Sen. Ruth Ward
I had the great honor to attend the first annual Women Veterans’ Conference this past weekend.
Women represent one of the fastest growing groups within the veterans’ community and the military. However, many of them experience difficulties transitioning back to their communities, especially in the smaller towns. For those women, finding someone with a similar experience is often difficult.
When you hear the word “veteran” more often than not, you picture the image of a man. But how often do you see or think of a woman as a war hero?
Service in the military changes many people. Those with war or combat experiences often struggle to find people that understand what they are going through and share their experiences. They often end up keeping it to themselves and internalizing their mental health challenges, making them worse.
In addition, many women also report some form of military sexual trauma which adds to their anxiety and depression.
Some of these women are also dealing with injuries that make it difficult to find work. In the Women Warriors survey, which was comprised of 13,300 men and 5,100 women, 10% of women versus 6.3% of men, reported problems with unemployment.
It is important to note that this is not the case for all women in military service. These experiences only represent a small segment of women veterans.
In the book “Invisible Veterans,” the authors outline what happens when women veterans begin the long reintegration process. They assembled personal stories of the return of these largely invisible veterans and discovered that, in many ways, challenges and health risks for women veterans were significantly greater than those facing their male counterparts.
Alarmingly, women veterans are more likely to commit suicide than civilian women. Feelings of loneliness, isolation, depression, trouble finding work, lack of childcare, and maybe drug use, all contribute to the increased risk.
What do we do about it?
There is a New Hampshire Division of Veterans Services located in Manchester and White River Junction. They both have a Women Veterans Program. Laura Casisse and Tina Kebalka are the program managers for Manchester and White River Junction respectively.
In the past, I have heard from some women veterans that they were not happy with the V.A. services. Talking with these two women managers, I was assured that things had changed. The V.A. has made critical reforms with the recognition that the healthcare provided for male veterans is not always the same as that needed for women veterans.
The Liberty House in Manchester provides meals, clothing and help for veterans including women veterans, who need temporary help.
Most towns have a veterans benefit program that will reduce property taxes. For veterans needing help accessing these benefits, or need help navigating the bureaucracy, Kris Roberts, a Veterans Services Officer, is available.
My general advice to veterans is that if you have an issue and are unable to find help, please call your local representative or senator. While they may not always have the answer, they can find the next step.
As with all bureaucracies, these things take time, but eventually will produce results.
— Ruth Ward (R-Stoddard) represents District 8 in the New Hampshire Senate
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