News
Austin Female Veterans Weigh in on Draft Registration Proposal
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 | Category: Department of Defense - Texas
Two women veterans from Austin, Texas share their continued pride of serving in the U.S. military. Regarding women's eligibility for the draft, one fully supports the change and believes it is a duty of citizenship. The other offers that it depends on an individual's interests and motivations.
Expanded Opportunities for Women in Combat Roles Strengthen Armed Forces
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 | Category: Combat - National
The Department of Labor Women's Bureau recognized the significance of Secretary of Defense Carter's decision to open 100% of military occupations to servicewomen who qualify and meet specific standards. This change opens 52 occupations and opens pipelines to the most senior leadership jobs. In 2014, 15% of the active duty force was women with about 7 percent serving in the highest ranks of the officer corps. The Bureau plans to continue to work towards removing artificial barriers to women’s success, cultivating respectful workplace cultures with flexibility policies, and recruiting, retaining, and promoting women "based on their raw talent alone."
The Problem With This New Step For Women
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Author Sally Kohn offers her perspective about equality and how it is applied to the requirement of men and women registering under a military selective service act and an active draft. She notes that while freedom isn't free, the decision of whether or not someone should risk their life to defend it should not be forced on them any more than the military being forced on men and women "because of a lack of meaningful alternatives--whether for a livable wage, college funding, or access to immigration."
Huge Growth in Businesses Owned by Women Veterans
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Business - National
Since 2007, the National Women's Business Council's data reflects that in the United States there are 384,548 veteran women-owned businesses, an increase of 296% compared to a 7.7% increase in veteran men-owned businesses. The Council reported $19.97 billion in receipts, a 26.3% increase since 2007, 96.7% were non-employer firms with averaged receipts of $19,121, and 3.3% have paid employees totaling 107,542 with an annual payroll of $3.71 billion and averaged receipts of $1,001,950.
Women Vets Upset About V.A. Hospitals
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Florida
Two women veterans in Sarasota, Florida share their concerns regarding Department of Veterans Affairs care to include the lengthy times to process paperwork and secure appointments. Investigative reporters noted a Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report in which nearly 42,000 veteran records were kept in disarray at a contracted facility. The VA Chief of Primary Care offered that women veterans are their fastest growing cohort.
Female Veteran on the Brink of Homelessness Gets Help
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
A Navy veteran found herself at risk of homelessness, a situation she never imagined herself in after serving as an aircraft controller in the Navy, an experience she enjoyed and was proud of. She said the transition out of the military was not as easy as she thought it would be and she thinks her pride got in the way of asking for help, but after receiving housing assistance and other support from Interfaith Community Services in Escondido, California, she is back on track with housing and employment. Interfaith's Executive Director says he serves more homeless women veterans than ever before--20 to 20 percent of the veterans he serves are women. He finds that providing the women with housing gives them the stability they need to move forward.
Lottery Set-aside Fund Would Benefit Vets
Saturday, January 30, 2016 | Category: State Veteran Affairs - Oregon
Representative Paul L. Evans of Monmouth, Oregon represents House District 20. He is an advocate for education and employment assistance, mental health care services, affordable housing, and transportation for veterans. The Oregon Legislature added nearly $1 million for County Veterans Service Officers and established a dedicated women veterans' coordinator position in 2015. He is now sponsoring legislation for a 3 percent set-aside of Oregon Lottery profits to access federal funds with the goal of leveraging potential partnerships that could tap into as much as $4 billion in dedicated veterans’ assistance not currently being used by veterans and military families.
Military Fertility: It's Complicated
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: Health Care - National
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie,a retired colonel and forensic psychiatrist who specializes in military, veterans and women's health issues, advocates for the military to better educate servicemembers on birth control during basic training as well as counseling women on long-term birth control options. While some contraception is available to women and men, access to it can be challenging stateside, before deployment, and during deployment. Additionally, for families with trouble conceiving, fertility preservation is not a service offered by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Serving Our Veterans" is a network of fertility clinics offering "deeply discounted" care to veterans whose service-related injuries impaired their fertility. To find a clinic, visit the "Service for Assisted Reproductive Technology Service to Veteran List."
Supervisors Pass Plan Expanding Veteran Health Care
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: Health Care - California
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors passed an agreement with TriWest Healthcare Alliance to expand military veterans' access to health care. This decision was made knowing that the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Choice Program opened the door for preapproved non-VA care for veterans who face long wait times (more than 30 days) or live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facilities.
Nation's Oldest Female Veteran Dies at Age 108
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
On January 27, 2016, Alyce Dixon, died at 108 years old. She was the nation's oldest female veteran who was one of the first African-American women to serve overseas in the U.S. Army. Ms. Dixon joined the Army in 1943, serving in Scotland, England, and France in the only African-American women's unit--the U.S. Army's 6888th Postal Battalion--during World War II. On September 21, 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs named her "Veteran of the Day."