Privacy policy

The short version

We only collect what you choose to send us. We read it to answer you and, if you ask us to, to consider your story. We do not sell it, and we do not share it with anyone outside our team and the services that run this site.

What we collect

When you use the contact or story form, we receive:

• Your message, and your story if you share one (including any branch, years of service and details you add).
• Your name and email. Your phone number only if you choose to give it.
• The topic you picked, how you want to be credited, and whether you agree to us publishing.

While you type, the form saves a draft on your own device (in your browser) so you do not lose it. It is not sent to us until you press send. You can clear it with "Start fresh".

How your message gets to us

When you send the form, it is emailed to our editorial inbox (admin@americanwomenveterans.org). It passes through our email provider on the way. This site does not keep your submission in its own database.

Your story and sensitive topics

Some stories are very personal, including stories about military sexual trauma (MST). Submissions are read only by the American Women Veterans editorial team. We never publish a story, or any part of it, without your clear OK, and we use your name only the way you chose on the form.

Why we use it

To reply to you, to check a correction or question, to consider a story you offered, and to answer media requests. Nothing else.

Cookies and visitor counts

We use Clicky, a visitor-statistics service, to see which pages are read. It may set cookies and records things like the page visited and general device and location information. We use it to understand the site as a whole, not to follow you. Some videos in our guides use YouTube's privacy-friendly player, which sets no cookies until you press play. The site is hosted on Vercel, which keeps standard server logs.

How long we keep it

We keep messages only as long as we need them to answer you or to work on a story you gave us permission to consider. Email stays in our inbox until we delete it. You can ask us to delete yours at any time.

Who sees it

Our editorial team. We do not sell or rent your information or share it with advertisers or partners. The services that run the site (hosting, email and visitor statistics) handle data for us so the site works. We may share information if the law requires it, or if someone is in immediate danger.

Ask us to delete or correct what you sent

Use the contact form on our About page and choose "Ask a question", or email admin@americanwomenveterans.org. Tell us what you sent and the email address you used. We will delete it and tell you when it is done.

Children

This site is for adults. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If you think a child sent us something, tell us and we will delete it.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the date at the top.

Need help now?

If you are in crisis, call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. If you are in danger, call 911.