Posted on Sep 26, 2014
How can the VA and DoD increase support for female service members and veterans?
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As the number of women and their influence in the military continues to grow, so should the armed forces’ attention and care for them. The Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) certainly need improvement in supporting all our service members and veterans, but especially for women. A recent Disabled American Veterans (DAV) report (http://www.dav.org/women-veterans-study/) shows service gaps for women in health care, transition services, disability compensation, employment and housing.
Right now, one in four VA hospitals do not have a full-time gynecologist on staff, and 140 of the 920 community-based clinics serving veterans in rural areas do not have a designated women's health provider. The DAV report also found female veterans of child-bearing age were far more likely to be given medications that can cause birth defects than were women being treated through a private doctor. All VA centers should at least have a part-time specialist available to treat female-specific needs.
Addressing unemployment and homelessness is another area the VA needs to create more gender-specific services. Post-9/11 female veterans have higher unemployment rates than male veterans and non-veteran women. Female veterans are at least twice as likely to be homeless as non-veteran women. Establishing transition support catered to each gender would help all veterans face the difficult process. It may be nearly impossible for all regions across the country to create female veteran support groups, but virtual live chat rooms is an option that may be worth exploring.
The DoD needs to also embrace gender-specific support, so women are properly supported before they transition. Many female service members want to get married, start families and be a part of every little thing in their kids’ lives. Committing to the armed forces makes starting a family and establishing a work and life balance very difficult. The military certainly sees the value in having and increasing the number of female service members with more being done to support this front. The Navy has recently started its family friendly policy of giving women a year off whenever they want, without any penalty or change in status. Women can use this time during pregnancy and after. Other military branches have yet to follow this policy, but it’s a step in the right direction.
The fact of the matter is women have different needs than men. They are impacted by military service and deployment differently from men. More gender-specific care needs to be provided across the VA and DoD. This would not only benefit female service members and veterans, but male service members and veterans as well. What areas in the VA and DoD need gender-specific improvement? Does the fact that the military is still predominantly male make it more difficult for the armed forces to cater to women in uniform? How can the VA and DoD establish more balanced services and policies?
Right now, one in four VA hospitals do not have a full-time gynecologist on staff, and 140 of the 920 community-based clinics serving veterans in rural areas do not have a designated women's health provider. The DAV report also found female veterans of child-bearing age were far more likely to be given medications that can cause birth defects than were women being treated through a private doctor. All VA centers should at least have a part-time specialist available to treat female-specific needs.
Addressing unemployment and homelessness is another area the VA needs to create more gender-specific services. Post-9/11 female veterans have higher unemployment rates than male veterans and non-veteran women. Female veterans are at least twice as likely to be homeless as non-veteran women. Establishing transition support catered to each gender would help all veterans face the difficult process. It may be nearly impossible for all regions across the country to create female veteran support groups, but virtual live chat rooms is an option that may be worth exploring.
The DoD needs to also embrace gender-specific support, so women are properly supported before they transition. Many female service members want to get married, start families and be a part of every little thing in their kids’ lives. Committing to the armed forces makes starting a family and establishing a work and life balance very difficult. The military certainly sees the value in having and increasing the number of female service members with more being done to support this front. The Navy has recently started its family friendly policy of giving women a year off whenever they want, without any penalty or change in status. Women can use this time during pregnancy and after. Other military branches have yet to follow this policy, but it’s a step in the right direction.
The fact of the matter is women have different needs than men. They are impacted by military service and deployment differently from men. More gender-specific care needs to be provided across the VA and DoD. This would not only benefit female service members and veterans, but male service members and veterans as well. What areas in the VA and DoD need gender-specific improvement? Does the fact that the military is still predominantly male make it more difficult for the armed forces to cater to women in uniform? How can the VA and DoD establish more balanced services and policies?
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Women in the Military
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 10
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Sorry but the army is failing ALL soldiers regardless of sex. How about we identify the issues on an individual basis and forget gender. This is like saying that deployments affect black soldiers different than white or Christians different than Buddhists. Asinine thinking. Yet another attempt to show a division where none exists.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
I think back to in ‘60s when the Marines said “we don’t promise you a ‘rose garden’.. then somebody
Started thinking about sensitivities and “playing to them”. (O-h-h m-y, you poor child!! We can’t let them make you do push-ups because mommy sent you cookies ! [people like Obama’s social justice warriors. {they were being integrated in our military a long time ago}]). You can’t have Spartan-like men and women with a bunch of “social justice warriors” running around hidden as sociologists and chaplain. services workers.. Then they let M.a.d.d. and other tea-totaled groups shutting our clubs down.. The group’s integrated into
Some officers wives clubs under guises as simple women.. Even though I’m a Air Force Vet i’m In
Kind of Agreement with the old Marine Corps thinking that “they didn’t issue no wife”. .. I got that idea when I had a gal I was seeing
And she was begging me to not leave her.. (She was not much of a social person and had her own innocent beauty even if she wasn’t much of a looker.. to me she was and that’s what is important.. she had a nice shape and some personality .. and a decent cook too.. (l like cooking too but do like trying other people’s also).
