Persian Gulf War (1991)

A coalition of 32 nations, including the United States, Great Britain, France, and Saudi Arabia liberated Kuwait in 1991 after Iraq, under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, invaded the neighboring country. Operation Desert Storm lasted less than two months. While it succeeded in forcing Iraqi troops out of Kuwait, the war did not remove Hussein from power or persuade him to cooperate with United Nations weapons inspections. These issues and others resulted in a second war in 2003.

Women's Roles

Although women made important contributions to 18th and 19th-century wars, they were not officially welcomed into the armed services until the 20th century. In 1901 the Army established a nurses corps, and the Navy followed suit in 1908. Approximately 17,000 women served as nurses in World War I. In World War II, women had the opportunity to join branches of the Army (Women's Army Corps, or WAC), Navy (WAVES, or Women Accepted for Emergency Service), Marine Corps (Women's Reserve), or Coast Guard (SPARS, an acronym for the motto Semper Paratus, Always Ready). They performed support functions, allowing more men to take combat duties. An estimated 350,000 women served during World War II.

Despite advances made during World War II, women were barred from serving during peace time until 1948. Since then, opportunities for females have increased steadily. An important milestone was reached in 1975, when women were granted the right to enter United States military academies.

As members of ladies' aid societies and the American Red Cross, women on the home front raised money and organized activities to help soldiers and their families by providing nursing care and supplies. In the 20th century, a large number of women stepped into jobs vacated by men who enlisted or were drafted to fight in World War I and particularly World War II. On the home front, they practiced careful housekeeping habits to do their part, growing Victory Gardens, saving cooking fats, and rationing supplies of food and fuel.

African Americans in the Military

For nearly a century, from 1869 until 1951, the United States military was segregated by race. Black men were officially allowed to join the armed forces for the first time during the Civil War. Beginning with World War II, African American women could join the Women's Army Corps or the Navy WAVES, although there were restrictions on their numbers. President Harry Truman signed an executive order in 1948 outlawing segregation, but until 1951 during the Korean War they were organized into all-black units, generally serving under white officers. The United States Military Academy at West Point accepted African American cadets for the first time in 1870. Ohioan Charles Young (1864-1922) was the third black graduate. The proportion of African Americans in the military today exceeds their representation in the general population.