United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve - Chronology

Chronology

• 1918 – Private Opha Mae Johnson, the first woman to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve
• 1943 – Colonel Ruth Cheney Streeter, first Director of Women Marine Reservists
• 1943 – Captain Anne Lentz, first commissioned officer
• 1943—Private Lucille McClarren, first enlisted woman
• 1945—First detachment of women Marines arrives in Hawaii for duty.
• 1947—First female warrant officer in the Corps — Lotus Mort
• 1948 – President Harry Truman signs Public Law 625 (the Women's Armed Services Integration Act) on June 30, 1948. It incorporates the women's service organizations, like the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, into the regular military on a permanent basis. Colonel Katherine A. Towle was declared the first Director of Women Marines.
• 1948—First group of women sworn into the regular Marine Corps
• 1960—First woman Marine is promoted to E-9 — Master Gunnery Sergeant, Geraldine M. Moran.
• 1961—The first woman Marine is promoted to Sergeant Major (E-9) — Bertha Peters Billeb.
• 1965—The Marine Corps assigns the first woman to attaché duty. Later, she is the first woman Marine to serve under hostile fire.
• 1967-President Johnson signs Pub.L. 90-130. This removes many of the restrictions on women in the military imposed by Public Law 625. Female officers can be promoted to (Colonel) and above.
• 1975 – The term Woman Marine is discontinued; all women in the Marine Corps are considered Marines. Women are allowed in every occupation or billet except Infantry, Artillery, and pilot-aircrew, because of general service restrictions.
• 1978—Colonel Margaret A. Brewer, the first woman Marine general officer
• 1979—The Marine Corps assigns the first women as embassy guard.
• 1985—Colonel Gail M. Reals is the first woman selected by a board of general officers to advance to brigadier general.
• 1992 – Brigadier General Carol A. Mutter assumes command of the 3d Force Service Support Group, Okinawa, the first woman to command a Fleet Marine Force unit at the flag level.
• 1993—The Marine Corps opens pilot positions to women
• 1993—2nd Lieutenant Sarah Deal became the first woman Marine selected for Naval aviation training.
• 1994 – Brigadier General Mutter became the first woman major general in the Marine Corps, and the senior woman on active duty in the armed services.
• 1995—The first female Marine pilot — Sarah Deal — pins on Naval flight wings
• 1996 – Lieutenant General Mutter became the first woman Marine, and the second woman in the history of the armed services to wear three stars.
• 1997—The first women Marines attend Marine Combat Training.

Women serve in 93 percent of all occupational fields and 62 percent of all billets. Women constitute 6.2 percent of the Corps end strength, and are an integral part of the Marine Corps.