Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle'
When Sergeant Cara Hammer returned from her deployment in Iraq in 2005, she thought her days of fighting were over. But she quickly discovered that she had more battles ahead of her.
After surviving roadside bombs and mortar rounds in Iraq, Cara came home and realized that she was suffering from an invisible wound, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Determined to seek help for her mental health injury, Cara turned to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for care.
Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly met with open arms. Her description of her first experience walking into a VA hospital should make your blood boil.
"I felt like a candy striper. The only difference is I'm carrying around my medical records, instead of passing out candy and cigarettes. Cat-calls turned what was already an uncomfortable situation into a nightmare."
Cara is far from alone. The veterans of this generation aren't just the demographic you may know from your grandfather's VFW hall. Women now make up 11 percent of the American force in Iraq and Afghanistan. And these female troops and veterans are not receiving the same level of support from the military and the VA as their male peers. Not even close. As a result, they are facing significant and unique challenges that we can no longer afford to ignore:
• Sexual Assault, Harassment and Military Sexual Trauma (MST)--Women in the military have been coping with widespread and underreported sexual assault and harassment for decades. Last year alone, there were almost 3,000 reports of sexual assault involving servicemembers. Incredibly, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg; almost half of all sexual assaults go unreported. Among those female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have turned to the VA for care, nearly 15 percent have screened positive for Military Sexual Trauma (MST).
• Dramatically Higher Divorce Rates for Female Servicemembers--Marriages of female troops are failing at almost three times the rate of male servicemembers. How did a Pentagon spokesperson respond to seeing these numbers today? He called the statistics "alarming," and added, "This is the first time I'm hearing these numbers." Ironic, considering these are their numbers.
• Barriers to VA Health Care--The VA is woefully underprepared to meet the surge of female veterans coming to its hospitals and clinics. Only 14 percent of VA facilities offer specialized, comprehensive women's health clinics, and the VA is experiencing serious shortages of qualified women's health and mental health providers. With female enrollment at the VA expected to double in the next 15 years, it is past time to address these significant barriers to care.
• Rising Rates of Homelessness among Female Veterans--Female veterans are swelling the ranks of the homeless. There are already more than 13,000 homeless female veterans nationwide. And existing programs for these homeless female veterans aren't cutting it. Adding to the challenge is the increasing number of female veterans with families in need of homeless services. Almost a quarter of female vets in the VA's homeless programs have children under the age of 18, creating a ripple effect that will impact people for generations to come.
More than 140 years ago, President Lincoln pledged America's obligation, "To Care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan." It is time for the nation to renew this commitment to our women warriors. After honorably fighting overseas, female veterans, like Cara Hammer, shouldn't have to wage new battles once they get home. And they should be treated like heroes, not candy stripers.
This week, IAVA launched its latest Issue Report, "Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle," on the unique and urgent service and homecoming challenges facing female troops and veterans. The report is the cornerstone of IAVA's first annual "Week of the Women Warriors," a multi-faceted effort to honor the courage and sacrifice of female servicemembers. Visit www.iava.org/womenwarriors to download the full report and find out more ways to get involved on behalf of our nation's women warriors.
This article needs to be required reading for every female thinking about enlisting in the military. Send it to every high school in America.
October 15, 2009 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, because women don't belong in the military. They belong in the home.
October 15, 2009 9:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul, I fail to understand why an illegal, immoral, gratuitous and corrupt war would engender good care for its veterans?
You don't seem to understand the gravity of the threats from Iraq. They are so existential that we just don't have the resources to coddle every person (after all, it's a "generational" struggle) who survives combat while we battle for our very lives and way o' life!
And what the hell did she expect when she put her life in Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld's hands? A fair deal? That would be socialistic!
If America had the slightest concern for its veterans, we wouldn't have started the War on Iraq and the War on Afghanistan in the first place. And once we did, the way injured female veterans would be treated was pretty much a given. Or are you too young to remember the War on Viet Nam?
Anyway, have a great day and don't let the Muslim Mafia get ya.
