United States Marine Corps Women ' s Reserve The United States Marine Corps Women ' s Reserve served in two World War s before becoming a part of the regular United States Marine Corps . World War I service . Faced with manpower shortages in 1918 , Major General Commandant George Barnett asked the Secretary of the Navy ' s permission to enlist women for clerical duties . On 13 August 1918 , Opha Mae Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the Marines . Some 300 women entered the Marine Corps in 1918 , taking over stateside clerical duties from battle - ready Marines needed overseas . The women were nicknamed Marinettes World War II service . The Marine Corps Women ' s Reserve was officially established on 13 February 1943 . The first director of the Marine Corps Women ' s Reserve was Major Ruth Cheney Streeter from Morristown , New Jersey . By the end of World War II , 85 % of all enlisted U . S . Marine Corps personnel assigned to Headquarters were women . The MCWR was often referred to as the " Lady Marines , " but with other women ' s organizations in the U . S . Military being given catchy names such as WAC s , WAVES , and WASP s , one female reporter thought of the name " BAM " s for " Beautiful American Marines " ; however many regular Marines called them " Broad Ass Marines " Training . Initially , the Marine Corps relied upon the Navy ' s training facilities for both its officers and its enlisted women . Classes began in March 1943 for both officer candidates and recruits . The first group of women officers received direct commissions , based on their ability , education , and civilian expertise . On 13 March 1943 , just one month after the Marine Corps began accepting women , the first class of officer candidates began training at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley , Massachusetts . The first class of recruits ( 722 ) completed their recruit training at Hunter College in The Bronx , New York . In July 1943 , the Marine Corps transferred the officer and recruit training to more permanent facilities in New River , North Carolina . Nearly 19 , 000 women would complete their training at New River during the course of the war . Assignments . The women were assigned to over 200 different jobs , among them : radio operator , photographer , parachute rigger , driver , aerial gunnery instructor , cook , baker , quartermaster , control tower operator , motion picture operator , auto mechanic , telegraph operator , cryptographer , laundry operator , post exchange manager , stenographer , and agriculturist . They would serve as the trained nucleus for possible mobilization emergencies . The demobilization of the Marine Corps Women ' s Reserve of 820 officers and 17 , 640 enlisted was to be completed by 1 September 1946 . Of the 20 , 000 women who had joined the Marine Corps during World War II , only 1 , 000 remained in the Marine Corps Women ' s Reserve on 1 July 1946 . On 12 June 1948 , the United States Congress passed the Women ' s Armed Services Integration Act , and made women a permanent part of the regular Marine Corps . In 1950 , the Women Marine Corps Reserves mobilized for the Korean War and 2 , 787 women were called to active duty . By the height of the Vietnam War , about 2 , 700 women had served both stateside and overseas . By 1975 , the Marine Corps had approved the assignment of women to all occupational fields , except the infantry , artillery , armor , and pilot - air crew . Over 1 , 000 women were deployed in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 – 1991 . Women serve in 93 percent of all occupational fields and 62 percent of all billets . Women constitute 6 . 2 percent of the Corps end strength , and are an integral part of the Marine Corps .