Rise of Military Women

Air Force ROTC Allows Women (1969-1970)

(1970)_Air Force ROTC Allows Women.docx Download

The Air Force led all military branches in incorporating women into ROTC, beginning with a trial basis in 1969 and rapidly expanding by 1970 due to overwhelming positive response and increasing demand for female officers.

Early History

1956: WAF (Women’s Air Force) section introduced into ROTC program as an experimental program
1956: Janet Marshall of George Washington University was the first woman to enroll in WAF Cadet ROTC Program
1959: Only 3 WAF ROTC units remained after the Secretary of Air Force ordered phase-out by 1960

Modern Integration

1969: Women officially allowed to join Air Force ROTC; pilot program began with women admitted to AFROTC units at several universities during the 1969-70 school year
1970: Air Force ROTC women cadet program expanded to national scope after overwhelmingly positive response to pilot program
1970: Kathy Thompson (University of Maryland) became the first female cadet to enroll in the program to compete for a commission in the regular Air Force
1973: Women admitted to AFROTC Junior Program (two-year program)
1973: Ann Orlitzki (University of Connecticut) became the first female Second Lieutenant commissioned through UConn ROTC in May 1973

Legislative Context

1967: President Johnson signed Public Law 90-130, lifting grade restrictions and strength limitations on women in the military
1973: End of the Selective Service (draft) led to radical changes in military recruiting practices
1976: Separate WAF status abolished; women entered the Air Force on an equal basis with men
1978: Air Training Command (ATC) assumed responsibility for AFROTC programs; opportunities for undergraduate pilot training afforded to female cadets

References

Primary Legal Sources

Johnson, L. B. (1967, November 8). Remarks upon signing bill providing equal opportunity in promotions for women in the armed forces. The American Presidency Project, University of California, Santa Barbara. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-upon-signing-bill-providing-equal-opportunity-promotions-for-women-the-armed

U.S. Congress. (1967). Public law 90-130: An act to remove certain restrictions on the careers of female officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps [81 Stat. 374]. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/statute/81/374

Official Military Sources

U.S. Air Force. (2014, September 19). Women’s legacy parallels Air Force history. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/497548/womens-legacy-parallels-air-force-history/

U.S. Air Force ROTC. (2023, October 24). Air Force ROTC history. https://www.afrotc.com/about/what-defines-us/history/

University and Educational Institution Sources

Kansas State University. (n.d.). AFROTC history. https://www.k-state.edu/usaf/about/afrotchistory.html

Texas Christian University. (2025, January 5). Equal opportunities to lead: 50 years of women in TCU ROTC. https://www.tcu.edu/news/2022/equal-opportunities-to-lead-50-years-of-women-in-tcu-rotc.php

University of Connecticut Archives and Special Collections. (n.d.). Women in ROTC. https://blogs.lib.uconn.edu/archives/tag/women-in-rotc/

University of Maryland Air Force ROTC. (n.d.). Who we are. https://afrotc.umd.edu/cadre