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gives us a personal perspective in understanding that women veterans
have unique needs to help them readjust to a new lifestyle, obtain
vocational and educational training, and sometimes overcoming
emotional trauma.
Women veterans as a group are younger than theirmale counterparts
and more likely than male veterans to face unemployment after their
service.While most women veterans feel their military experience was
positive, some feel the public does not fully recognize the value of
their service and contributions. At VDVS we are working to change
that by ensuring our programs and services meet the needs ofVirginia’s
woman veterans, and by showcasing the leadership skills and talent
that women veterans bring to the civilian workforce.
On June 22 and 23, VDVS, along with many community partners
in the public and private sectors, hosted the 4th Virginia Woman
Veterans Summit. More than 400 women veterans and active service
personnel attended the summit, which featured nationally-recognized
speakers on women veteran issues. Summit attendees also learned
about opportunities available to women vets and shared personal
experiences.
The motto of the 2017 Summit, held in Chesapeake, was
“
Achievement, Empowerment & Wellness: Virginia’s Women Veterans
Lead the Way
.” Based on its success, the 5th VirginiaWomen Veterans
Summit is already being planned for next June in Northern Virginia.
Governor Terry McAuliffe and the Virginia General Assembly
have set the goal that Virginia should be the most veteran-friendly state
in America. With their full support, and in conjunction with our public
and private sector partners, we are working to put special emphasis on
our women veterans and to ensure that Virginia is the friendliest state
in the nation for women veterans.
It is our duty to these brave and unselfish women to give them a
direct line of support and to make the Commonwealth a caring, trusted
and safe state where they can live and thrive.
Annie Walker is Director of Veterans Education, Training and
Employment (VETE) Services, one of six directorates under the
Virginia Department of Veterans Services. A former US Army Drill
Sergeant, she ended her military career as the Director for the
Instructor Development Course at the US Army Quartermaster
School Center and School at Fort Lee.
Years ago, there were always some
smart-aleck kids in the neighborhood who
would yell to my daughters, “Your Mom
wears combat boots!” The kids probably
did not even know the origin of the phrase,
and my daughters certainly didn’t. To them,
it made perfect sense that Mom would wear
combat boots—she was a soldier, after all,
and that’s what soldiers do. And today,
even more women wear combat boots, and
flight suits, and mechanics coveralls, and
surgical scrubs…and they are justifiably
proud to do so.
While women have served in the U.S. armed forces throughout
history, various rules and regulations limited their roles, involvement,
and advancement opportunities. Over the past thirty years, the role of
women in the military has dramatically changed. Women now serve in
all service branches and comprise 15% of total active duty, guard, and
reserve forces. Women hold command positions at the highest level of
the armed forces, and that leadership and experience is making a direct
impact in the civilian sector.
Women also serve side-by-side in combat roles with their male
counterparts. Since September 11, 2011, more than 240,000 women
have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 140 have died in
these conflicts.
With so many more women in service, the number of women
veterans is also rising. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the
VA) estimates their numbers will increase by over 300,000 in the next
twenty years, from 1.86 million today to 2.16 million in 2036. Here
in Virginia, we lead the nation with the highest percentage of women
veterans. Of the nearly 730,000 veterans living in the Commonwealth,
more than 100,000 or 14%, are women; that number is forecast to
be over 130,000 in 2036, when women will comprise over 20% of
Virginia’s veterans.
As with all veterans, these women face the challenges of balancing
family life with their service and transitioning to a successful career in
the civilian workplace. I am a veteran, as are many of my colleagues
here at the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS). This
Making Sure Virginia Is The Most
Women Veteran Friendly State In The Nation
By Annie Walker, Director, Veterans Education, Training, and Employment (VETE) Services, Virginia Department of Veterans Services
VDVS staff at the Women’s Summit. From left to right: Alison Foster, Charlie Palumbo, Beverly Van Tull, Commissioner John Newby, and Annie Walker.
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