Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service

The United States Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), better known under the acronym WAVES for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, was the World War II women's branch of the United States Naval Reserve. It was established on 21 July 1942 by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the president on 30 July 1942. This authorized the U.S. Navy to accept women into the Naval Reserve as commissioned officers and at the enlisted level, effective for the duration of the war plus six months. The purpose of the law was to release officers and men for sea duty and replace them with women in shore establishments. Mildred H. McAfee became the first director of the WAVES. She was commissioned a lieutenant commander in the Navy on 3 August 1942, and was the first woman commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve (she was later promoted to commander and then to captain). McAfee, on leave as President of Wellesley College, was an experienced educator and highly respected in her field.

The notion of women serving in the Navy was not widely supported in the Congress or by the Navy, although some members did support the need for uniformed women during World War II. Nonetheless, the persistence of several women laid the groundwork for Public Law 689 (30 July 1942), allowing women to serve in the Navy, due in large measure, through the efforts of the Navy's Women's Advisory Council, Margaret Chung, and Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States who would later become the United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The age for officer candidates was between 20 and 49, with a college degree, or two years of college and two years of equivalent professional or business experience. The enlisted age requirements were between 20 and 35, with a high school or business diploma, or equivalent experience. WAVES were primarily white, but 72 African-American women did eventually serve on a fully integrated basis. The Navy's indoctrination of most WAVE officer candidates took place at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, and was designated the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School. Specialized training for officers was held on several college campuses and at various naval facilities. Most enlisted members received recruit training at Hunter College, in The Bronx, which became the U.S. Naval Training Center (WR). After recruit training, some women attended specialized training courses on college campuses and at naval facilities.

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