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Army. The Congress passed a Bill requiring all personnel to choose between an honourable discharge or enlistment into the new Women's Army Corps, Army of the United States, as from 30 September 1943. On 5 July 1943 Director Oveta Culp Hobby became Colonel Hobby of the US Army, the first woman to be admitted to the new concept of the army. Her dream had come true, and the women's service would henceforward-like those of Britain and Canada-be 'in', and not just 'with' the Army.

The Naval and Marine Services
There was strong resistance to the idea of accepting women into the ranks of the US Navy, but the service nevertheless acknowledged the existence of the WAVES (Women Appointed for Volunteer Emergency Service). Known equally as the Women's Naval Reserve Corps, they performed some of the same duties as the British WRNS-mainly administrative, but also domestic, secretarial and clerical, and in the communication branches. They held similar ranks to their male counterparts up to Lieutenant-Commander, drew the same pay, and served (as did the WACs and Women Marines) for the duration of the war plus six months. Their primary purpose was to relieve men for service at sea. They themselves served on shore duty within the continental limits of the USA, but not on combat vessels or aircraft.
The Navy avoided the worst of the clothing difficulties suffered by the Army by the simple expedient of granting WAVES a clothing allowance to purchase their own uniforms. Various commercial firms were authorized to manufacture uniforms to the official specification, and they were then sold through large department stores, which gave expert fittings. Shoes and other personal articles were chosen from standard commercial models available, and therefore the fit was generally better and more individualistic. In the long term the WACs benefited from the free replacement of worn-out articles, as the WAVES allowance of $12.50 paid quarterly was said to be insufficient to keep them in stockings, let alone all the other items.
Curiously the WAVES, with their stylish uniform designed by Main-Bocher, recruited far less women than either the WAACs or the WACs. Recruitment into the WAVES, SPARS (Coast Guard women's reserve, from the motto 'Semper Paratus') and the Marine Corps Women's Reserve varied constantly in close proportion to that of the WAACs. There was clearly more to the choice than a comparison of uniforms; possibly the limitation to service inside the United states, which applied equally to WAVES, SPARS and Women Marines, was a factor.
The MCWR was the US Marine Corps parallel to the Navy's WAVES. Regulations and condition of service were closely similar to those of the male branch; pay was the same as that of the WAC. The highest rank was that of Major. Rank insignia was the same for male officers and men. The uniforms varied with the season, as in the other women's services. Women marines carried out a wide range of duties, serving as stenographers, draughtswomen, orderlies and domestic workers, electricians, radio and film operators, parachute packers, etc.
On 31 May 1941 a revised edition of the US Navy Uniform Regulations was approved by the Secretary of the Navy. Chief among the many changes incorporated from earlier editions, from

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WAACs clean their billets. The jacket and kepi can be seen more clearly here; note the name tag above the left breast pocket, worn by all recruits. (Life)

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