I enjoyed the AF and doing deploy.. I really appreciated what I have here in our country so much more when I come back.. I had
some decent entertainment device and t.v. .. and having a female friend off base.. was nice. .. Everything started getting to soft..
I noticed when I returned after just 2-1/2 years out on TDRL. Oh no, you can’t say that.(making jokes about the enemy (like the skinnies in Mogadishu). as an example. Or you can’t do that.(used to go off base when in N.D. to a diner and that rule that you can’t accept a discount that isn’t offered to a civilian... the owner
Of a diner there handed out discount cards to e’body.. but would tell military, police, Fire/emergency services that their lights were on and they’d go check and then return and the owner gave them the discount. the social justice warriors had invaded the military. .. many were civil service that had never served.. They were the ones that ratted about that scheme the restaurant owners had going with Military and Police and emergency services.. (well heck it might be a couple weeks before we got back in off the sites ) <~ we weren’t going to starve and it was one more $1 that went for gas or a
Beverage or treat a gal or pay another bill.! Some of them proprietors were Vets too.and looking out for their Military guests(and keeping customers )..
I suppose a way to stop the discounts is ticket the proprietor.
Art. 134 is the Military way.. then ticket the proprietor. Of course that would be a pain.. would have to prob’ly have a U.S. constable to enforce that. I don’t think a regular
LEO would want to do have to do that (it would be disastrous to business to be cited under U.S. code(charged with bribing by offering a gratuity?).. Everybody be angry at everybody.. businesses placed off limits if caught repeating.. it’d be one hostile place to live and do business..
Started thinking about sensitivities and “playing to them”. (O-h-h m-y, you poor child!! We can’t let them make you do push-ups because mommy sent you cookies ! [people like Obama’s social justice warriors. {they were being integrated in our military a long time ago}]). You can’t have Spartan-like men and women with a bunch of “social justice warriors” running around hidden as sociologists and chaplain. services workers.. Then they let M.a.d.d. and other tea-totaled groups shutting our clubs down.. The group’s integrated into
Some officers wives clubs under guises as simple women.. Even though I’m a Air Force Vet i’m In
Kind of Agreement with the old Marine Corps thinking that “they didn’t issue no wife”. .. I got that idea when I had a gal I was seeing
And she was begging me to not leave her.. (She was not much of a social person and had her own innocent beauty even if she wasn’t much of a looker.. to me she was and that’s what is important.. she had a nice shape and some personality .. and a decent cook too.. (l like cooking too but do like trying other people’s also).
I enjoyed the AF and doing deploy.. I really appreciated what I have here in our country so much more when I come back.. I had
some decent entertainment device and t.v. .. and having a female friend off base.. was nice. .. Everything started getting to soft..
I noticed when I returned after just 2-1/2 years out on TDRL. Oh no, you can’t say that.(making jokes about the enemy (like the skinnies in Mogadishu). as an example. Or you can’t do that.(used to go off base when in N.D. to a diner and that rule that you can’t accept a discount that isn’t offered to a civilian... the owner
Of a diner there handed out discount cards to e’body.. but would tell military, police, Fire/emergency services that their lights were on and they’d go check and then return and the owner gave them the discount. the social justice warriors had invaded the military. .. many were civil service that had never served.. They were the ones that ratted about that scheme the restaurant owners had going with Military and Police and emergency services.. (well heck it might be a couple weeks before we got back in off the sites ) <~ we weren’t going to starve and it was one more $1 that went for gas or a
Beverage or treat a gal or pay another bill.! Some of them proprietors were Vets too.and looking out for their Military guests(and keeping customers )..
I suppose a way to stop the discounts is ticket the proprietor.
Art. 134 is the Military way.. then ticket the proprietor. Of course that would be a pain.. would have to prob’ly have a U.S. constable to enforce that. I don’t think a regular
LEO would want to do have to do that (it would be disastrous to business to be cited under U.S. code(charged with bribing by offering a gratuity?).. Everybody be angry at everybody.. businesses placed off limits if caught repeating.. it’d be one hostile place to live and do business..
