U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CWV - News Update

Women are the fastest-growing demographic of homeless Veterans.  Many of the more than 2 million women vets in the U.S. are coping with mental health issues, substance abuse and physical and sexual trauma, and are at risk of becoming homeless. [From Here & Now]

Information for Veterans who served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and their families.  In this issue…

• Independent Committee to Review Intergenerational Effects of Gulf Ware Service
• Fibromyalgia – What you need to know
• Research Roundup:  The Latest Research on the Health of Gulf War VETS
• Gulf War Registry Health Exam
• Join the Airborne Hazards & Open Burnpit Registry, VA’s Fastest Growing Registry
• VA Announces Presumptive Conditions for Camp Lejeune Veterans
• Ware Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) – Helping Veterans Live Better
• My HealtheVet:  Veteran Care Made Easy

Army Surgeon General Nadja West is a model of confidence with her combat boots, impeccable military posture and three stars adorning her uniform.  Yet walking through the Pentagon courtyard, I had to pick my jaw up from the ground when she revealed that confidence was one of the main issues she struggled with as she rose through the Army ranks. [From CNN]

War is often seen as something that women should be protected from.  Men are often portrayed as stronger, braver, or more prepared to face the horrors of battle.  And yet, when given the chance, women have shown time and time again that they can brave those dangers just as well as their male counterparts.  These are the women who have become war heroes in their respective countries and around the world for their exploits during 20th century wars.  Some became famous as martyrs to a cause, others for surviving impossible conditions, and still others for their complete selflessness in the face of death. [From The History Collection]

Wearing a tactical vest almost as big as she is, Army Spc. Allison Clevenger almost disappears into all the computers and equipment in the back of the Stryker M1135 nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicle that she rides in.  Listening intently to voice communication from the range tower and locked into a monitor just inches from her face, she seems at home despite being a five-hour car ride away from where she lives. [From U.S. Department of Defense]

Those familiar with Whirly-Girls, the international association of women helicopter pilots, may have noticed the name of Valérie André in its website’s historical section.  Women in the French military – and probably elsewhere in the world – owe her a lot. [From Vertical Magazine]

Since 1951, the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the [Armed] Services has forwarded its annual research findings to the Defense Secretary.  This year the committee has sent fourteen recommendations.  Retired Air Force Gen. Janet Wolfengarger, now chair of the committee, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to provide more details on the recommendations. [From Federal News Radio 1500AM]

Kaitlin “Kat” Cohn was just like any other young woman on her high school graduation day.  She walked down the hallway in her cap and gown as Pomp and Circumstance played in the background, smiling and playfully sticking her tongue out at friends and family snapping photos of her big day.  There were a few differences, though.  For one, Cohn was the only graduate at this ceremony.  Another difference is it didn’t take place at a high school auditorium or local amphitheater.  Instead, this ceremony took place at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Polytrauma Unit, where Cohn has been a patient since April. [From VAntage Point]

Houston and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center will be hosting the 2017 National Women Veterans Summit on Aug. 25-26.  Hundreds of women Veterans from around the country are expected to attend, along with senior VA leaders and key Veteran stakeholders. [From The Houston Patch]

Kayla Barron has been selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class.  She will report for duty in August 2017.  The Washington native graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering.  A Gates Cambridge Scholar, Barron earned a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cambridge.’ As a Submarine Warfare Officer, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community. [From The National Aeronautics and Space Administration]

Col. Catherine Betz had a love of the Army that was surpassed only by her love for others.  When a badly burned baby boy was left at St. Elizabeth’s Orphanage in Saigon, the career military nurse became his godmother, cradling the Vietnamese child for his baptism, according to newspaper accounts. Her commander was godfather.  The godparents and troops sent money to the orphanage for the boy’s education until the fall of Saigon, Col. Betz told a reporter for the Retrospect in 2011. [From Philly.com]

The Veterans Resource Center in south Dallas is paving the way for the opening of the first Women Veterans’ Enterprise Center.  An official groundbreaking ceremony and women-Veteran celebration took place on June 12.  The full day of activities kicked off with an official groundbreaking ceremony featuring an overview of the proposed center, testimonies from female Veteran business owners and statements of support and announcement of public/private partnerships from political, corporate and community leaders.  Over lunch, the center hosted a presentation highlighting women Veteran business owners, demonstrating the need for continued support and programming as well as the contributions women Veterans are making throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. [From VAntage Point]

The cold, wet nose.  The limpid, soulful eyes.  The furry head bump that lets you know you’re loved.  What are we talking about?  Well, Fido or Fluffy of course – your pet or companion animal whose presence just seems to make everything better. [From The Huffington Post]

The commander of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island has come under fire for his comments about female recruits at boot camp.  “I think we’re trying to find, recruiting-wise, those women who were handed lacrosse sticks and hockey sticks growing up and not Barbie dolls,” Brig. Gen. Austin Renforth told Military.com for a June 6 story.  “We don’t always get that.” [From Marine Corps Times]

The holistic care of LGBTQ+ Veterans is the focus of the fifth annual Milwaukee VA Mental Health Summit, hosted by the Milwaukee VA Medical Center and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, on June 16, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The event will be held in the UWM Student Union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. in Milwaukee.  The Holistic Care of LGBTQ+ Veterans features a diverse array of workshops, breakout sessions, panelists and practitioners with experience serving the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ Veteran community. [From The Wisconsin Gazette]