Editor's note: Last in a series celebrating Women's History Month.

WATERLOO - It's been called the last boys club.

Though almost 200,000 women are on active duty in the U.S. military, men still outnumber their female counterparts in the armed forces nearly 6 to 1. And when servicewomen gain attention from the national media, it is often as victims of sexual assault or discrimination.

Less commonly explored are the stories of female personnel who quietly do their jobs day in and day out, according to local soldiers. Since 1948, when Congress granted women permanent status in the regular and reserve divisions of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, women have benefitted from the career advancement and education opportunities afforded by military service.

"How many college students can say that when they graduate they are going to have a good paying job, a place to live, a good income, health care … ," asked Laura Quam, a cadet in the University of Northern Iowa's Reserve Officers Training Corps. "I know I'm guaranteed to have all those things."

But military benefits come with a trade-off. After graduation Quam will become an Army officer. The job could take her to Iraq or Afghanistan, where almost 16,000 women are serving.

Recruits, regardless of gender, know risk is part of the package, said Spec. Candice Buchanan.

Buchanan is a member of the Iowa Army National Guard. Though women are not allowed to join combat units - a source of debate within the armed forces - working in a war zone can still put female personnel in harm's way. About 2 percent of more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq were women.

"Anybody who tells you that they are not nervous about the possibility (of deployment) is lying," said Buchanan, 20, of Waterloo . "But it is what we are trained to do, and you do your best."

Serving in Iraq or Afghanistan can pose particular challenges for women who are their child's primary caregiver. Many women cite family benefits as a reason for joining the armed forces, but the career choice also can separate them from loved ones.

Some of Buchanan's female comrades have voiced concerns about drawing an overseas deployment.

"They say it is hard to put something ahead of their children because we are raised to put our children first," said Buchanan, who works in a medical unit and as a National Guard recruiter. "But on the other hand, we are serving our country for our children."

Even with the challenges of deployment, Capt. Eric Rodino, commander of Waterloo's Army recruiting office, thinks the number of female officers in the military will increase in coming years. Right now there are about 20 female generals in the Army, Reserves and National Guard, he said.

"Most of the units I've been with have included women," Rodino said. "They are just as determined and motivated as every one else, and they do great work for their unit."

This summer Maj. Ada Horn, a 1982 graduate of East High, will mark her 20th anniversary with the Army. She is stationed in Korea working as an intelligence collection manager but has also been based in Germany and Kuwait.

The 44-year-old said she would recommend military service for any young person - male or female.

"In today's world the military is charged with the duty to secure not only our nation's freedom, but humanity's freedom," she wrote in an e-mail. "America's military is more technologically advanced and the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who comprise it are of a breed of intelligence, strength and tenacity never seen before."

And that is why, despite the dangers, ROTC Cadet Quam is looking forward to becoming a commissioned Army officer after graduating from UNI in two to three years. In addition to serving her country, Quam said the career will help her find her full potential as a human being.

"It really makes a person stronger," she said. "For me it made me understand what my strengths are and pinpoint my weaknesses and learn to build those up and become an all-around well-rounded person."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com. Emily Christensen contributed to this story.