Women's Reserve of the US Naval Reserve
(WAVES)
II. Facts about the WAVES
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-. Requirements for Joining
-. Training
-. WAVES within the Navy Organization
-. Types of Duty and Duty Stations
-. Payment
-. WAVE Songs
-. Navy Lingo
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Facts about the WAVES
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Picture Source: Recruitment Brochure, How to serve your country in the WAVES, 1943.
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Requirements for Joining
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. Enlisted Women WAVE Officers
Citizenship Native-born American
or, if not native-born, parents must have naturalization papers 
Same
Minimum Age 18 20
Marriage Married women were allowed to enlist, provided their husbands were not in the same branch of service. Marrying during the training period was not permitted, but afterwards no marriage restrictions Same
Dependents No children under 18 Same
Character Good character,
3 references
Must possess qualities of character, appearance, manner and bearing and capacity of leadership
Education Two years of high school or business school College degree or two years of college work plus at least two years of acceptable business or professional experience.
Two years of mathematics in high school or college
Experience Record of occupation since leaving school Same
Height At least 5 feet Same
Weight At least 95 pounds,
weight in proportion to general body build
Same
Eyes Eyes correctable with glasses to 20/20 vision Minimum Vision in each eye 12/20, corrected to 20/20
Hearing Ability to distinguish whispered words at 15 feet Same
Teeth Natural teeth in sound condition or satisfactory replacements Minimum of 18 sound teeth, with at least 2 molars opposing on each side and 4 opposing front teeth
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Training
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During 1942, training was provided for enlisted WAVES within 16 training schools, as well as the Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School for officers.
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WAVES received instruction in various fields ranging from general duty to gunnery and communications, aviation-related ground services, navigation and other skills. Large numbers were also trained in Navy communications. As the job opportunities for WAVES expanded, more training programs were implemented.
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Picture Source: Recruitment Brochure, How to serve your country in the WAVES, 1943
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Picture Source: Recruitment Brochure, How to serve your country in the WAVES, 1943 ..... The size of the training program for WAVES is reflected by the fact that nearly 5,000 women were undergoing training at any one time throughout the war. 

During World War II, over 104,000 women finished basic and advanced training at over 40 different Navy establishments. Many of these training courses were given in schools once exclusively reserved for male sailors. 

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Not only was basic training mandated, but also many advanced courses were made available in such fields as supply, medical, commissary, administration and communications. 

Numerous specialized functions having an aviation-rating requirement became accessible to female participation, and this resulted in openings in selected aviation-training courses. These included training in various specialties, from parachutist rigging to operation of aircraft control towers.

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Training of Enlisted WAVES

Enlisted WAVES initially underwent 4 to 6 weeks of basic training within the recruit school (Naval Training School). The first naval training school was established in December 1942 at Iowa State Teacher's College. 
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Picture Source: Official U.S. Navy Photograph, Feb. 1943,  now in the collections of the National Archives.
U.S. Naval Training Center, Women's Reserve, at Hunter College campus, The Bronx, New York
....... During February 1943, this recruit center was relocated to Hunter College in New York City. The training staff was composed of 100 officers, of which 70 of were female officers. 

Basic training taught the fundamentals of navy life, drill, discipline and other military essentials to the newly enlisted WAVES recruits. 

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The enlisted WAVES were then either ordered to a naval base or naval air base for immediate duty, or selected for additional instruction at advanced schools. There they were taught specific techniques and skills required for specialized military duties. 

The first advanced schools for enlisted WAVES began operating in October 1942 at the University of Wisconsin (Madison campus) for communications specialists, the University of Indiana for storekeepers, and Oklahoma A&M University for yeomen. A total of 16 advanced schools were active by the end of 1942, and this number expanded to 20 advanced schools during 1943.

...
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Typical advanced schooling was located as follows:
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Naval Air Stations  - Norman (Oklahoma), 
- Memphis (Tennessee), 
- Atlanta (Georgia),
- Lakehurst (New Jersey)
Naval Hospitals  - Bethesda (Maryland),
- Sand Diego (California)
Campuses - Indiana University at Bloomington (Indiana),
- Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College at Stillwater
  (Oklahoma), 
- University of Wisconsins at Madison (Wisconsins), 
- Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls (Iowa), 
- Georgia State College for Women at Milledgeville (Georgia);
- Miami University at Oxford (Ohio)
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Training of WAVE Officers 

WAVE officers were sent to the Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School, located at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, to learn the fundamentals of naval leadership. The school was nicknamed “USS Northampton”, and the officer basic course lasted 2 months.
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On August 13, 1942, Captain Herbert W, Underwood, USN (Ret.) assumed the position of Commanding Officer, and the first group of 125 female officers reported to the school on August 28 as probationary officers. They had been appointed directly from civilian life as accomplished business or educational leaders, and most had college degrees. 
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The regular training program for WAVE officer candidates was officially initiated on October 6, 1942 at the Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School.

The classes began with 900 potential female officers. The rapid influx of more WAVE officers required expansion of facilities. 

In November, another officer training school was established at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. 

By the end of the World War II, over 10,500 female officers went through Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges.

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Picture Source: Recruitment Brochure, How to serve your country in the WAVES, 1943 ........ Training of WAVES officers was like that of male reserve officers. They were taught military drill, physical education, leadership principles, naval history and tradition, and other subjects appropriate for understanding Navy organization and administration.  
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Specialized training for WAVES officers initially concentrated on the communications field, and 1,700 were trained specifically Communication Watch Officers. Later women officers learned to be administrators, language specialists, radio and radar technicians, lawyers and educational services officers. 

About 400 female officers became medical specialists as laboratory technicians, dental hygienists and occupational and physical therapists. As the aviation field opened up for WAVE officers, many underwent specialized training in various air-related activities. They were trained to be aerologists, air-transport officers,  link celestial navigation instructors and air navigators. The female air navigators were the first women  who performed duties as part of a military aircrew, and were graduated with Naval Aviator Air Navigator wings.
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continue to:
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-. Requirements for Joining
-. Training
-. WAVES within the Navy Organization
-. Types of Duty and Duty Stations
Payment
-. WAVE Songs
-. Navy Lingo
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[ I. Development ]   [ II. Facts about the WAVES ]  [ III. Uniforms ]   [ IV. Sources ]
 
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