By That is what this AP story alleges, but as this opening line shows it is very weakly sourced:
Even near military bases, female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan aren’t often offered a drink on the house as a welcome home.
Well I have never been offered a free drink either and the only time I had anyone pick up my tab at a restaurant was when I was in uniform. In fact one time after a funeral detail which included a female soldier an elderly couple picked up the entire tab for all us eating. This above statement is hardly indicative of any discrimination towards female veterans at restaurants.
Anyway the article goes on:
More than 230,000 American women have fought in those recent wars and at least 120 have died doing so, yet the public still doesn’t completely understand their contributions on the modern battlefield.
For some, it’s a lonely transition as they struggle to find their place.
Aimee Sherrod, an Air Force veteran who did three war tours, said years went by when she didn’t tell people she was a veteran. After facing sexual harassment during two tours and mortar attacks in Iraq, the 29-year-old mother of two from Bells, Tenn., was medically discharged in 2005 with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She’s haunted by nightmares and wakes up some nights thinking she’s under attack. She’s moody as a result of PTSD and can’t function enough to work or attend college. Like some other veterans, she felt she improperly received a low disability rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs that left her with a token monthly payment. She was frustrated that her paperwork mentioned she was pregnant, a factor she thought was irrelevant.
“I just gave up on it and I didn’t tell anyone about ever being in the military because I was so ashamed over everything,” Sherrod said.
Problems with the VA getting disabilities properly identified is hardly a problem exclusive to female veterans. I can’t even count the number of retirees I know both male and female that complain about the VA.
Then Jo Eason, a Nashville, Tenn., lawyer working pro bono through the Lawyers Serving Warriors program, stepped in a few years later and Sherrod began taking home a heftier monthly disability payment.
“I’ve never regretted my military service, I’m glad I did it,” Sherrod said. “I’m not ashamed of my service. I’m ashamed to try and tell people about it because it’s like, well, why’d you get out? All the questions that come with it.”
The Defense Department bars women from serving in assignments where the primary mission is to engage in direct ground combat. But the nature of the recent conflicts, with no clear front lines, puts women in the middle of the action, in roles such as military police officers, pilots, drivers and gunners on convoys. In addition to the 120-plus deaths, more than 650 women have been wounded.
Back home, women face many of the same issues as the men, but the personal stakes may be greater.
Female service members have much higher rates of divorce and are more likely to be a single parent. When they do seek help at VA medical centers, they are screening positive at a higher rate for military sexual trauma, meaning they indicated experiencing sexual harassment, assault or rape. Some studies have shown that female veterans are at greater risk for homelessness.
Former Army Sgt. Kayla Williams, an Iraq veteran wrote about her experience in a book titled, “Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army.” She said she was surprised by the response she and other women from the 101st Airborne Division received from people in Clarksville, Tenn., near Fort Campbell, Ky.
She said residents just assumed they were girlfriends or wives of military men.
“People didn’t come up to us and thank us for our service in the same way. They didn’t give us free beers in bars in the same way when we first got back,” said Williams, 34, of Ashburn, Va. “Even if you’re vaguely aware of it, it still colors how you see yourself in some ways.”
Genevieve Chase, 32, of Alexandria, Va., a staff sergeant in the Army Reserves, said the same guys who were her buddies in Afghanistan didn’t invite her for drinks later on because their wives or girlfriends wouldn’t approve.
“One of the hardest things that I had to deal with was, being a woman, was losing my best friends or my comrades to their families,” Chase said. [Associated Press]
What’s wrong with friends spending time with their families after a deployment when you haven’t seen them for a year? I hardly knew anyone with a family after a deployment that would rather go hang out with people in their unit instead of spending quality time with the wife and kids. After spending a year on deployment seeing the same people every day most people with a family are not going to be in a hurry to hang out with these people once back in the US.
Anyway if there are problems with women getting their veterans service recognized this article definitely doesn’t present it in a very articulate way because it comes across as a lot of whinging. I look forward to comments that can better explain female veterans issues instead of whinging about someone not buying you a drink.
Anyway there is more to article to read at the link if you can stomach reading leftist Senator Patty Murray talk about anything veteran related. By the way the woman pictured above SSG Genevieve Chase runs a group that connects female servicemembers to one another which Jonn Lilyea vouches for so check it out.
6:23 am on December 15th, 2009 1
Don't expect respect from your peers when you've been letting yourself be defiled by a bunch of dudes all year long. A "Queen For A Year" isn't the same as Queen Elizabeth II.
7:03 am on December 15th, 2009 2
This NYT article has more substance, but something you won't find in the press is how shocking the transition can be going from deployment princess to normal run-of-the-mill female.
The press also won't show that the biggest crisis a few of them face is whether to buy a BMW or a Mercedes with all the cash they've made.
