Female Marine recruits practice drill at Parris Island, S.C. 

There are approximately 32,000 women in the U.S. military, comprising about 13 percent of the total U.S. Armed Forces.  These amazing pictures tell the rest of the story.

When discussing the history of women in combat, one might think of Joan of Arc who in 1429, at age 17, successfully led French troops into battle against the English. Hundreds of women disguised themselves as men to fight in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Beginning in 1942, separate military services for women were established, but women did not gain professional military status until 1948 when President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act which limited their number to 2 percent of the total military.