AP PHOTOS: A look at women's military service

In this undated illustration Nancy Morgan Hart, an American colonist living in Georgia defends her home and children against invading British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. According to legend, Hart captured and killed British soldiers during the war. (AP Photo)

In this undated illustration Nancy Morgan Hart, an American colonist living in Georgia defends her home and children against invading British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. According to legend, Hart captured and killed British soldiers during the war. (AP Photo)

FILE - In this May 5, 1944 file photo, five members of the Women's Army Corps serving with the army service of supplies, salute an officer at a base in England. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this March 1947 file photo, a group of Women Army Corps (WAC) personnel pose in a Tokyo lounge. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 2, 1943, file photo, Marine Corps Women Reserves undergoing training at Camp Lejeune, New River, N.C., ride in a landing boat of the type that were used by the Marines in landing operations in the South Pacific. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 1944, file photo provided by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Women Army Corps (WAC) switchboard operators put military calls through at their base in France. (AP Photo/U.S. Army Signal Corps)

Through the years, women's roles in wartime have evolved ? not that women ever have been inclined to just stand by.

During the American Revolution, Nancy Morgan Hart was famously depicted with a musket, defending her home and children from British soldiers in Georgia.

In World War II, members of the Women Army Corps worked in a support capacity, while in Iraq and Afghanistan women have served closer to the front.

Those roles evolved further Thursday when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order ending the Pentagon's ban on women serving in combat.

Here's a collection of images showing some of the ways women have served their country in the U.S. military:

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-25-Women%20in%20Combat-Photo%20Gallery/id-0c3ecf8fd6eb41f29900e73865c7a584

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