Women Veterans

ATTENTION  ALL  WOMEN VETERANS DO YOU KNOW…

That if you served our country honorably, at home or abroad, in peacetime or wartime, you are a veteran!  You are entitled to the same benefits as the men you served with.

Jennifer Drumm is the  AMVETS Dept. of North Carolina Chairperson

Links:

EIGHTH CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN THE MILITARY –

o       Please take note and share with anyone you believe to champion Women Veterans.

Scheduled for 24-25 September 2009 at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Arlington, VA

Call for Papers

Papers and presentations are invited on U.S. and international perspectives on women in the military and women

Veterans. Scholars, members of the military, civil servants, writers, and interested individuals are invited to

participate.

Over the years, these WREI/AND conferences have served as an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, service

members and other interested people to meet and compare notes. Conference presentations are not limited to the

scholarly, but presentations should be based on sound data and research or experience.

In addition to presentations inspired by the conference theme, you may also submit an abstract on a topic of your own

choosing that deals with other aspects of women in the military. Presentations are generally limited to 20 minutes

during the conference—if you will require longer, please inform us at the time of your submission. Most presentations

are grouped into panels with a similar theme.

Note: We regret we will not be able to provide funding for travel/lodging of presenters; however, presenters do not pay

the conference attendance fee.

Submit title and abstract or outline by 03 July 2009.

Information on the conference for those wishing to attend will be available in August 2009.

Send submissions to:

Captain Lory Manning, USN (Ret), WREI

1828 L St NW Suite 801 Washington DC 20036

Or by e-mail: lmanning@wrei.org; or by fax 202-332-2949.

For additional information e-mail or call (202-280-2719) Lory Manning.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACT: Julia Wanzco (Snowe)

March 16,
2009
202-224-1304

Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Bill to Prepare VA for Rapidly
Growing Number of Women Veterans

WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today joined
Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) in
announcing bipartisan legislation to prepare the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) for the influx of women veterans who will access care there
in the coming years. The Women Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2009
will address many of the unique needs of female veterans, particularly
those women who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“With over 10,000 women veterans in Maine, and almost two million across
the United States each are patriots that have answered our nation’s
call, and it is essential the nation be there for them when they return
to the home front and their families,” Senator Snowe said. “I am honored
to join with my colleagues to introduce this bill today that rightfully
recognizes and addresses issues with which many of these veterans and
their families are managing today.”

“Women have stepped up to serve at unprecedented levels,” said Senator
Murray. “Which means the VA is now faced with unprecedented challenges
in caring for them as they return home. This bill addresses the unique
challenges women face by providing specialized care for the visible and
invisible wounds of war. As more women begin to transition home, and
step back into lives as mothers, wives, and citizens, the VA must be
there for them.”

“Women serving in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and performing
dangerous missions throughout the world make up an important and growing
segment of our veteran population. The number of women veterans
receiving care through the VA is expected to double in less than five
years,” said Senator Hutchison. “Our bill will help improve access to
quality health care services for women who have bravely served in our
armed forces.”

“Generations of women have served honorably in all of this country’s
major conflicts. These women have earned the right to expect the same
high quality health care services and benefits as their male
counterparts, ” said Dave Gorman, Executive Director of Disabled American
Veterans (DAV). “While significant progress has been made in recent
years to remove institutional barriers that often discourage women
veterans from seeking assistance at VA facilities, more needs to be
done. The Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act will help ensure
these women have equal access to VA benefits and services. DAV is proud
to have worked on this legislation with Senator Murray, who has proven
herself time and again to be a steadfast and effective champion for all
of America’s veterans.”
Among other things, the legislation introduced today will:

* Require the VA to implement a program to train, educate, and
certify VA mental health professionals to care for women with
sexual trauma
* Require the VA Secretary to conduct a comprehensive assessment of
the barriers women are facing in accessing care at the VA.
* Authorize a report to Congress on the effects the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan have had on the physical, mental, and reproductive
health of women who have served there.
* Require the VA to begin a pilot program that provides child care
to women veterans that seek mental health care services at the VA.
* Require the VA to begin a pilot program that provides readjustment
counseling to women veterans in group retreat settings.

In addition to Senators Murray, Hutchison and Snowe, the legislation was
co-sponsored by Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Barbara Mikulski
(D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR),
Tim Johnson (D-SD), Susan Collins (R-ME), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Debbie
Stabenow (D-MI), Lisa Murkowski (D-AK), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and
Sherrod Brown (D-OH).