Title
Authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on the challenges facing women veterans as they transition from military to civilian life and how they can access vital programs and services.
Body
WHEREAS, Since the United States declared itself an independent nation, American women have proudly served their country throughout history, whether disguised as male soldiers during the American Revolution and Civil War, as nurses in World War I, or as combat helicopter pilots in Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, Women's involvement continued with the creation of the Army Nurse Corps at the turn of the 20th Century, work in the Army Signal Corps, and serving as Army nurses in World War I. The establishment of the Women's Army Corps during World War II and the integration of women into the regular Army in the 1970s advanced their roles and recognition further; and
WHEREAS, The early 1990s were a historic time for women in the military with over 40,000 women deploying in support of the Persian Gulf War, making women service members more visible in the eyes of the public. In addition, in 1992 the Defense Authorization Act repealed combat exclusion laws that prevented women from flying combat aircrafts; and
WHEREAS, In 2017 women reached new peaks, joining infantry and armor units for the first time and graduating from the Army's prestigious Ranger School as they began to fill the 138,000 combat positions opened to them in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Women now serve in every branch of the military, representing 15.5 percent of active duty military and 19.0 percent of National Guard and Reserve forces in 2015; and
WHEREAS, There are approximately 20 million veterans in the United States and 1.8 million, or 9.4 percent, are women veterans, who represent the fastest growing segment of the veteran community; and
WHEREAS, The services required by women veterans and the issues they face after their return to civilian life are different...
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