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
SPC Mae Richardson in agreement with you Mae .. I will not say like some might think(“- - - - - to - - - - a - - - -!”). I go to one of the best VAMCs ..? A2, In Mi. and our women Vets get great care and get vouchers to get outside woman care that’s not offfered at A2. If there is a prob we have V.F.W. Service advocates and other org Adv’s too that will help work with V.A. To get what’s needed or try to get it.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
MAJ Camella Andrews
When o’seas at my 2d assignment, some joker tried s’thing(I got a ‘almost least minute hint’). He wound up on the floor holding his private area after a knee had been strategically projected there.. There were enough witnesses, no legal action was taken against me..
So I didn’t need counseling for being “attempt to be violated”. That person had to wear a truss and medical exams. I heard that action was taken but wasn’t accepting no scuttlebutt.. I never seen him on base again.. so maybe.. he had a “friend” that commented I should of seen an assault charge against me.. “excuse me.. he assaulted me first... it was “self defense”. I do hope they terminated his services.
I never seen that guy no more after that.. maybe he had emotional break down after losing his male lover.. the other guy brought it upon himself. The JAG said I could of handled it differently.. I felt I had to take direct re-action for a supposedly spontaneous action(IMHO). “Did I feel any remorse for my ‘re-action?” The Defendent’s court appointed JAG
Enquired of me. “No response on my part.” “permission to treat the plaintiff as hostile ?” “So noted!..
Plaintiff may step down. “. It was his court martial.. and i’m Being hostile... d’ya Think ?.” After it was over, I just carried on with life.. went to my next base and did what
Had to be done.., stuff like counseling for “sexual assault” or attempted sexual assault wasn’t thought of for men inthe military. At least I don’t think there was.. besides some might think it un-
Manly to ask for that kind of help.
It’s over now, and I think I remedied it pretty good.. Some others may have felt more for the defendant.
I have remedy for getting things out my head.. it’s called ‘hard work’.
‘Staying busy!’.. minding my business !’ Except when needed in the course of duty . I was pouring myself into really doing my work and the Chief (CMSGT) called me in to his corner of his world and asked what the prob was.. “ no prob Chief, just getting stuff done !”
“IT’s only the 3d time in 2 days you’ve shined on that equipment!
You’re gonna wear it out just shining it ! S’thing bugging you!”
“I’m ok Chief, just let me work, ok?”
So he let me go back to work.. J had 2 Honor Guard rituals in the next couple days and they just hap-
pened on my days off by chance..
I reported to Honor Guard office and was checking rifles and the MSGT told me get away from the rifles.. “why for?” I asked.. Your foodservice Super thinks you got s’thing serious bugging you.. I see you really throwing yourself into
What you do here and you’re really doing great .. getting things done..
you’ve been aloof lately, you usually don’t stay on the bus guarding the weapons.. like you had been. What’s the matter , Son?” Maybe that did it, maybe not.. I was trying to walk around it .. He wasn’t having that.. “Tell me.. for now you
Are off Rifle NCO Duty, that means no Mil .38 .. then after we resolved
We’ll see .. So the only way i’d Get my Rifle squad NCO Duty back is let it out.. So we talked for about .15 - 20 minutes and went on the funeral .. we returned and talked some more. I told him it was solved and I remedied the problem..
“Do you ever want to terminate a queer?”... Oh hell no, Sarge, I told you I remedied that.. it’s not worth 30 or 40 + years at leavenworth !
After a few months and talking to Mental health (which I thought was adding insult to injury.. they had what I thought to be a ‘gay’ civilian therapist talking with me.. I thought it to be a set-up.. So I just held it in Best I could.. he even came in wearing some light rouge
And shadow.. and a friend stopped in .. they hugged.. not a light one but a groping hug.. I just sat un-emotional on the chair..? After I went straight to JAG and filed a statement. They got with medical forensic law.. There was a mediation meeting and I was asked to leave.. They said they were testing my tolerance level.. I asked
Why my blood pressure wasn’t taken.. that would of told what I had inside of me.. Forensics and JAG agreed with me.. both of them “therapists were decertified by their medical society and put on a probation.. They’d have to show they could be back in good stead and be more professional in their behavior. I had another interview
and determined I could resume my Rifle team NCO duties.. I think now back to that and later with my TBI
Why I still haven’t been able to resume having a carry permit .. i’ll Keep trying, not going to let the Obama p.c. Nazis keep me from exercising my 2d amendment right for what happened way back in ‘75 and ‘77. The only one s now are Antifa and other domestic terror persons and group(ies).. and do it within constraints of the law(s) in
Effect.
