Women in Wartime

They’ve been nurses, cooks, factory workers, pilots, commanders and journalists. They’ve disguised themselves as male soldiers on the Civil War battlefield, donned overalls and wielded drills at aircraft companies during WWII. From Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale to Rosie the Riveter and Margaret Bourke-White, women have always played an integral part in the military. Learn more about women taking part in military history. Get a Historical Overview >>

Is the battlefield a place for women? Women served in the Army during World War II and Vietnam, mainly in noncombatant roles, when only Nurse Corps officers saw frontline action. Today in Iraq, women find themselves in direct combat, defending their fellow soldiers, both male and female, when convoys come under attack. With policies that currently exclude combat, these women are not proactively trained for combat and often in harms way. Find out more. Read Women in Combat >>