Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, first woman and first nonphysician to become the Army’s surgeon general, was promoted and assumed her new duties at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., on Dec. 7.

She took command of Medical Command at a ceremony on Fort Sam Houston, Texas, two days earlier.

She succeeds Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, who is retiring after more than three decades of service.

“We are dedicated to identifying and caring for soldiers who have sustained physical and psychological trauma associated with a protracted war,” Horoho said at the Dec. 7 ceremony. “A focus on wellness and prevention will ensure that our soldiers are ready to heed the nation’s call.”

Read the entire story at Armytimes.com

UNITED STATES SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 10, 2011

CONTACTS:

Menendez Press Office 202-224-4744

Senator Menendez Reiterates Call for Timely DoD Report on Women in the Armed Forces

Outdated policies may cause Servicewomen to lose the ground they’ve gained as a result of their role in current conflicts

Washington, DC – In anticipation of the Department of Defense’s review of the laws, policies, and regulations that restrict the service of female Servicemembers as required by the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for FY2011, Senator Menendez reiterated his call for the Department of Defense (DOD) to detail the capacity in which the 255,000 women who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have served, and discuss ways to reconcile its combat exclusion policy with the realities on the ground whereby female Servicemembers are being “attached” to combat arms units that consistently engage the enemy on the ground with weapons.

“Female servicemembers have made tremendous contributions to our national defense, and the fact that 174 servicewomen have been killed and 845 have been wounded serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan tells me that we need to make sure the Defense Department’s policies reflect the critical role women are playing in today’s armed forces,” said Menendez. “Only if we acknowledge their present engagement will they be eligible for the advancement opportunities they deserve, and will we ensure that in the future, the most qualified troops are fielded, regardless of gender.”

This past June, Senator Menendez and his colleagues sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense requesting more details about whether the training, opportunities for promotion, and medical treatment of female servicemembers reflect their increasing role in combat situations. In a response from Clifford Stanley, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Senator Menendez was informed that his concerns would be addressed in the pending DOD comprehensive review.

Genevieve Chase, of American Women Veterans, a non-profit organization that advocates for women in the military said: “The nature of war has changed and battlefield commanders have found value in the contributions of women in combat and especially counterinsurgency operations. Examples of this are the creation of the Marine Corps’ Female Engagement Teams and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s Cultural Support Teams. These women are trained for and expected to live among all-male combat arms units in austere conditions as integral parts of the units’ operations. This concept evolved over the past several years as a result of the value that women who were “attached” to combat units added on the battlefield. The creation of these highly skilled teams of women and their integration into special operations forces and combat arms units reinforces the need and expanding roles of women in the military. This alone is evidence that re-evaluation of the outdated and misrepresentative policy is long overdue.”

The Department of Defense “combat exclusion policy” precludes women from being assigned to ground combat units and being recognized as “combat troops”, yet women have served for years in ground combat operations as “attached” units that expose them to the same danger. This policy keeps women from being recognized as combatant troops, which is one of the most direct ways to rise through the military ranks. This inconsistency has a direct impact on military women’s chances of having access to adequate training before deployment, proper recognition upon their return, and fair promotion opportunities. Today, 80 percent of general officers come from career fields that are closed to women, and only 24 of the Army’s 403 general officers – or 6 percent – are female, though women make up roughly 15 percent of the force.

FULL TEXT OF LETTER:

June 17, 2011

The Honorable Robert M. Gates

Secretary of Defense

The Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301-1155

Dear Secretary Gates:

The Military Leadership Diversity Commission’s report, From Representation to Inclusion: Diversity Leadership for the 21st Century Military informed the nation that the Armed Services should systematically develop a demographically diverse leadership that reflects the forces it leads and the public it serves. Additionally, the Commission recommended that the Services expand their diversity to include the range of backgrounds, skills, and personal attributes that are necessary for enhancing military performance. One issue the Commission highlighted that we would like more information about is the effect of the Department of Defense’s combat exclusion policy on women in the Armed Services.

The Department of Defense’s current policy as it relates to women in the Armed Services states that “women may not serve in units that (1) engage an enemy on the ground with weapons, (2) are exposed to hostile fire, and (3) have a high probability of direct physical contact with personnel of a hostile force,” yet 134 female service members have been killed, and 721 have been wounded in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Commission’s report highlights the inconsistency of DOD’s policy with the reality of deployments, stating: “the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been anything but conventional. As a result, some of the female Servicemembers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have already been engaged in activities that would be considered combat related, including being collocated with combat units and engaging in direct combat for self-defense.” The Commission subsequently recommended eliminating the combat exclusion policy for women.

