» For other meanings, see Wave (disambiguation). The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" (as well as an allusion to ocean waves); the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and that at the end of the war the women wouldn't be allowed to continue in Navy careers. The WAVES began in August 194… (More on Waves)