Our Nation's Best - Women Veterans

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Newsletter No.30

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Our Nation's Best - Women Veterans

With Veterans Day just under two weeks away, we felt this month's newsletter should honor and recognize our nation's women veterans. We started our curate with the bestselling book “Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield,” by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon which is the story of that unit, anchored by the life and death of 1st Lt. Ashley White. The book is just one source which illustrates the unprecedented number of women comprising the U.S. military and the changing roles they are playing compared to past eras. But our search also produced numerous articles on the harsh realities women face both during and after serving. To date, 345,000 women have deployed since 9/11, representing more than 11 percent of deployed forces. Women currently comprise nearly 20 percent of new recruits and are the fastest growing Veteran group. These numbers are significant and make a meaningful data set for studies in identifying and addressing the unique challenges women face while serving and upon reintegrating into civilian life. Unfortunately, while research is being done, help and resources are needed today. Women veterans play a vital role in our nation’s security and they should recognized for their service, as well as provided the services they need.

News Highlights

Ashley's War

by Anna Granville,

They were a sisterhood of female combat soldiers, the “alphas of the alphas,” who initially served in direct combat with Army Rangers and Green Berets two years before the prohibition against women in combat roles was lifted in 2013. Cultural support teams, women soldiers specially selected and trained to serve alongside special operations forces in direct combat, served on the battlefields of Afghanistan from 2011 until the close of combat operations in 2014

full story or view Ted Talks watch here

I'm One. I am a Proud Veteran.

Women have always served their country.Those who served in the active military are Veterans. In recent years, more and more women have chosen to contribute their skills and talents serving in our nation’s military. full story

Her Mission Continues

by Oliver Gould and Olivia Obicheta

"... only 37% (women veterans) reported feeling recognized, respected and valued as veterans in civilian life. In short, women have to fight for recognition during and after their military service." full story

5 Top Issues Women Veterans Face When Returning Home

by Sean Piccoli

#5 Homelessness - "Female veterans were no more likely to suffer from PTSD than male veterans, ....Yet they were the fastest-growing segment of the veteran homeless population,.." full story

Women Veterans by the Numbers

Veteran woman-owned businesses are making a significant economic impact. In fact, these 100,000 veteran women-owned businesses earn almost $16 billion in receipts annually, which translates into nearly 70,000 jobs. When it comes to economic recovery, veteran women business owners are doing their part. full story

Mary Edwards Walker, Medal of Honor Recipient.

Mary Walker was a medical doctor who volunteered with the Union Army at the outbreak of the Civil War. Despite her training, she initially had to work as a nurse before becoming the Army’s first female surgeon. President Andrew Johnson presented her with the Medal of Honor, making her the only woman to date to receive the decoration. In 1917 the Army changed its eligibility criteria for the honor and revoked the awards of 911 non-combatants, including Walker. Nevertheless, she continued to wear her medal until her death two years later. An Army board restored Walker’s Medal of Honor in 1977, praising her “distinguished gallantry, self-sacrifice, patriotism, dedication and unflinching loyalty to her country, despite the apparent discrimination because of her sex.”