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Moral Injury Symposium
swords-to-plowshares.org combattocommunity.org
INSTITUTE FOR VETERAN POLICY
Women Veterans
Women Veterans
Women veterans share many of the short- and long-term physical and emotional consequences and needs that their male counterparts face as a result of serving their country. In addition, as women veterans they have unique experiences and needs.
Women Veterans
WHY WOMEN JOIN THE MILITARY Duty to their country. Look for adventure and travel. Seeking a career. A way to earn a college degree or technical skills. To provide for their families. To become independent. To escape abusive and violent home environments.
Women in the Military
Women have served their country in every war and conflict since the American Revolution.
In the early 1900s they formally joined the U.S. Armed Forces through the newly established Army Nurse Corps, Women’s Army Corps, Navy Nurse Corps and Women in the Air Force.
By the late 1970s women were assimilated into the regular branches of the military.
The 1980 census was the first time women were asked if they had ever served in the Armed Forces.
Women in the MilitaryBY THE NUMBERS*
15%: Active duty enlisted & 16.8% Active duty officers.
18%: National Guard and Reserves.
20%: New recruits.
10%: Veterans (projected to double over next 20 years).
12% of active duty women and 16% of Guard and Reserves women are single mothers, compared to 4% who are single fathers.
* DoD, Demographics 2010: Profile of the Military Community.
Women in the Military: Combat
2.7 million troops have deployed in support of Global War on Terror (GWOT)
280,000 are women (41,000 in Gulf War). 161 women have been killed in combat. > 18,600 have been wounded in action. > 9000 received Combat Action Badges
*CTS Deployment File Baseline Report, Defense Manpower Data Center, as of March 2013; Defense Casualty Analysis System, as of April 2012.
Women in the Military: Combat
1994 COMBAT EXCLUSION POLICYStates that women shall be excluded from assignment to units whose primary mission is to engage in direct combat on the ground.
FEBRUARY 2012 REVISED COMBAT EXCLUSION POLICYWomen fly combat aircraft, serve on combat ships, combat medics, military police, etc., but are still banned from serving in the infantry; 30% of positions still remain restricted to men.
Women in the Military: Combat
LIONESS DOCUMENTARYTRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT DEPICTING SCENES OF WAR
Women in the Military: Combat
FIRST FEMALE SOLDIERS GRADUATE FROM ARMY RANGER SCHOOL
Women in the Military: Combat
JANUARY 2013 RESCIND DIRECT COMBAT EXCLUSION RULE
Ensuring the success of our nation’s war fighting forces by preserving unit readiness, cohesion and morale.
Ensuring all service men and women are given the opportunity to succeed and are set-up for success with viable career paths.
Retaining the trust and confidence of the American people to defend this nation by promoting policies that maintain the best quality and most qualified people.
Women Veterans: Homecoming
Idealistic and unrealistic expectations in family roles as a partner, spouse, mother, daughter and sister.
When a male service member comes home, he often has help from a wife or mother. When a woman returns home, sheis often expected to handle childcare, work around the house and hold down a job.
DEPLOYMENTS / HOMECOMING STRESS
Women Veterans
LIONESS DOCUMENTARYTRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT DEPICTING SCENES OF WAR
California Veterans
U.S. Veteran Population: 22 million
U.S. Women Veteran Population: 2.3 million
CA Veteran Population: 1.9 million (highest # of veterans)
Bay Area and Southern CA have highest # in CA
CA Women Veteran Pop.: 185,269 (10% of all women veterans)
*VetPop, 2011.
Women Veterans in Transition
Women veterans do not always receive the
recognition and respect for their military service,
especially their combat experiences – they may feel
invisible.
“I always get challenged on my veteran status because of my gender. People still seem to have the idea that only men can be combat veterans.” -current-era woman veteran
Women Veterans
MENTAL HEALTH
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)* Moral Injury Depression Substance Abuse (coping mechanism) Suicide
*Although considered a cognitive injury, TBI can affect mental health and often intersects with PTSD.
Women Veterans
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Men and women = chance of PTSD after exposure trauma.
Physically injured women veterans: more likely to have PTSD than men.
Higher proportions of women veterans are diagnosed with mental health conditions by the VA, but lower proportions are diagnosed with PTSD.
* Maguen et al, “Gender differences in traumatic experiences and mental health in active duty soldiers redeployed from Iraq and Afghanistan.” 2012; OIG, “Review of Combat Stress in Women Veterans Receiving VA Health Care and Disability Benefits.” Dec 2010.
Women Veterans
DEPRESSION
Top 3 diagnostic category for women veterans treated by the VA.
risk for depression (than men).
2X as likely to experience a major depressive episode.
*VA, Women Veterans Health Care, www.oefoif.va.gov/womenvets.asp; Maguen et al, “Gender differences in traumatic experiences and mental health in active duty soldiers redeployed from Iraq and Afghanistan.” 2012.
Women Veterans
SUBSTANCE USEBinge Alcohol = 2X the community rate.Tobacco Smoking = 2.5X the community rate.Opiate Use = 3X the community rate.
Women who go through trauma have risk for drinking problems.
National Center for PTSD, www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/ptsd-alcohol-use.asp.
Golub and Bennett, 2013.
Women Veterans
HOMELESSNESS 3-4X greater risk of homelessness for women veterans than for non-veteran women. VA data show the number of women veterans identified as homeless has doubled in
the last five years. Women veterans with TBI are seven times more likely to be homeless than veteran
men with TBI. A disproportionate amount of homeless women veterans have experienced MST.
Gamache et al, 2003; GAO, 2011; photo: veteranstoday.com
Stanford University, 2013.
GAO, 2011
Women Veterans
22 veterans commit suicide a day. 1,000 suicide attempts per month among all veterans
seen at VA medical facilities. Women veterans are 2 - 3X more likely to commit
suicide than non-veteran women.
SUICIDE
Women Veterans
WOMEN VETERANS CALL CENTER Receives and responds to questions from women veterans, their families and caregivers across the nation about
available VA services and resources.
(855) 829-6636(855) VA-WOMEN
Additional ResourcesBOOKS
Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq by Kirsten Holmstedt
The Girls Come Marching Home: Stories of Women Warriors Returning from the War in Iraq by Kirsten Holmstedt
When Jane Comes Marching Home: Portraits of Women Combat Veterans by Browder Laura/Pflaeging Sascha
Love My Rifle More than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army by Michael E. Staub and Kayla Williams
The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq by Helen Benedict
Women At War by Scott Baron and James Wise
Additional Resources
. DOCUMENTARIES Lioness by Meg McLagan and Daria
Poster Girl by Sara Nesson
Service: When Women Come Marching Home by Marcia Rock and Patricia Lee Stotter
The Invisible War by Helen Benedict
Thank You for Your Attendance
Copyright © 2014 by Swords to PlowsharesAll rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Swords to PlowsharesInstitute for Veteran Policy1060 Howard StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103Star LaraWomen Veteran Program [email protected]
