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BY PRIVATE JEAN R. ROBERTS
(of the ATC Air Wacs)

The Army can really make a soldier out of you in only six short weeks!
At Fort Des Moines, Iowa, in this period of time is accomplished the amazing feat of unmaking a woman from a civilian, interested only in purely feminine thoughts of clothes, household, and family, and remaking her into a soldier, interested primarily in the Army and what she can do to aid best in this war.
This job starts from the first day a group of woman from all parts of the country arrive, with very little luggage, lots of curiosity, and a few misgivings about whether or not this venture is going to work out as well as the recruiting officer said.
Picked up in Army trucks and taken from the railroad station to Stable Row (several barracks so named becaused the Cavalry used to use them as such), the rookies are clothed in overcoats and wool knit caps, if the weather permits, until they can be issued uniforms. These live up to all stories of the fit of Army uniforms for quite often by the time a third of the group is through, they have frun out of the smaller size coats, and the remainder either drag the ground, or go completely aroung you at least twice. And there is nothing that can make a woman feel more out of place than clothes that do not fit. Many are the envious glances cast toward the other "basics" who have been there a week or so longer, who