I will say briefly that women have always been an important part of the armed forces, dating back to the First World War, when they were primarily in a medical capacity as nurses. There were changes in the Second World War, but they were still in non-combat operations in theatre. They were in different capacities. Certainly, nursing was a significant part of that. As mentioned, the Persian Gulf was the first time they were in combat operations.
Of course, women are an essential component of the armed forces today, in all capacities.