MAY 2022 EDITION

2022 WDVA Women Veterans Retreat!

​​Join us for an opportunity to forge meaningful relationships, relax, and renew through instructor-led and self-paced activities all while celebrating you. Hosted by our good friends at Trinity Equestrian Center. 

Friday, June 3: 6 PM-8 PM - Registration Opens 

-S'mores Around the Campfire

​Saturday, June 4: 7:30 AM Registration Begins

-Activities begin with Early Bird Yoga at 8 AM and conclude at 3 PM 

Register by Clicking Here

*A light breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided to all those who attend.

Trinity Equestrian Center S5300 State Road 37, Eau Clair​e, WI 54701

The Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemeteries are returning to in-person events to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice. We hope you will join us this year.

Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Saturday, May 28, 2022

Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Sunday, May 29

Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Monday, May 30, 2022

May is Mental Health Awareness Month,  seek help if needed, and live a mentally healthy life!

Women Veteran Quarterly Impact Awardee

The Wisconsin Women Veteran Quarterly Impact Award is awarded to honor a woman veteran who has
greatly influenced and impacted their community. Through challenges big and small, they have effected
change and have helped move Wisconsin women veterans forward.

WDVA is honored to announce that Captain Elizabeth Archer (Veteran, US Army) is the first Wisconsin Woman Veteran Quarterly Impact Awardee of 2022. 

Elizabeth spent ten years in the US Army, where she attained the rank of Captain serving as Battalion Operations Officer. Elizabeth deployed to Israel during OIF as a Patriot Missile platoon leader and deployed again during OIF (2005-2007) to Tikrit and Mosul. 

Beth was selected to serve as the Community Center Director on board Fort McCoy in 2001 leading a community of volunteers from the across the United States to establish, coordinate, and run multiple community centers across Fort McCoy during the Afghan Refugee humanitarian crisis.

The sewing centers became places of creative and physical refuge for the Afghan women. Beth and her teams mentored young female Afghan college students assisting with things as small as how wardrobe and makeup are different in the United States to what their next steps upon departing Fort McCoy looked like. The Community Center teams under Beth's guidance made tremendous, life-changing differences in the lives of those Afghans who helped the Americans in Afghanistan. Beth worked effortlessly with a slew of organizations across the country to support and meet the needs of the refugees.  Her work was incredible and is a true representation of the Wisconsin Women Veteran Impact Award.  

Nominations are now open for Women Veteran Impact Award 2022 2^nd Quarter.  Nomination form available here.

Combating Veteran Suicide Milwaukee & Madison

Join the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs for a mental health and suicide prevention forum. Attendees will learn about issues facing BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Wisconsin veterans.

Both of these events will run from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Check in will begin at 8:15 a.m.   

Breakouts are designed to educate about issues facing veterans and offer solutions as well as, resources for assistance. Sessions include discussions about military sexual trauma, homelessness, and women veterans issues.

Trainings are included in this day to give attendees the skills necessary to potentially take immediate action to help the people surrounding them. The VA is providing information on community de-escalation training and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs is offering Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training.

Register Today! 

June 13 - Milwaukee, Brookfield Conference Center

June 22 - Madison, Monona Terrace