October 16, 2009 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
When I read posts like the one above from Rieckhoff, I am simply amazed. Where on earth does he get the idea that a military which co-operated with George Bush's plans gives a shit about its veterans? Look, when Bush proposed invading Iraq, the military could have very easily told him, based on thier extensive experience, exactly what such an operation at such a level of manning and resources would entail.
But the Officer-contracer class smelled money and glory and away we went.
And now they are supposed to worry about the human wreckage they leave behind? I don't see it.
Oh, and didn't we borrow (or steal from elsewhere IIRC, and I do) the money to invade and conmquer Iraq? I really doubt it included the tremendous expenses needed, long term, to care for the veterans of the operation.
Besides, Paul, what if, by diverting monies to provide treatment for this woman, and many others, we are deprived of the funds needed to track down and eradicate the Muslim Mafia which is even now corrupting our Congress and installing Sharia law with Lewis guns, Lambchop?
I hope you look good in a beard and turban, Paul, cause that's where we are headed if we weaken.
October 16, 2009 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Where on earth does he get the idea that a military which co-operated with George Bush's plans gives a shit about its veterans?"
Probably because the "military" (e.g. Department of Defense) and "veterans (e.g Department of Veterans' Affairs) are two different and distinct governmental animals.
Mr. Rieckhoff and I understand that because we're veterans. I take it you don't understand it because you likely aren't one. I'm no fan of our adventure in Iraq, but with all due respect, your apparently incomplete and inaccurate understanding of the respective roles of the DoD and DoVA do much damage to your argument, AFAICS.
October 16, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think it's just because you are veterans -- part of the problem here is that 'mooser' is either non compos mentis, or a troll.
October 16, 2009 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
"but with all due respect, your apparently incomplete and inaccurate understanding of the respective roles of the DoD and DoVA"
They had plenty of time to fill the administration of those agencies with the corrupt, the nutty and the neo-conservative.
Not to mention the contracters.
Look, when a person joins the military, they make their wager on how they will be treated if they are injured. Somehow I can't see an Army, or any of the agencies associated that was willing to kill so many for George Bush's domestic popularity (mission accomplished, %80) knowing all the time what the most probable consequences of the mission would be and was never honest about it, will do anything but seek to evade responsibility or accounting.
I admire Mr. Rieckhoff's struggle to make them take responsibility, and it's only good sense to use a cute white woman without disfiguring injuries as your garnerer. Best, also, to leave the Iraqis out entirely. By reading that post, you wouldn't know any of them were injured at all.
I mean, what can I say, I was just exchanging comments with a guy who said his nephew had lost legs and an arm in Iraq, from a roadside bomb. A horrible injury.
And he told me who he felt was responsible: "Institutionalised hasbara"
October 18, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
"They had plenty of time to fill the administration of those agencies with the corrupt, the nutty and the neo-conservative.
Not to mention the contracters."
Irrelevant. Both agencies are different and distinct from each other, no matter how much you might want to lump them together. As a disabled veteran with considerable experience with both the Army medical system and the VA medical system, I'd much rather deal with the VA, despite its failings.
"Look, when a person joins the military, they make their wager on how they will be treated if they are injured."
This argument is specious and jejune. One could make the exact same argument about many occupations and pursuits.
"Somehow I can't see an Army, or any of the agencies associated that was willing to kill so many for George Bush's domestic popularity (mission accomplished, %80)"
Your slanderous comment impugns the honor of each and every soldier. IMO, you should be ashamed of yourself. Why don't you just cut to the chase and call me a baby-killer now?
"knowing all the time what the most probable consequences of the mission would be and was never honest about it, will do anything but seek to evade responsibility or accounting."
This may come as a surprise to you, but the Army doesn't vote on where it goes and what it does. For example, I was never consulted on whether Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield or Desert Storm should proceed.
"I admire Mr. Rieckhoff's struggle to make them take responsibility, and it's only good sense to use a cute white woman without disfiguring injuries as your garnerer."
Oh, bullspit. You don't even know which "them" you're talking about; the Army or the VA.
"Best, also, to leave the Iraqis out entirely. By reading that post, you wouldn't know any of them were injured at all."
