Anchors Aweigh! The History of Women Surgeons at Sea.

Throughout history, the maritime nations of the world have employed surgeons in sea-going service. The history of women in surgery and the military is well described, but no previous report exists describing the gender breakdown of past and current sea-going US Navy general surgeons. Using literature review, primary sources, personal interviews, and correspondence with Navy Medicine administrative leaders, this historical review describes the evolution of women providing surgical care at sea. During the 1800s and early 1900s, some of the earliest women surgeons in England, America, and Russia began their surgical careers in military service or providing combat casualty care. Women at sea served unpaid nursing roles in the 1700s and provided informal medical care in the 1800s. In 1913 and 1941, 2 different women held medical leadership roles aboard sea-going vessels. Four years after Congress allowed women to serve aboard combatant vessels, Dr Beth Jaklic became the first woman to serve as Ship's Surgeon aboard a US Navy warship in 1997. From 1997 to 2020, 19% of surgeons serving on aircraft carriers were women and one-half of the 20 general surgeons assigned to maritime surgical billets were women in 2022. War and the military environment historically have offered opportunities for women to break boundaries in the world of surgery. Navy Medicine's experience with women surgeons at sea serves as a positive example to the broader surgical community, especially "austere" practices and subspecialties with limited female representation.

Navy Dental Corps: ninety years ... and forward.

The Navy Dental Corps is responsible for ensuring the readiness of America's sailors and marines and optimizing their oral health. This article traces the history from the 1912 Act of Congress authorizing thirty "assistant dental surgeons" as the first Navy Dental Corps through service around the world. Navy dentists have seen service in every war and action in the past ninety years, reaching a peak of seven thousand officers and eleven thousand technicians in World War II. The Navy Dental Corps has served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Beirut, Somalia, Haiti, 9/11, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.