Military Branch Birthdays
- National Guard. December 13, 1636.
- Army. June 14, 1775.
- Navy. October 13, 1775.
- Marine Corps. November 10, 1775.
- Coast Guard. August 4, 1790.
- Air Force. September 18, 1947.
- Space Force. December 20, 2019.
The Army's birthday is also Flag Day, which celebrates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. flag. The Air Force's birthday is the date of the passage of the National Security Act of 1947, which established the United States Department of Defense.
SPECIAL WOMEN MILITARY CORP's - LONG FADED AWAY BUT REPLACED WITH FULL MILITARY ARMED FORCES STATUS
Army - Women's Army Auxiliary Corps - May 15, 1942
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on May 15, 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The WAAC was the women's branch of the United States Army. The WAAC was created to provide the Army with the knowledge, skills, and training of women. The WAAC was established after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
The WAAC was originally an auxiliary unit. The WAAC members, called Waacs, were given official status and a salary. However, they received few of the benefits given to male soldiers.
On July 1, 1943, the WAAC was converted to full status as the Women's Army Corps (WAC). The U.S. Army dropped the "auxiliary" designation after thousands of women had enlisted
https://www.army.mil/women/history/wac.html
Navy - WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) - July 30, 1942
The WAVES were a division of the U.S. Navy created during World War II to free up male personnel for sea duty. The WAVES were a women's branch of the Navy.
The WAVES were established to replace men stationed ashore to provide more sea-duty sailors and officers. The WAVES program recruited women between 18 and 36 years old (and officers between 20 and 50) to serve onshore in the continental United States. Many of these women also served in Alaska and Hawaii.
The WAVES served in various capacities, from performing essential clerical duties to serving as instructors. During World War II, some 100,000 WAVES served.
The WAVES program was effective for the duration of the war, plus six months.
Marines - Women Marines – July 30, 1942
On July 30, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Public Law 689, establishing the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve (USMCWR). The USMCWR was a United States Marine Corps Reserve women's branch. The purpose of the USMCWR was to free men from combat duty. Women were assigned to shore establishments and not allowed to serve on Navy vessels or aircraft on combat missions.
The Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 changed the name of women reservists from "WRs" to "Women Marines" or "WMs".
Women's auxiliary branches were created for every branch of the military during World War II. Women were restricted from combat zones, but many became nurses to help men injured in combat.
Coast Guard – SPARS - Nov. 23, 1942
The Coast Guard Women's Reserve, known as the SPARs, was established on November 23, 1942. The SPARs were created to allow more men to be sent overseas while the women tended to duties back home. The SPARs took on jobs such as telephone and radio operators. The acronym SPAR is a shortening of the Coast Guard's motto, “Semper Paratus” and its translation, “Always Ready.”
An act of Congress established the SPARs signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The SPARs paved the way for today's Coast Guard women. More than 10,000 women volunteered for service between 1942 and 1946.
https://americangimuseum.org/spars-established/