The U.S. Army Nurse Corps was established in 1901, and women became a part of the military for the first time. However, those women who were part of the military at the beginning of the twentieth century did not have military rank, equal pay, or benefits. Full military status was not granted to women until 1944. In 1948, the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was passed. This Act allowed women to serve in the military in peace time in posts other than as nurses, and it also allowed women to become officers. However, by law women could not constitute more than 2% of the military until 1967. The number of enlisted women is now eight times what it was in 1972, and there are three times as many female officers. In 1999, women comprised 15% of the Army, 13% of the Navy, 5% of the Marine Corps, and 18% of the Air Force. Today, nearly 20% of new military recruits are women. As the number of women in the military increases, so do the problems they face in the military. For example, more than half of female personnel in the military have reported experiencing sexual harassment. Click CHARTS to see Female Applicants for Active Enlistment by Service.