FORT RILEY, Kan. - According to the U. S. Army Women's Museum, Congress approved a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps May 14, 1942. As part of the corps, women were trained in a noncombatant job to "replace a man for combat."
Today, that glass ceiling has been shattered as women do more than replace a man for combat - they fight shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts in the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, gathered inside the Dragon's Lair Dining Facility March 26 to pay tribute to the women pioneers who blazed a trail for others to follow.
According to "Dragon" Brigade equal opportunity advisor, Sgt. 1st Class Sherry L. Williams, the event was designed to be a reminder of the past.
"I think of the women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the women of the future. I think of the women who did not take 'no' for an answer, or 'you can't do it because you are a girl.' I also think about all the women who did not care how hard it was, how far they had to go or how long it took, they persevered anyway." Williams said.
For Capt. Kimberly Culver, recognizing both civilian and military women was a reminder of how the actions of one can affect the future.
"It makes me appreciate the groundwork that occurred for women to be where they are today. They made it a little bit easier for us to have choices for our careers and we aren't limited by the color of our skin or our gender," Culver said.
Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Michael S. McCoy remarked that he was thankful for the example of women in the past and present who paved the way for his daughter to pursue a career as an Army nurse.
"Because of them, my daughter can go through ROTC and become an Army officer," he said.
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