text: who was the first woman ever to go into combat?   i'm assuming you mean american women.  so 1778, deborah samson of plympton. but, we really don't know who was first, there may have been women fight earlier than that, but back then the women would have disguised themselves as men, and if they weren't wounded we wouldn't found out about them.   by the way molly pitcher may not have exited.  see link.  good reading