History of Women in the United States National Guard
Women have a reputation for being overlooked in military history; their roles are often minimized because they are a minority in the male-dominated field of war. In the United States, the gender binary is constantly reinforced branding women as the weaker sex, derived from Protestant interpretations of the bible; the construct of the Cult of Domesticity underpinned most social interactions as the prevailing value system among upper and middle-class families during the 19th century. The Cult of Domesticity was a construct that suggested that men and women were to operate in separate spheres, men in the public sphere of everyday life and business and women in the private sphere of the home. Women were put in charge of running the home as a place of refuge for their husbands, where they could re-connect with God and family. As the Cold War intensified following World War II, the fear of Communism inspired women to push the boundaries of their sphere, declaring that their involvement in the community was essential to the containment of Communism.
Though the United States allowed conscription of a limited number of women as nurses to the Women's Army Corps during World War II, in an effort to maintain a high level of readiness during the Cold War, President Eisenhower signed legislation to allow women to join the National Guard but only as officers in medical fields. [House Report 7290 as seen below] Signed into law on July 30, 1956, the law permitted the United States to circumvent women's status as Reserve once units mobilized, by registering them as active members of the force (National Guard). This was a revolutionary move in 1956 when though women were moving into the workforce, it was still considered taboo for women to have a career that did not align with the Cult of Domesticity standards. Nursing as a profession was regarded as loosely harmonizing to this construct, as it involved the caretaking of men. Nursing, when performed by women, can be seen as providing refuge and "washing" the horrors of the public sphere away while acting as a spiritual haven for soldiers.
Women's roles in the U.S. National Guard were broadened in the following years as more freedoms were afforded to them. In 1968 women were allowed the opportunity to join the ranks as enlisted members as opposed to only as officers (National Guard). which opened more positions for females. Later, in 1973 flight training was opened to Army National Guard Women, and in 1976 women could attend flight training. These lifted restrictions opened more doors, and in March of 1997, Retired Air Force Major General Martha Rainville became the first woman in National Guard History to hold the position of Vermont's adjutant general. Rainville's distinguishment as a leader in the male-dominated operations of the U.S. military-industrial complex represents a shift in the social paradigm from the Cult of Domesticity. By 1997, women operating in the public sphere was expected, as the picture of a middle-class family evolved to include two parents that worked outside of the home. Despite the entrance into the public sphere, women are still expected to maintain the home and the majority of domestic duties.
The most significant indication in a change of prevailing value systems was the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, which included a provision that allowed women to serve in combat positions. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton, this legislation represents a different way of viewing women in society. In just 38 years, women had gone from severe restrictions on how they could serve their country to the freedom to participate in the same life-threatening duties men performed. Though women today still face inequality in all aspects of society, their contribution to the safety of our country is on par with that of male soldiers.