We respectfully request additional information regarding the inconsistency of the current combat exclusion policy, whereby women are being “attached” to combat arms units that consistently engage the enemy on the ground with weapons, repeatedly encounter hostile fire, and frequently expose them to direct physical contact with personnel of a hostile force, yet women are not being adequately recognized for having served in combat arms functions when it comes to documenting these experiences in their military records and DD214s. Additionally, we are concerned that this policy unnecessarily restricts combatant commanders from selecting the best personnel to participate in missions solely based on gender.

We hope you will provide a more comprehensive explanation of the capacity in which the 255,000 women who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have served, specifically those that have been “attached” to combat arms units during their deployments. In accordance with the current combat exclusion policy, what roles are open to women and from which are they precluded? Does the policy inhibit commanders from effectively engaging in counterinsurgency operations?

Given the fact that women are now serving alongside and collocated with combatant troops, what measures are being taken to ensure they receive appropriate training prior to deployment? Finally, when non-combat arms troops engage the enemy on the ground with weapons or are exposed to hostile fire, how is this being reflected in their military records other than the issuance of a combat action decoration?

In summary, we hope you will provide more details about the increased capacity in which women are serving and how the Department is working to ensure that the issues of training, equal opportunities for promotion and career advancement, and proper treatment upon redeployment are addressed.

We look forward to your timely response to this inquiry and to working with you to update the Department’s policies in a way that fully reflects the critical role women are playing in today’s armed forces, ensures that women receive the much-deserved credit they earn during their military careers, and makes certain that our nation fields the most qualified troops regardless of gender.

Sincerely,

Senator Menendez

Senator Gillibrand

Senator McCaskill

Senator Cardin

Senator Wyden

Senator Franken

Senator Merkley

Senator Hagan

Senator Lautenberg

It. What was the it I was looking for? As much as I tried to forget, as much as I tried not to bring it up, as much as I tried not to talk about it, as much as I tried to bury my pains and not think about my regrets, as much as I would tell my parents to take down the pictures, as much as I made my own family uncomfortable which in turn forced them not talk about or ask questions about my years of service, as much as I tried telling myself, “You’re a civilian now,” the reality was I wasn’t nor had I been since September 1996. For those who believe in a supreme being, you can say what happened that night occurred because of Divine intervention. For those who are still serving and have had the honor of serving in the best Army in the world, you can call it being a Soldier. That’s who I was and it was a part of me yearning to breathe free.

The Army changes you into a different person…and one for the better. It’s a different world that only a few and proud would ever understand. How many people can relate to arriving at Basic Training at 0100 and the moment you step one foot off the bus a burly Drill Sergeant “greets” you by yelling in your face, “Welcome to Hell. Grab your bags and head for the opened door!! I don’t see you moving!! You have two minutes, Private, and my timer started one minute ago!!” You have zero time to think about jet lag and sleep. Your only thought is, “WTF did I get myself into?”  But later down the road, moments such as these will become some of the best memories of your life.

The word family changes for you, too. That’s right; you become a part of the biggest family you could ever imagine. Your family becomes thousands of brothers and sisters, and thousands of fathers and mothers some of whom are glad to pass down the lessons they learned, and if you’re fortunate enough to be assigned with some of them, will help mentor and guide you down your path. I was one of the fortunate ones. I’ll never forget being a young Private First Class and as I was exiting the classroom of mandatory AA/EEO training my unit was attending I was immediately pulled to the side by a female Master Sergeant.

She was very tall and my attention was quickly drawn to the Drill Sergeant patch on her right pocket. It was clear to me that I had done something wrong and was about to find out exactly what that was. “PFC, do know what AR 670-1 states about how females should wear their hair?” I was so scared so details are a little bit of a blur, but what she said was something along those lines and I quickly learned that as much as I tried to bun my long hair, some of the strands were falling below my collar. “Yes, Sergeant,” I replied while standing at parade rest. “Good. I expect you’ll correct that by the time we’re back here after lunch. HOOAH!” I replied, “HOOAH, Sergeant.”

I’ll never forget running full speed to the latrine (aka bathroom) and fixing my hair. I’ll also never forget thinking at that moment that I wanted to be like her. I later learned that she was new to my unit and had just arrived from Korea. She wasn’t in my detachment, but she would become a mentor to me and would be one of the best First Sergeants that I ever had the privilege and the honor of working under. She wasn’t alone. There were many NCOs and Officers, both good and bad, who I had learned from.

