WAAC Officer Qualifications

The following officer qualifications are taken from a WWII recruiting pamphlet for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC):

A candidate for [Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps] Officers’ Training School must:

(a) Be a woman citizen of the United States.

(b) Be between her 21st and 45th birthdays.

(c) Have an excellent character.

(d) Furnish proof of graduation from high school or its educational equivalent.

(e) Pass an intelligence test. The standard will be comparable to that required for an officer of the Army of the United States.

(f) Submit satisfactory proof of birth date and citizenship.

(g) Qualify according to the height and weight chart listed on page three.

(h) Be physically fit. Fill out and have signed by a licensed physician the health form attached to the cover of this information folder. Candidates will be examined finally by Army doctors.

Physical and mental qualifications: Applicants for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps are not acceptable who have major defects of vision; other than slight defects of hearing; chronic discharge from the ear or ears; abnormal conditions of the thyroid or other ductless glands; organic disease of the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary systems; tuberculosis; syphilis or other infectious disease; allergic conditions; epilepsy; mental or nervous disease; and disabling defects of the extremities. In general, an applicant must be in good health; able to see well and have good hearing; her heart must be competent to stand the stress of physical exertion; she must be intelligent enough to understand and execute orders and protect herself; and she must be able to transport herself by marching as the exigencies of the military service may demand.

Decision as to acceptance with respect to physical qualification will be determined following final examination made by Army examiners.

The following table is the average weight for age and height for applicants for admission to the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps:

 

 

Height Weight According to Age Period
inches  21-25   26-30   31-35   36-40   41-45 
  60   114   117   120   123   126
  61   117   120   123   126   129
  62   120   123   126   129   132
  63   123   126   129   132   135
  64   127   130   133   136   139
  65   131   134   137   140   143
  66   135   138   141   144   147
  67   139   142   145   148   151
  68   143   146   149   152   155
  69   147   150   153   156   159
  70   151   154   157   160   163
  71   155   158   161   164   167
  72   159   162   165   168   171

 NOTE: Height and weight to be taken without shoes and with surgical gown or sheet in lieu of dress. Minimum standard for height is 5 feet, maximum 6 feet; minimum of weight is 105 pounds.

The permissible variation below the standard for age is 15 pounds, with the exception that no applicant will be accepted whose weight is less than 105 pounds. In the interest of physical efficiency, the weight should not be more than 16 2/3 percent above the average. In applying the percentage variation, fractions of less than 1/2 pound will be dropped; those of 1/2 pound or more will be counted as an additional pound.

The Recruiting and Selection Boards will take into consideration the applicant’s:

(a) Leadership.

(b) Moral character.

(c) Personality.

(d) Appearance.

(c) Tact.

(f) Bearing.

(g) Past experience.

(h) General adaptability.

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1 Response to WAAC Officer Qualifications

  1. ACSC says:

    very nice post. i like this blog

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