Women played auxiliary roles in the military from the Civil War until the mid-20th century, but were deterred from active military duty until the end of the draft in 1973. During World War II more than 150,000 women joined the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACS) and Woman Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). In 1976 women were allowed to enroll at West Point and in 1977 in all military forces. By 2004 there were more than 212,000 active duty women in the military, but women still cannot serve in combat.
Until the late 1970s military schools only accepted boys. As women became integrated in the military, many of these schools became co-ed but maintained separate dormitories, mess halls, and other facilities. Today there are military schools that serve girls only.
There are only a few all-girls military schools and "boot camp" programs. The purpose of these military schools is to provide a troubled student with a strict regiment and constant supervision. At these schools girls are assigned a counselor who will guide them through their time at the academy. These counselors have specific training to deal with troubled young woman and only take on a small group of cadets to mentor.
Attending a military school will teach girls how to be obedient under authority and familial units. In addition, military academies will allow females to continue their regimented education through higher ranks of education to eventually pursue a military career.
There are not many all-girls military programs in the country, especially for girls 12 and younger. Coed programs located throughout the country can offer your female child education possibilities. You can pursue this information by looking up military academies online through websites such as Military Schools 411 and examining the curriculum, regiment and program to find the military school that matches your child's needs.
At most coed military schools, females will partake in the same activities as males, both inside and outside the classroom. Most of the time females are separated from males in terms of dorms and shower facilities, but not classroom or physical exercises. Coed military schools allow young females to follow the same career paths as their male counterparts.