“On April 23, 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched its new Women Veterans hotline—1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636)—an incoming call center that receives and responds to questions from women Veterans, their families, and caregivers across the nation about available VA services and resources.

“The Women Veterans Call Center is aimed at increasing women Veterans’ knowledge of all VA services and benefits that they deserve,” said Krista Stephenson, Army Veteran and Women Veterans Call Center Director.

Since 2000, the number of women using VA health care has more than doubled, from nearly 160,000 to more than 360,000 in 2012. Women now make up 15 percent of active duty and 18 percent of Guard/Reserves service members. Based on the upward trend of women in all branches of service, the number of women Veterans and female VA users is expected to double again in the next decade.

Despite this rapid growth, women constitute only six percent of VA’s total patient population…”

Read the whole story at The Department of Veterans Affairs website

Brewer cleared the way for future female Marines throughout her career, said Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps.

“Throughout her three decades of service to our Corps and country, she truly led from the front and helped the Marine Corps integrate women more fully into the force,” Amos said.

In a June 7, 1980, article in the Owosso, Mich,, newspaper The Argus-Press, Brewer said she “never considered any other service … my mother insists I was singing the Marine’s Hymn when I was only five years old.”

Brewer’s desire to be a Marine was reaffirmed by a stirring speech heard while still in high school. Her mother, Anne Brewer, took her to hear a speech from the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima…”

(Read the entire story at Marines.Mil)

During my time in basic, my body began to get slower. I wasn’t improving at all. My drill sergeants finally sent me to the hospital to have some testing done. I was questioned by mental health and had all sorts of blood work done. Finally, they figured out I had Hypothyroidism. My leadership was prepared to discharge me. I was taken out of training and spent a few days sitting around watching. One day my drill sergeant came up to me, shook my hand, and said “welcome to the United States Army.” I wasn’t getting discharged! The medication the hospital put me on was beginning to work and my drill sergeant had me take a PT test just to see where I was at. He finally understood that I had always been trying my hardest. I had never passed a PT test until that day…and even then I technically failed. We were in Gold Phase,the final phase, so I should have been passing phase 5 PT scores. However that day I passed phase 4 standards and was awarded my Army Values tag for my dog tags. Later that day, my drill sergeant went running through the barracks yelling that I had finally passed. He was actually proud of me. It felt amazing! All my hard work was finally paying off. Unfortunately, my body didn’t have enough time to catch up to standard to graduate with my class, so I became a hold over.

During my time as a hold over, I was given permission to go where ever I wanted as long as I went to the base gym and was back at the barracks in time for dinner chow. When the new soldiers took their first PT test, I took my last. Passing everything. I was told it would be roughly a week before I’d be able to go home, but that I would get a weekend pass. Later that day, my 1SG yelled for me and I went running. He told me I would be leaving to go home in 2 hours. I was ecstatic! I ran back to my bunk and packed my bags. All the drill sergeants came to wiah me good luck and shake my hand. One called me into the office and told me, “Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. None of us thought you could, and you proved us all wrong. I’m proud of you.” I will never forget that.

As time went on, I kept up my momentum. That is, until I deployed with a unit other than my own. My team leader was sexist, and verbally and mentally abusive. He took my stress level to the max, and counseled me over anything he could think of. He turned my platoon against me. All the stress started to counteract with my thyroid medication. I began to slow down again. I begged to go get a blood test so my dosage could be adjusted, but my unit wouldn’t allow me to go to Baghdad to get the test done. I resented them, and I turned into someone I’m not only to cope. I only showed up to things that were required. I didn’t socialize with anyone from my platoon. I completely shut down to them. I spent all my time with soldiers from other units or other platoons. It was all I could do to survive. I couldn’t call home about it because my family was worried enough as it was.

When we finally came home, I couldn’t wait to go back to my unit. I was able to loosen up, but the leadership I dealt with in Iraq poisoned my view of all leadership. It took over 2 years back with my home unit to realize they aren’t the same. My unit had my back. My unit cared about me and my well being. My body still had not recovered from not being on the correct dosage of medication overseas, but I refused to give up. As my leadership learned of what I went through in Iraq, they did everything they could to prevent it from happening again. After being deemed non-deployable due to PTSD, MST, and severe hypothyroidism, I decided to get out at my ETS. I wanted to go to Afghanistan with my unit. It’s why I joined, but my own body defeated me.

I hope in a few years I can get back in, but for now I’m looking for a happy medium. I’d love to work with veterans who went through similar situations as I did. Let them know they will be okay. I’m okay. My unit made sure to get me on the right track. Even though I’m no longer in, I still consider my unit my family.

The service women ranged widely in generation. Veterans from WWII up to those who severed during the most recent wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan all walked from the Lincoln Memorial to the Women’s Memorial at the gates of Arlington Cemetery.

The event organizers hope to encourage more women to join the military, and remind those who have served that their service is and will always be honored.”

See the entire story and SLIDESHOW at WUSA9.com

AWV’s Facebook Memorial Page

AWV’s Facebook Memorial Page

AWV’s Facebook Memorial Page

AWV Facebook Tribute Page

“Ann is a leader who lived our Army values, who always led from the front, who dedicated herself to the profession of arms,” said Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno, who hosted the retirement. “In my mind, Ann Dunwoody is the epitome of the Army professional.”

Dunwoody joined the Army in 1974, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Women’s Army Corps in 1975. Her first assignment was as supply platoon leader, 226th Maintenance Company (Forward, Direct Support), 100th Supply and Services Battalion (Direct Support), Fort Sill, Okla. Since then, she’s served at every level of command.

“ Her true legacy and reward will be the thousands of Soldiers and civilians whose lives she has touched through the span of her career,” Odierno said during a ceremony at Summerall Field at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., near the Pentagon.

Most recently, Dunwoody served as commander of the Army Materiel Command, one of the largest commands in the Army. The command employs more than 69,000 employees across all 50 states and 145 countries.

“It was Ann’s most recent role, as commander of the AMC, in which she unified global logistics in a way [that has never] been done, “ Odierno said. “She capitalized AMC’s fundamental logistics functions to maximize the efficiency and services they provided — of supply, maintenance, contact support, research and development, base and installation support, and deployment and distribution. She connected AMC not only to the Army, but ensured the joint force was always ready and supplied as well.”

Odierno assured Dunwoody that she has left a mark on the Army — and changed it for the better.”

(You can read the sort in its entirety at The Fort Gordon Signal)