Congress created the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942 to allow women into the war effort in noncombatant roles, such as nursing, communications, supply and secretarial positions, during World War II. WAACS serve next to, but not in, the Army.. The new service was opened to women 21 to 45 without children. Across the nation, thousands of women applied for the program. Captain Worth Kindred of the Spokane recruiting office said sign-ups were starting slow in 1942, partly because at first they were looking for women with certain types of training.