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wherever possible, including use to man the Aircraft Warning Service. The memorandum recommended that, in order to raise the required 750,000 women, the army (a) recruit women tied by home responsibilities to their own communities for duty only in those communities, (b) secure through Congress registration for all women between the ages of 21 and 45, (c) secure through Congress the enactment of a selective service law for women, (d) increase the WAAC "ceiling" from the 100,000 allowed by presidential executive order to the 10 percent of the army strength, and (e) survey the army to see exactly where Waacs might be used. This ambitious paper gave the highest estimate made at any time during the course of the WAC program in World War II of the number of women soldiers who could be used in the army. As a result of it, the WAAC "ceiling" was later raised by presidential order to 200,000 (1), and the suggested survey of army jobs suitable for women was immediately undertaken. No action was ever taken, however, either to recruit limited service (area-bound) women or to place women under the selective service system.

Information regarding this proposal reached Air Forces just after the personnel division of AAF Headquarters had suggested to the Allocations and Programs Division of the Operations, Commitments, and Requirements Office, that AAF ask for additional Waacs.

1. Executive Order No. 9364, dated 26 July 1943, published in War Department Bulletin 17, dated 4 August 1943. [[/footnote]]

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