Whether Iraqis were injured or killed or not is completely beside the point Mr. Rieckhoff is making. Your rather unfortunate muddying of the waters makes it appear to me that you'd prefer to see his objections shoved to the side.
"I mean, what can I say, I was just exchanging comments with a guy who said his nephew had lost legs and an arm in Iraq, from a roadside bomb."
Here's a hint, pal. Exchanging online comments with the family member of a disabled veteran doesn't make you an expert on veterans' issues any more than voting for President Obama makes either of us experts on race relations. It is apparent that you have no direct experience with, and little to no knowledge of the issues you're grappling with on this thread.
"A horrible injury."
To be sure. Perhaps we'd all be better served if you sharpened both your aim and rhetoric a bit.
"And he told me who he felt was responsible: "Institutionalised hasbara"
And?
October 19, 2009 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mooser says: "Look, when a person joins the military, they make their wager on how they will be treated if they are injured."
Really? A soldier that serves his/her nation shouldn't expect excellent medical/psychological care for the injuries they receive while in the military? Really?
October 18, 2009 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
"A soldier that serves his/her nation shouldn't expect excellent medical/psychological care for the injuries they receive while in the military? Really"
They can expect whatever they want. I myself expect a pony, any day now. Or they could, even with the most cursory research, get a pretty good idea of just what the reality will be. Why don't they just ask the recruiter, point blank, what they should expect. I'm sure he will give them a good answer.
Look, I remember quite distinctly, and I'm sure a few moments with Google will bear me out, that the inability, the lack of resources, to handle the expected casualties, especially those suffering from mental or character injuries, was well known before the War on Iraq/ Afghanistan started.
But of course, since we were facing an "existential" "generational" threat, well, what could we do?
I just don't see how you are going to convince me that any army which participated, cheerfully in Bush-Cheney plans could give a shit about anything except avoiding an accounting. And that is the No.1 mission today for our armed forces, to avoid, by any means possible, an accounting of any type, moral, military, financial or legal, for the last eight years or so. That's a big mission, and a few brave and deserving veterans will be sacrificed to it. Would you rather the taliban came over here and took over?
October 18, 2009 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I just don't see how you are going to convince me that any army which participated, cheerfully in Bush-Cheney plans could give a shit about anything except avoiding an accounting."
Thanks for lumping us all in together, pal. It's illuminating to see that you apparently think of us as some sort of science-fictiony collective hive-mind being, without thoughts, minds, motivations or ethics of our own. Lovely.
BTW, you should reboot your computer, as your Windows for Telepaths software has clearly stopped working.
October 19, 2009 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you guys a whole lot younger than me or something? Do you not remember the War on Viet Nam? Didn't we get a good idea of the type of medical resources our soldiers deserve if they are to fight multiple tours in colonial wars?
Seems like we should have had a real good idea of what would be required.
I know, I know, where on earth did I get the crazy idea that those who find nothing wrong with loosing "shock and awe" on basically innocent and unaware populations might actually be callous towards American soldiers, too? Yeah, I must be crazy, everybody knows starting a war based on lies, which kills an easy million or makes officers and administrators more concerned and compassionate towrds our soldiers! How on earth could I think otherwise.
And good job using a cute white woman with no disfiguring injuries. I already saw what happens when a young guy with two aluminun sticks for legs struggles into the local Safeway. Everybody turns away.
October 18, 2009 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course, in the War on Viet Nam, very few people had to fight more than one tour, unless they volunteered, or so I've heard. But then again, the North Vietnamese, backed by the Red Chinese, weren't half the threat that "Al Queada" and "the Taliban" are. People have got to make sacrifices, damn it!
October 18, 2009 8:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Last year alone, there were almost 3,000 reports of sexual assault involving servicemembers. Incredibly, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg; almost half of all sexual assaults go unreported."
This really makes me mad! I know we started the war with very deficient defenses against Saddam's chemical and biological weapons, but dammit, can't we even protect our women from being raped by those terrorist Al Qaeda bastards? Damn those rapist Muslims!
October 18, 2009 8:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's the t-shirts. Thsy go nuts when the girls flash a little elbow. How can you blame them?
October 20, 2009 7:32 AM | Reply | Permalink