armed forces, but they have come a long way.

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10 Facts That Show How Far Women Have Come In The Military
www.Slate.com

In 2016, with all the discriminatory practices women still face, it can be hard to see how far we've progressed. The following list contains ten things that women in the military have achieved. You may or may not be surprised to know that women in the military still face a lot of discrimination and have a significant lack of support from a large portion of their higher ranking members. Hopefully, this list will serve as a reminder of how far we've come and as an inspiration to push for further developments for women, in and out of the military.

1. The first female to get a pension for military service fought in the Revolutionary War.

Margaret Corbin served at Fort Washington during the Revolutionary War. She received a pension of half a soldiers pay and one suit of clothes or the equivalent in cash.

2. The first (and only) female to get the Medal of Honor fought in the Civil War.

Dr. Mary E. Walker served as a surgeon during the civil war and received the Medal of Honor for her service.

3. The first recorded African-American Female to serve fought in the Civil War.

Cathay Williams disguised her self as a man and used a pseudonym, William Cathay, to serve in the Civil War. She soon fell ill and was hospitalized for small pox. An Army surgeon discovered her gender, but she returned to service until 1868 when she was forced to leave due to medical disability.

4. The first female to receive the Puple Heart came after Pearl Harbor.

Annie G. Fox received the Purple Heart for her service during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

5. Women are officially allowed to enlist at the end of the First World War (WWI).

Between 1917-1918 women were officially allowed to enlist in the U.S Army and Navy. Thirty-three thousand women enlisted during this time and 400 lost their lives in the line of duty.

6. Th first woman to enlist signed up in 1917.

Loretta Walsh was the first woman to officially enlist.

7. Women come out in waves in World War II.

More than 400,000 women enlisted and served in Word War II. These womwn served in America, Europe and Asia as ambulance drivers, pilots, nurses, and administrators. Over 400 women lost their lives and 88 were captured as prisoners of war.

8. The Woman’s Army Corps’ first black officer served in WWII.

Major Charity Adams led the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This battalion inspected every piece of mail from Europe to America and protected the Allied Forces from any breaches in intelligence.

9. Female Engagement Teams (FET) started up in 2009.

The Marine Corps introduced this program whose goal was to engage and build relationships with Afghani women and Children in remote areas of the country. Their goal was to break down cultural barriers in order to better assist U.S. military security searches, provide information and to provide aid to the Afghani people.

10. The ban on women in direct combat was lifted in 2013.

As of January of 2013, when the ban was lifted, all units, even those within special forces, have started to review each of their units to determine how and when women will be able to enroll.

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