“Always have a short term and long term goal…It doesn’t stop at one promotion, you have to keep driving on and competing…Celebrate your accomplishments…Know the standards and enforce them…Be Know Do…Everything won’t always be a success but after every failure you take from it what you can learn from it and drive on, HOOAH.” Some of these lessons reminded me of lessons my parents tried to teach me when I was younger. The only difference was I was now older and I was listening; they were all sinking in and making sense to me.

You are told by your Drill Sergeants that you will be broken down and built back up. And for me, the Army did just that. Of all the decisions that I ever made in my life, of all the times that I failed and wanted to do at least one thing to make my parents proud of me, I can say with pride serving in the Army of our great country was one of those things.

My parents did not have the opportunity to attend my basic training graduation ceremony, attend the Welcome Home ceremony when I returned from Bosnia, or attend any of my promotion ceremonies while I served, but in the spring of 2002 my father drove down to Columbia, SC to witness my graduation from the Adjutant General Corps’ Basic Noncommissioned Officer’s Course. I had already pinned on E6 by that time so he didn’t get to witness my pinning on, which is probably a good thing; seeing his daughter get pounded in the collar bone probably would have shocked him and bewildered him just the same.

However, my dad did get the opportunity to meet my cadre and speak with the Command Sergeant Major of the school. After the ceremony and after saying good-byes to my comrades, I met up with my dad who was patiently waiting for me to begin our drive up to New Jersey since I was on leave. There were no words at first, just silence. I could see his eyes were red so I didn’t have to ask if he had been crying, I just knew. Before we got in the car he gave me the tightest hug I had ever felt and I didn’t have to ask, “Dad, did I finally do something good?” I just knew.

We all have different reasons for leaving the service and about a year after my graduation I decided that it was my time and would leave the service when my contract expired. I loved the Army, and she had given me so much besides the benefits of travel, Tuition Assistance, etc. The places where I lived and all the places I’ve seen would not have happened had I not joined the Army. My one hope was that during my service I had given her just as much as she had given me. She transformed me into the woman I am now and for that I will always be eternally grateful to her for that gift. Have I had moments of regret since? Yes, and it was that regret that would become the chains that would bind me for six years.

That is until that night in 2010 when American Women Veterans was the first organization to appear in my google search. This was a new organization that hadn’t appeared in any of my searches before. I was surprised and inquisitive so of course I clicked on the link and arrived at their webpage. What I found was the it I had been searching for on my other late night perusing of the internet.

After reading their mission and vision statement, as well as some of the blogs posted under, Bras and Boots, I was literally in tears. I continued my way around the site, and then learned about the phenomenal founder of this organization, Genevieve Chase, and what motivated her to start this organization. Immediately and without hesitation, I liked their Facebook page and saw an event posted for the 2010 NYC Veterans Day Parade. I decided that night that marching with them would be my personal “coming out” ceremony.

On the day of the parade I headed to the staging area donning my red scarf and red gloves, signature traits of Team AWV. Before I knew it I was seeing women from all eras and branches of service in red. I saw a fellow female Army veteran in full uniform approach the meeting area in a wheelchair. There was so much to take in and introductions to make. As we waited for the go ahead from parade organizers, we chatted and learned almost everything about one another. By the time we stepped off and marched up 5th Avenue we were a quasi family. Imagine that, total strangers that had only known each other for a few short hours, yet shared a common bond: duty, honor, and service to country.

As I mentioned earlier, I had told my parents to take down the Army picture of me that they had proudly displaying in our house. I never talked about my service so I’m quite sure my dad was surprised to receive a photo text of me holding the American Women Veterans guidon. The text stated, “At the NYC Veterans Day Parade with American Women Veterans.” He replied immediately and quite simply, “So much pride.”

That would begin what has now been a year of volunteering with this incredible organization. I’ve met so many wonderful sisters and brothers in service through this organization and they have no idea how grateful I am for their friendship and camaraderie. I’ve reconnected with a part of my life that I never really wanted to be separated from. I just needed the right bridge to connect the soldier in me to the civilian I am now.

I’m not sure Genevieve had any idea how important American Women Veterans would be to so many women nationwide, especially me. Without her knowing it, she created something that all of us had been waiting and searching a long time for: a place where we could reconnect with an important part of our being and bond with our fellow sisters in arms who would understand all that we have gone through while serving our great nation, no matter the branch or era of service.