When o’seas at my 2d assignment, some joker tried s’thing(I got a ‘almost least minute hint’). He wound up on the floor holding his private area after a knee had been strategically projected there.. There were enough witnesses, no legal action was taken against me..
So I didn’t need counseling for being “attempt to be violated”. That person had to wear a truss and medical exams. I heard that action was taken but wasn’t accepting no scuttlebutt.. I never seen him on base again.. so maybe.. he had a “friend” that commented I should of seen an assault charge against me.. “excuse me.. he assaulted me first... it was “self defense”. I do hope they terminated his services.
I never seen that guy no more after that.. maybe he had emotional break down after losing his male lover.. the other guy brought it upon himself. The JAG said I could of handled it differently.. I felt I had to take direct re-action for a supposedly spontaneous action(IMHO). “Did I feel any remorse for my ‘re-action?” The Defendent’s court appointed JAG
Enquired of me. “No response on my part.” “permission to treat the plaintiff as hostile ?” “So noted!..
Plaintiff may step down. “. It was his court martial.. and i’m Being hostile... d’ya Think ?.” After it was over, I just carried on with life.. went to my next base and did what
Had to be done.., stuff like counseling for “sexual assault” or attempted sexual assault wasn’t thought of for men inthe military. At least I don’t think there was.. besides some might think it un-
Manly to ask for that kind of help.
It’s over now, and I think I remedied it pretty good.. Some others may have felt more for the defendant.
I have remedy for getting things out my head.. it’s called ‘hard work’.
‘Staying busy!’.. minding my business !’ Except when needed in the course of duty . I was pouring myself into really doing my work and the Chief (CMSGT) called me in to his corner of his world and asked what the prob was.. “ no prob Chief, just getting stuff done !”
“IT’s only the 3d time in 2 days you’ve shined on that equipment!
You’re gonna wear it out just shining it ! S’thing bugging you!”
“I’m ok Chief, just let me work, ok?”
So he let me go back to work.. J had 2 Honor Guard rituals in the next couple days and they just hap-
pened on my days off by chance..
I reported to Honor Guard office and was checking rifles and the MSGT told me get away from the rifles.. “why for?” I asked.. Your foodservice Super thinks you got s’thing serious bugging you.. I see you really throwing yourself into
What you do here and you’re really doing great .. getting things done..
you’ve been aloof lately, you usually don’t stay on the bus guarding the weapons.. like you had been. What’s the matter , Son?” Maybe that did it, maybe not.. I was trying to walk around it .. He wasn’t having that.. “Tell me.. for now you
Are off Rifle NCO Duty, that means no Mil .38 .. then after we resolved
We’ll see .. So the only way i’d Get my Rifle squad NCO Duty back is let it out.. So we talked for about .15 - 20 minutes and went on the funeral .. we returned and talked some more. I told him it was solved and I remedied the problem..
“Do you ever want to terminate a queer?”... Oh hell no, Sarge, I told you I remedied that.. it’s not worth 30 or 40 + years at leavenworth !
After a few months and talking to Mental health (which I thought was adding insult to injury.. they had what I thought to be a ‘gay’ civilian therapist talking with me.. I thought it to be a set-up.. So I just held it in Best I could.. he even came in wearing some light rouge
And shadow.. and a friend stopped in .. they hugged.. not a light one but a groping hug.. I just sat un-emotional on the chair..? After I went straight to JAG and filed a statement. They got with medical forensic law.. There was a mediation meeting and I was asked to leave.. They said they were testing my tolerance level.. I asked
Why my blood pressure wasn’t taken.. that would of told what I had inside of me.. Forensics and JAG agreed with me.. both of them “therapists were decertified by their medical society and put on a probation.. They’d have to show they could be back in good stead and be more professional in their behavior. I had another interview
and determined I could resume my Rifle team NCO duties.. I think now back to that and later with my TBI
Why I still haven’t been able to resume having a carry permit .. i’ll Keep trying, not going to let the Obama p.c. Nazis keep me from exercising my 2d amendment right for what happened way back in ‘75 and ‘77. The only one s now are Antifa and other domestic terror persons and group(ies).. and do it within constraints of the law(s) in
Effect.
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I think that most if not all women Vets are or think themselves more “RESILIENT” than none Veteran women. They don’t see themselves as being. “FRAGILE”.
They may have been slightly and wanted to shake that off and wanted to prove themselves and joined the Military to do just that and show others to “Not f**k
With them or they’ll rip who stands in their way a new vent..
They may have been slightly and wanted to shake that off and wanted to prove themselves and joined the Military to do just that and show others to “Not f**k
With them or they’ll rip who stands in their way a new vent..
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