| With entry into the Second World War, the United States altered conventional norms by mobilizing women to fill gaps left by draftees in the workforce and enlisting women to backfill military positions normally held by women in the civilian sector. The most radical departure came from the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), flying every type of military aircraft currently available. Their training program was equivalent to the cadets', with minor changes based upon mission considerations; their selection criteria, however, remained extremely high due to a combination of the experimental nature of the program, the influence of its director, Jacqueline Cochran, and the challenges to the existing gender construct. |
