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

Less than half a year after a nude photo-sharing scandal rocked the Marine Corps, service leaders are working to hold individuals accountable and attack underlying cultural issues, according to the assistant commandant.  “I want it to get to the point where if someone participates in this kind of activity, it’s the anomaly, it happens once a year,” Gen. Glenn Walters told reporters Tuesday. [From Government Executive]

The CAUSE Veterans Initiative is a fellowship and civic leadership program for Veterans and reservists who are seeking community leadership roles outside of the military.  The Veterans Initiative program was specifically designed for Veterans interested in increasing the accessibility and awareness of available Veterans resources as well as learning how to effectively advocate on behalf of Asian Pacific American (APA) Veterans issues. [From Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment]

Annie McDonald glanced at the pocket-sized, black-and-white photograph in her trembling hand.  And gently smiled.  Who is that 24-year-old U.S. Army nurse in the glossy snapshot? [From Auburn Reporter]

They were nicknamed the “Skirted Soldiers.”  Facing a shortage of men during World War II, Congress, after much debate, created the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in May 1942. [From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Cats and dogs of different breeds and sizes stream into the makeshift veterinary office here, accompanied by owners who may offer a grateful hug for the chance to get their pets the health care that they need.  Some patients will greet you joyfully, others will cower and try to hide. [From U.S. Department of Defense]

Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson uses flight terms to describe her four years in command of the Air Force Academy.  And one word comes up again and again:  “Turbulence.” [From Military.com]

In 2002, on her first combat deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom, Cmdr. Becky Calder, née Dowling, flew her F/A-18 Hornet over Afghanistan on a challenging mission.  When friendly forces on the ground were ambushed; Calder and her wingman were tasked with supporting them in the air. [From Parade]

A puppy named Opha Mae is breaking down barriers at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina.  The English bulldog will be Parris Island’s newest mascot and the first female to hold the post, according to the Beaufort Gazette. [From Marine Corps Times]

The American Dream isn’t just an expression; it’s a lifestyle worth striving toward.  For many people across the world, the pursuit of democracy, liberty and the opportunity for prosperity and success drives them to leave their homelands and come to the U.S. [From U.S. Department of Defense]

More than 70 years ago, a group of Native American Marines known as Navajo Code Talkers used their native tongue, Navajo, to transmit secret strategic messages during World War II.  Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima:  From 1942 to 1945, the code talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific. [From U.S. Department of Defense]

The only woman in the Navy SEAL training pipeline has dropped out, a Navy special warfare official confirmed Friday.  The female midshipman voluntarily decided to not continue participating in a summer course that’s required of officers who want to be selected for SEAL training, Lt. Cmdr. Mark Walton, a Naval special warfare spokesman, told The Associated Press. [From Navy Times]

A member of the Vermont National Guard will replace her camouflage fatigues with an evening gown to compete in the Miss Vermont pageant.  Kat Thompson tells WCAX-TV she wants to inspire young girls who don’t fit the stereotype of a typical pageant contestant. [From Army Times]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Amanda R. Fichera Kean.  Amanda was a senior in high school in Swan, Ohio, when she decided to join the Army.  She was only 17 when she joined and had to get her parent’s permission. [From VAntage Point]

We honor your service, Amanda!

Listen to Episode No. 161 of Live at Politics and Prose.  On this episode, Tracy Crown and Jerri Bell Discusses their new book, It’s My Country Too. [From Slate]

A female Marine officer is nearing the halfway mark of the 13-week Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course, Corps officials announced on Thursday.  The Marines are not identifying the female officer, who began the course in July and has about eight weeks left, according to Training and Education Command. [From Marine Corps Times]

Women fighters danced to Kurdish songs in a village in northern Syria on Wednesday after completing their military training to join the battle against Isis.  The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of local militias supported by a US-led coalition, had given the 210 women a 15-day course in armed combat. [From The Independent]

Jennifer Baun has learned that she shouldn’t ask a woman if she is a Veteran.  She asks, instead, if she served in the armed forces.  The first question often brings a dismissive wave of the hand, a shrug, a response of maybe, “Well, I spent a year or two …” [From The Columbus Dispatch]

There are 278 female Marines now filling jobs formerly reserved for men, with 40 female recruits additionally under contract for these jobs, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday.  A year and a half after all previously closed ground combat and special operations jobs across the Defense Department opened to women in keeping with a Pentagon mandate, Lt. Gen. Glenn Walters hailed the progress that Marines have made in integrating the ranks, saying the Corps has not gotten adequate credit in the press for recent historic milestones. [From Military.com]

Women Veterans, their contributions to the military and sometimes the injuries they incur while serving can be often overlooked by the larger military community.  To honor women’s contributions and their military legacy, the Center for Women Veterans, a part of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, teamed up with The Women In Military Service For America Memorial to host an art exhibit showcasing Veteran women’s art work Aug. 7. [From Pentagram]

Air Force Veteran Monique Lyerly, the mother of three children (ages 18, 10 and 8) recently came to VA’s Manhattan Campus Emergency Department with chest pains.  Concerned that she might have a pulmonary embolism, her physician ordered a CT scan. [From VAntage Point]

This week, Aug. 6-12, is recognized as International Assistance Dog Week–acknowledging all the hardworking paws that help men and women live beyond their disability related limitations.  These animals are particularly important to Veterans who suffer from service-related injuries and who now rely on service dogs to help them navigate tasks both big and small in their daily lives. [From VAntage Poing]

The Air Force’s first enlisted female pilot has graduated from Undergraduate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Training, Air Force officials said.  Tech. Sgt. Courtney completed the course last week, making her the first enlisted woman to graduate from the training.  The Air Force does not release the last names of RPA pilots to protect their identities. [From AirForce Times]

Lt. Gen. Mary Legere (ret.) spent 34 years in the U.S. Army, including serving as the service’s senior intelligence officer.  Joining the Army in 1982, women made up only 12% of those on active duty, and restrictions were in place limiting the assignments available to women. [From Connecting Vets]

The first female commander of a top veteran advocacy organization, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), credits a lifelong love of asking questions and a willingness to try new things with leading her to the new job.  Retired Army reservist Delphine Metcalf-Foster was elected to the role Aug. 1 at the DAV’s annual meeting in New Orleans. [From Military.com]

The U.S. Marine Corps for the first time is eyeing a plan to let women attend what has been male-only combat training in Southern California, as officials work to quash recurring problems with sexism and other bad behavior among Marines, according to Marine Corps officials.  If approved by senior Marine leaders, the change could happen as soon as next spring. [From Military.com]

Nearly half of the Marine commanders who have been fired this year were relieved in part due to their attitude toward women, said Assistant Commandant Gen. Glenn Walters.  “We have relieved commanders this year,” Walters said on Tuesday. [From Marine Corps Times]

Early in “The Unwomanly Face of War,” Svetlana Alexievich’s harrowing and moving account of female Soviet soldiers during World War II, there is a scene where a group of female fighters arrives at the front. [From The Washington Post]

Mary spends her time raising three children and volunteering to serve other Veterans.  Her father was a Vietnam Vet.  She loved soccer and Barbie dolls [From VAntage Point]