This paper focuses on Mama Chama, women who participated in the National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war in Uganda, through the lenses of historical contestation and varied views on the involvement of women in frontline military operations and warfare. While Mama Chama remains part of Uganda’s historical trajectories, their roles during the civil war and their influence on women’s post-war military involvement in Uganda remain less documented and analysed. This article draws on debates about gender integration in military service, historical comparative analysis of documentary data, and participant soldiers’ responses to demonstrate that women’s participation in military activities is not new and that women’s experience in Uganda’s bush war and state military services debunks the narrative that women’s role in the military and its operations are not salient. The findings reveal that Uganda’s armed struggle ushered in a new era, offered a firm foundation, and opened space for the recruitment and participation of women in the national military. This study contributes to civil-military relations research on women as soldiers or civilians and their influence on gender equality in the contemporary military in Uganda and beyond.