Women Join Military (C) Jill Mingus

           Women were able to serve in World War I in 1917. The women were allowed to serve in armed forces, but only in noncombat positions. There was a shortage of office workers because most men were in active duty, so the navy used women as office workers. Women would wear the standard uniform and assigned the rank of yeoman.  Most women would serve as office workers, radio operators, electricians, pharmacist, chemist, and photographers.

The army wouldn’t enlist women, instead, women were being hired as temporary office workers. The only women to serve in the army were nurses. Since the 1900s, women nurses have served in the navy and army. Women did not have ranks, and were not really enlisted in the army or navy at that time.