So on the eve of my second march with this extremely wonderful group of women, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who are a part of AWV. I know my parents and grandfather would thank all of you as well because they have seen firsthand what this organization has done in my life since becoming a part of it one year ago. Not to mention, supporting our men and women in uniform is one of the few issues we agree on and I can discuss with them – lol.

Seriously though, all of my years serving in the Army were the best of my life thus far and I’m not quite sure how I can top them. I have never worked with or gotten to know a more professional and dedicated group of people, and that includes the family members of our Army men and women, Air Force, Navy, Marines, NATO, UN, Allied Forces, and civilian DoD personnel that I was fortunate to have been assigned with. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you, as well.

To my biological Mom, my most wonderful Mom & Dad, and family, had it not been for the values that you taught me and your prayers I would not have succeeded in the Army. Your support and unconditional love was what gave me strength and motiviation during my years of service. Thank you, for those gifts. I know that I am very fortunate to have them in my life, and I love all of you more than you know.

To my friends, sisters and brothers who are smiling down from above, you are not forgotten and you never will be. I promise I will strive to live each day with you in mind and appreciate the small things that we often times can take for granted. And don’t worry dear friends, we will meet again and sing cadences, joke and laugh together as we once did before.

To everyone, Happy Veterans Day! “A Veteran – whether active duty, retired, National Guard or Reserve – is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount “up to, and including my life.”

On this day and every day, may we be more loving, more tolerant of one another, and put our differences aside and honor all those who have kept our nation free. May we always remember and live in such a way that honors the sacrifices that our nation’s men and women in uniform, and their families, make for us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“First to fight for the right,

And to build the Nation’s might,

And The Army Goes Rolling Along

Proud of all we have done,

Fighting till the battle’s won,

And the Army Goes Rolling Along.

Then it’s Hi! Hi! Hey!

The Army’s on its way.

Count off the cadence loud and strong (TWO! THREE!)

For where e’er we go,

You will always know

That The Army Goes Rolling Along.”

HOOAH!!!!!!

-Stella S.

In 2009, American Women Veterans was proud to have set the precedent for women’s organizations marching in this iconic parade. This year’s parade will commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, and will also pay special tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War and the 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

We hope you’ll make plans to join us for this momentous occasion. It is truly an amazing experience!

We will have much more information in the following days about meeting times and places, lodging suggestions and after party details. If you have specific questions or concerns before that time, please feel free to post them in the comments below.

If you are planning to join us, please request to join our Facebook Group so that we can keep you informed of up-to-the-minute information.

View the event invitation here

AWV Facebook memorial page

AWV Facebook Memorial Page

Meet the artist: “If you ask Soldier Hard what has gotten him to where he is today, he’ll say “Determination & the will to carry on.” So it wasn’t a surprise, that his new full length & 10th CD is titled “The Military Collection” shows just that. It is a compilation of his last 9 CD projects he released throughout the years. The CD project contains some of his Military themed songs determined to make his mark in the music world by speaking up for our troops, veterans, & military supporters.”

Artist: Soldier Hard aka The Voice
Available for Free Download at www.SoldierHard.com

VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group recently completed a 60-second public service announcement (PSA) that challenges viewers to rethink pre-conceived notions about women Veterans. This dynamic video features images of women in service to our country: they drive supply trucks, participate in reconnaissance missions, walk safety patrols, and operate helicopter machine guns.

“When these brave women complete their service and become Veterans, we want them to know that VA is there to meet their health care needs,” said Dr. Patricia Hayes, Chief Consultant of the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. “At the same time, we want the public to recognize the contributions of women Veterans and the benefits they have earned through their service to the Nation.” (Business Wire Press Release)

“This public service announcement (PSA) challenges viewers to rethink preconceived notions about women Veterans. The PSA was developed from a new employee orientation video created as part of VA’s ongoing efforts to change its culture to be more understanding and accommodating of women Veterans and the important service they have given our country. See the Section 508 version of this video.

Anderson’s goal when she entered the service in 1979 was to complete eight years of service, she said.

“But I reached a point where I realized I enjoy doing this. But then I still thought that I would retire after 20 years which is about hitting lieutenant colonel rank and I was very happy at that as well because I basically thought that was a great rank. You command at that level,” said Anderson.

She said she can earn up to four stars, but said she’s happy with two for now.”

(Read the entire story)