8:04 am on December 15th, 2009 3
Aimee Sherrod, an Air Force veteran who did three war tours, said years went by when she didn’t tell people she was a veteran. After facing sexual harassment during two tours and mortar attacks in Iraq, the 29-year-old mother of two from Bells, Tenn., was medically discharged in 2005 with post-traumatic stress disorder.
This story is not clearly written. A tour means a year to me. What does the author consider a tour? Where was she stationed – in the UAE with a TDY to Iraq that occurred during a "mortar attack" or did she serve three years in Iraq? What were he duties. Hearing thumps while sleeping vrs being lifted off the ground by a blast is totally different. Awarding PTSD discharges and VA compensation to individuals just because they were physically located in a "war zone" does a disservice to those who actually engage in combat. With the current trend in PTSD claims every vietnam vet should qualify.
8:49 am on December 15th, 2009 4
Oh you inglorious basterd.
9:28 am on December 15th, 2009 5
Why do all of these stories include 'and faced sexual harassment'? I was in the military for a while and didn't see any of that stuff. I saw plenty of usual things from guys and girls bumping uglies, and usually followed by bad breakups, but that's just life anywhere. Has every girl in the military been harassed?
When I was in Area I East (now gone), there was a barely 20 guy and the same age girl, both soldiers, drinking and dirty dancing at the post pool all afternoon. The next morning, they wake up in the same bed, naked, and there's a rape allegation. Huh?
Incidents like that lead me to put some doubt on statements like the one in this story and many other news stories that include 'and faced sexual harassment'. A guy hitting on you isn't sexual harassment, a guy saying 'wanna touch this' is harassment.
11:58 am on December 15th, 2009 6
"A tour means a year to me."
That's true if you're Army. When I was in Iraq the Navy and Air Force folks were doing six month tours as "augmentees".
12:52 pm on December 15th, 2009 7
You guys now get free drinks? I never got one.
1:43 pm on December 15th, 2009 8
Like I said in my posting, I never got one either. I was asking people at work today if anyone ever bought them a drink out of the blue for serving and no one had.
9:16 pm on December 15th, 2009 9
I was also curious how an AF female did 3 ‘war tours ‘ with 2 in Iraq if she was discharged in 05. I found another article on her that said she was a rescuse helo mechanic and that her base took indirect fire (was there ever a base in Iraq prior to 08 that did not?) and was in Iraq from fall 03 to spring 04. Also mentioned she was in Jordan in 03 with a rescue helo unit and became an outcast which added to her “stress”.
10:36 pm on December 15th, 2009 10
You must understand "sexual harassment" can be pretty broad. It can include anything from full out rape to a female Soldier overhearing Sergeant Jones saying the "c" word. I think there is a good chance the interviewed Soldiers said they were not sexually harassed but the author started asking specifics. Upon getting mundane examples, the reporter just wrapped them all up under harassment…
11:44 pm on December 15th, 2009 11
I can believe some of this from my experience with females while in ROTC and when serving as a Quartermaster officer. However, I think they bring some of this on themselves. Lets look at this from an outside and an inside perspective.
Let's say you're at a bar. A female and male vet fresh out of Iraq enter. The male will likely have a short haircut, and will either be wearing something broadcasting his status (like a veteran themed t-shirt) or will be with a group of other guys doing the same. The female will likely have made her appearance such that she blends in and will either be accompanied by a male or will be with a bunch of females who are also presenting themselves as anything but veterans. Who gets recognized and who doesn't?
Now let's look at the internal situation. With a few exceptions, the female Soldiers I knew would avoid most all optional military/unit oriented social activities and would steadfastly refuse to bond with their unit. In fact, they could get downright testy if prodded too much over such matters. So after long experience of females declining to become part of the crew or even females lodging formal complaints when presented with such opportunities, why would males bother?
I'm not saying I have no sympathy. To some extent I think society isn't structured to deal with female veterans. Things should change, especially in the instance of federal and state veterans programs. But its not like female service members make this at all easy.
12:04 am on December 16th, 2009 12
I have a slight chicks in uniform fetish. Send them my way if they are 6's or better.
1:39 am on December 16th, 2009 13
I realize this is not PC, but this article underlines why the military resisted women in combat areas so long. It is not that they are not physically capable, but they are just not made for that stuff. For those who didn't notice back in high school, women are different from men, and not just in their body parts. The feminists have done a great disservice to our women by forcing the military to blend them into units close to the front line. Chris in Dallas also reports what I have seen. Add in vague definitions, a desire to create victims, and an overall agenda to paint military service as something that leaves everyone messed up, and you end up with an article like this.
1:56 am on December 16th, 2009 14
(Source).
2:16 am on December 16th, 2009 15
Your not alone Gerry. I never got a free drink either.
