▁experience ▁in ▁the ▁types ▁of ▁duty ▁requested ▁were ▁selected . ▁About ▁ 2 0 0 ▁women ▁served ▁in ▁Hawai i , ▁doing ▁roughly ▁the ▁same ▁kind ▁of ▁work , ▁and ▁holding ▁the ▁same ▁ratings , ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁About ▁an ▁equal ▁number ▁of ▁women ▁served ▁in ▁Al aska ▁as ▁well . ▁▁ ▁A ▁select ▁group ▁of ▁SP AR ▁officers ▁and ▁en list ed ▁personnel ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁Long ▁Range ▁A id ▁to ▁Navigation ▁at ▁monitoring ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁United ▁States . ▁Better ▁known ▁under ▁the ▁ac ron ym ▁L OR AN , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁top - secret ▁radio ▁navigation ▁system ▁developed ▁for ▁ships ▁at ▁sea , ▁and ▁long - range ▁aircraft . ▁The ▁first ▁monitoring ▁station ▁staff ed ▁by ▁SP AR S ▁was ▁at ▁Ch ath am , ▁Massachusetts , ▁after ▁they ▁had ▁received ▁two ▁months ▁of ▁instructions ▁at ▁M . I . T . ▁on ▁the ▁operation ▁and ▁maintenance ▁of ▁L OR AN . ▁The ▁unit ▁at ▁Ch ath am ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁( at ▁the ▁time ) ▁the ▁only ▁all - f em ale ▁staff ed ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁kind ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁SP AR S ▁enjoyed ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁place , ▁but ▁they ▁also ▁suffered ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁int ol er ance ▁at ▁times . ▁On ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁occasion , ▁male ▁gu ards men ▁would ▁make ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁the ▁US CG ▁had ▁strugg led ▁along ▁without ▁women ▁for ▁over