women as Yeomen, Storekeepers, and Radiomen. In July  1943,  the  Navy  Japanese  Language  School  in Boulder, Colorado, opened to women. Navy women came to work the same hours as Navy men, standing both day and night watches. They stayed in uniform at all times except in the barracks or when engaged in active sports. They were called on to meet the same standards of neatness and good behavior as those required of men in uniform. In short, women were fitted into the Navy as an integral part of the service. They  slipped  into  the  same  spot  in  the  chain  of command as the men they replaced and performed the same duties. This system gave Navy women the same status, responsibilities, and restrictions as men. The first Reserve classification for women officers was W-V(S), meaning Woman-Volunteer (Specialist). Professor Elizabeth Reynard (later LT Reynard) came up  with  the  term    Women  Appointed  for  Voluntary Emergency  Service    (WAVES).  That  term  was  later changed to  Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. The initials WR and the term Women’s Reserve were official, and some women preferred these terms to the equally official, but less formal, term  WAVES. As  the  Women’s  Reserve  observed  its  second anniversary on July 30, 1944, it could look back upon a brief but glowing record of expansion and achievement. During its 2 years of existence, its members had freed enough  officers  and  men  to  crew  a  fleet  of  10 battleships,  10  aircraft  carriers,  28  cruisers,  and  50 destroyers. During  World  War  II,  WAVES  were  directly eligible for 34 different ratings. They performed nearly every  conceivable  type  of  duty  at  500  naval  shore establishments. THE POSTWAR YEARS Unlike the placid years following World War I, the postwar period from 1945 to 1950 was a busy one. The United States emerged from the war with an awareness that it couldn’t afford any major cutbacks in military strength.  The  United  States  had  become  a  nation committed  to  trading  with  and  protecting  other countries. The only way that responsibility could be discharged was by the maintenance of a strong and ready Navy. Navy women. Since the WAVES had proved their worth during the war, the Navy was reluctant to give up its programs for women. After the war, a number of Navy women were retained in service. However, by the fourth anniversary of the program, only 9,800 remained on active duty. The  Women’s  Armed  Services  Integration  Act, Public Law 625, was passed by the Senate and the House and signed by the President. It became law June 12,  1948,  marking  another  step  forward.  That  was perhaps the most significant milestone to date in the history of women in the Navy. That act gave women full partnership  on  the  Navy  team  and  abolished  the Women’s Reserve. For the first time, women became a part of the Regular Navy. At  the  same  time  the  Regular  Navy  opened  to women, the Reserves established a program for women volunteers. The new laws authorized the transfer of all members to appropriate components of the permanent Naval Reserve. Antarctic exploration. Following World War II, the U.S. Navy turned its attention once again to the exploration  of  Antarctica.  In  1946,  Operation Highjump got underway. Seaplanes flying from the open sea and the airstrip at Little America photographed the interior and coastline of the “white continent.” Naval  aviation.  Naval  researchers  continued  to develop new, specialized ships and new planes capable of providing swift aid to Allies in a world of uneasy peace. All naval aircraft, featuring the most advanced radar and sonar systems, were redistributed into patrol, attack, and fighter squadrons. Jet aircraft were perfected during the postwar years. In June 1948, a squadron of FH-1  Phantoms  qualified for carrier operations aboard USS   Saipan   (CVL-48). Carrier  flight  decks  were  redesigned  to  launch  and recover jets. Submarines and nuclear power. During this time, the  Navy  was  speeding  development  of  the  most revolutionary  advancement  in  the  history  of submarines—nuclear power. Early in World War II, as part of the Navy’s initial research on the atom, proposals were made to develop atomic power for use afloat. However,  most  of  that  work  was  diverted  to development of the atomic bomb. 5-23 Student Notes: