AS FEMALE ARMY RECRUITS we watched our femininity being taken away one piece at a time. Our civilian clothing, jewelry and makeup were locked away. Our hair was hidden under caps, and battle-dress uniforms camouflaged our figures. We were issued the same boots and eyeglasses as the men. We were all soldiers now. The final blow, however, came in a letter written by a fellow recruit’s mother. After seeing a photo of our platoon, she wrote, “I had no idea there were so many men in your group.” Of the 42 pictured, only the drill sergeant was a man.
–Contributed to “Humor In Uniform” by Amy Pittman