Women's Armed Services Integration Act
Encyclopedia
Women's Armed Services Integration Act, United States
law enacted on June 12, 1948, enabled women to serve as permanent, regular members of the armed forces in the Army
, Navy
, Marine Corps
, and the recently formed Air Force
. Prior to this act, women, with the exception of nurses, served in the military only in times of war. However, it excluded women from Air Force and Navy vessels and aircraft that might engage in combat.
The act was a major step forward for military women. However, in October 1949 a new Army regulation decreed that mothers with dependent children were ineligible to serve in the military, and female servicewomen with children under the age of 18 were discharged. This regulation was finally repealed in the 1970s, when Congress passed a law which allowed women with dependent children to enlist.
In 1998, a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Act was held at the Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial
in Arlington National Cemetery
. Then-Deputy Secretary of Defense John J. Hamre delivered the keynote address.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
law enacted on June 12, 1948, enabled women to serve as permanent, regular members of the armed forces in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, and the recently formed Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Prior to this act, women, with the exception of nurses, served in the military only in times of war. However, it excluded women from Air Force and Navy vessels and aircraft that might engage in combat.
The act was a major step forward for military women. However, in October 1949 a new Army regulation decreed that mothers with dependent children were ineligible to serve in the military, and female servicewomen with children under the age of 18 were discharged. This regulation was finally repealed in the 1970s, when Congress passed a law which allowed women with dependent children to enlist.
In 1998, a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Act was held at the Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial
Women in Military Service for America Memorial
The Women in Military Service for America Memorial is located at the Ceremonial Entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and honors all women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. New York architects Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, husband and wife, designed the memorial...
in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. Then-Deputy Secretary of Defense John J. Hamre delivered the keynote address.