Did the airforce give you a Retirement award? Nice thing to do after twenty years isn't it.
Not that I would know as the army forgot me after twenty.
And if you want to call that whinning your wrong. Twenty and an Honorable should be worth it.
2:26 am on December 16th, 2009 16
On the up side and more meaningfull than a free drink or a retirement award, I saw an old guy that was watching me at the airport while coming back from leave. I was in uniform and he looked like he wanted to say something. I stopped pacing and he came over and told me that he served in WWII and that he thought I was a hero. Well, I'm not, but I told him that since he served in the big one, he was the hero, not me. He looked,
The look on his face was like it was the first time he had heard that.
Anyway, we shook hands and I went to my plane.
That's better than a free drink.
2:35 am on December 16th, 2009 17
PLEASE!!
If being an "outcast" is a condition for PTSD, then she is a joke and a good example of why females should not be in combat conditions of any kind.
2:50 am on December 16th, 2009 18
I agree with you on all points, as I've had the same experiences. But, there is always a "but", the last line.
Number one, I have no sympathy for most of them.
Number two, I don't believe it is "society's fault. Female veterans are not "yet" able to deal with being veterans. Whatever that may be.
My Uncle is a Korean war veteran. Not that I knew anything about it untill I enlisted.
2:54 am on December 16th, 2009 19
Go to an airforce base Dan. They only take 6's or better.
The army will take even the negative numbers.
7:08 am on December 16th, 2009 20
"Has every girl in the military been harassed?"
No. I'm not sure where these women that claim harassment work or who they work with. The vast majority of the males I've worked with have been nothing but professional. Certainly they all haven't been capable, but that is another story.
On the other hand the Army DOES shove the sexual harassment training down our throats scaring the bejesus out of the guys and giving the crazy sensitive girls bad ideas.
9:07 am on December 16th, 2009 21
Isn't that the truth!
I heard of one aviation unit at Taji, with the 1st CAV of course, that was giving EO training.
Imagine that. A unit in a war time deployment that felt it had to give EO traning about how to get along with EACH OTHER.
But they did have females and other special interest groups.
I stayed in too long. Should have ETSed after 96 with ten. But I liked the Army untill around 96-97.
11:13 am on December 16th, 2009 22
There was a big stink a few years back where some 800 females at Ft Bragg (I think it was at Bragg) claimed sexual harrassment. The news media ran with the story and it got a few headlines.
As a result a female senator decided a fact finding tour of sexual harrassment of females at Ft Bragg was in order. She said she was going to get to the bottom of this issue. (It got big headlines as well).
Apparently the military gave her free access to whoever she wanted to speak with and upon her return her only comment was 'you have to understand who many of these women are'. It was the end of any other questioning.
11:24 am on December 16th, 2009 23
I suspect the same with PTSD. To be fair, certainly not all, as some may have real issues and deserve every penny. Others 9both male and female) are just using the system.
It's the newest and best way to milk the system before they get out anyway.
12:56 pm on December 16th, 2009 24
The feminazis have our balls in a testicle lock box, but were still supposed to kiss their ass. F that!
1:57 am on December 18th, 2009 25
I'm at Camp Hovey in 4/7 CAV. For Gods sake send some of these women up here so we can show them some "recognition" because this place is absent of any females worth looking at. PS Combat arms kicks ace and sucks at the same time.
5:16 am on December 18th, 2009 26
You would had to have "served" with them, to know what kind of trouble they bring.
10:10 am on December 18th, 2009 27
I've seen a few women who could toe the mark, and a larger number of others who could rapidly turn into snivelers if things weren't going their way. I've known a few women I'd gladly go into combat with, and a small number of men I would prefer not to. But I had to go to Korea to see a female E-7 break down in tears and then blame the Army "for promoting me when they knew I wasn't ready." And to see a female SGM who used to hide in the Colonel's office every time we had a 'gas attack' during RSOI. When the Colonel walked in on her unmasked, he ordered her to mask. She refused to do so, and charged him with sexual harrassment. All they did was ship her back to the states, but even worse was hearing some other so-called sergeants-major explaining away her conduct with: "it wasn't her fault. She had a lot of issues on her plate at the time." Yeah, like a real Nork invasion wouldn't be stressful.
But there is some validity to the view that the public tends to ignore female veterans. Both my mother and father served in WWII, and her brother married a WAVE he met in the Navy. My aunt and uncle got involved in the American Legion, but she was restricted for many years to belonging to the Ladies Auxiliary, rather than being a full fledged Legionnaire in her own right. I never paid much attention to the AL, or VFW (except in Korea), but the AL was an important matter in her life. When I did finally join (the Lajas Puerto Rico chapter) we did have a Gulf War female vet, so that much had changed.
But,