Women have been involved within the public sphere of the workforce for thousands of years. Within the United States during the 18th and 19th Centuries, it was often with socially mandated stipulations. Once a woman was married, she usually withdrew to tend to the home front. If she became widowed, it was deemed tolerable for her to once again leave the confines of the home to work in the public sphere. However, war often changed the perception of what was acceptable. During the Revolutionary War, women found a voice and while still criticized for articulating their opinions, it was somewhat acceptable. Women also found work among the camps of the Revolutionary Army by helping to nurse soldiers back to health. Work in the nursing field would follow women through almost all of the conflicts that the United States found themselves embroiled, including the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II. With the issuance of the Army Reorganization Act of 1901, the Army officially recognized the work of women as nurses as part of the military structure. As such, the Army Nurse Corps was formed. With the outbreak of World War II, women who were in or who entered the Army Nurse Corps often found themselves in areas they were not previously allowed, most specifically, near battle zones. As such, the Army was initially ill prepared to send women into these areas but their skills as trained nurses were deemed necessary. Utilizing a qualitative and historical framework, this work examines the experiences of women through both a social construction and a feminist lens. Research tools included a pilot study of oral history interviews completed by the author, use of archival interviews housed by the Library of Congress Veteran's History Project, document analysis and an extensive literature review. These tools helped in understanding and explaining the experiences of the women included within the study within both a historical and qualitative context.

As American involvement in Vietnam escalated in the 1960s, the military's need for medical personnel rose as well. A shortage of qualified nurses in the United States coupled with the requirements of providing adequate troops abroad meant increased opportunity for male nurses. To meet the needs of Army personnel, the Army Nurse Corps actively recruited men, a segment of the nursing population that had previously faced daunting restrictions in the Army Nurse Corps (ANC). Amidst mounting tension, the Army Student Nurse Program began accepting men and provided educational funding and support. Additionally, Congress extended commissions in the Regular Army to previously excluded male nurses. Men answered the call and actively took advantage of the new opportunities afforded them by the demands of war. They entered the educational programs and committed to serve their country through the ANC. Once admitted to the corps, a large percentage of male nurses served in Vietnam. Their tours of duty proved invaluable for training in trauma medicine. Further, these men experienced personal and professional growth that they never would have received in the civilian world. They gained confidence in their skills and worked with wounds and diseases seldom seen at home. For many, the opportunities created by the war led to a career in military medicine and meant the chance to seek additional training after nursing school, often specialized training. Relying heavily on oral histories and the archives of the Army Nurse Corps, this study examined the role these nurses played in entrenching men as a vital part of the ANC.