Women are the fastest-growing group in the veteran population, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2000, the share of veterans who were women was 4%. By 2040, it’s projected to be 18%.

There are several factors contributing to the rise in women veterans, notably a shift in attitude toward women in the military. But women have found ways to serve even when they’re told they can’t. Here, we’ll talk about the developing trend of women joining the armed forces and touch on their accomplished history.

Increasing opportunities for women in the military

One of the biggest drivers of this increase is a more welcoming environment for women in the military. This was touched on in a previous blog post about Women’s History Month and Lieutenant Colonel Kathy La Sauce, who was one of the first women to serve in the Air Force in an active role. Before then, women had few opportunities in the armed forces, particularly in positions of power.

Times have changed, however. Today, women can serve in any position, including in leadership and combat roles.

That’s not to say women don’t have a long history of serving in some form or fashion. While it’s only been in recent decades that women have begun enlisting in larger numbers and reaching new heights, the origins of women assisting the U.S. armed forces go as far back as the Revolutionary War.

Women have served in the military since the Revolutionary War

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For some exceptional people, feelings of patriotism overwhelm them so much they’re willing to overcome any obstacle — including being barred from officially serving in the armed forces. Such was the case with women who contributed during the Revolutionary War.

When colonial militias fought for Washington in the Continental Army, women — mothers, wives and daughters alike — insisted on coming to do their part. They did everything they could to help, including foraging for food, performing first aid and keeping the cannons functional.

Margaret Corbin was especially notable for the lengths she was willing to go. In addition to performing the aforementioned duties, Corbin disguised herself as a man so she could fight in a combat role alongside her husband, John. During the Battle of Fort Washington, she assisted John in loading the cannon. When he was killed by enemy fire, Margaret held her ground and continued to load and fire the cannon. When she was severely wounded by the British and permanently lost the use of her left arm, Washington’s forces granted her a military pension. She was the first woman to receive one.

The women serving today

The women who serve today are different from before. Many women veterans are part of an ethnic minority and/or unmarried, and they’re far more likely to serve as officers, according to Pew Research. They also serve in all branches of the military, though the Army is the most popular, followed by the Air Force.

As more women join the military, there will be a larger share of female veterans

Even though the armed forces are predominantly men, the percentage of women in the armed forces is increasing — and this trend is projected to continue. Since the inception of the U.S. military, women have been demonstrating that they’re just as capable as their male counterparts. The effect is that more women are inspired to serve. If history is any indication — and if patriotic women like Margaret Corbin have anything to say about it — they will continue to excel and embolden others to do the same.

In the military, you learn certain skills that stick with you throughout your life such as dedication, persistence, and attention to details. And that’s not even counting the specific job aptitudes you may have or learned while in the service.

A challenge veterans and their families often face when returning to civilian life is the transition to working in a non-military job. Thankfully, employers often appreciate those who have armed forces veteran status on their resumes. There are many businesses that specifically advertise to veterans and their families.

Here, we’ll go into a few of those employers that are currently looking for people from the armed forces
to work for them.

Amazon

Amazon advertises its need for employees with veteran status and even provides a helpful cheat sheet. This can tell you how the specific skills you learned in the armed forces would translate to being an effective employee. By filling out details about your service, such as which branch you served in, your rank and the number of years you were active, they’ll match you for a certain position.

The enterprise also features military recruiting teams that hold virtual hiring events. There are also apprenticeships available that can teach you how to build a career in cloud computing, which should be attractive to those with IT experience. Amazon even offers a Military SkillBridge program designed to help you transition from military life to civilian life if you’re within 180 days of leaving the service.

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Capital One

Capital One claims to “value the service and sacrifice of our veterans, active military personnel and their families… accountability, collaboration, leadership and dedication make you a crucial member of our team.”

What special benefits do they have to appeal to veterans? Well, for starters, you can expect:

• Military training and active duty time off. Capital One claims that you can take up to eight weeks for training or active duty if you’re called to serve during your employment at the company. They even offer a pay differential between your company salary and military pay after you come back to work.
• Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). As a partner of MSEP, Capital One offers advantages to the spouses of service members.
• On-leave job security. If you need to go on leave for any reason, your job will be protected for a reasonable amount of time.
• Secondary insurance in addition to your military benefits. Dental, vision, supplemental life coverage, flexible spending accounts and medical care are offered to veterans working for Capital One. If you’re on leave, these benefits persist.

Cisco

As a top leader in the telecommunications, technology and networking industries, Cisco is always looking for bright new talent, especially those who have experience with these fields.

The company offers training for those early in their military transition back to civilian life, special programs and opportunities specifically for veterans, and connects service members and their families with jobs at Cisco and Cisco partners.

With a return to civilian life comes new opportunities just for you

These are just a handful of opportunities you can pursue as you return to civilian life. There are entire resources available just to help veterans find new careers as they transition back home. Some employers are better suited than others for service members, and many are actively looking for new employees with military experience.

If you’re in the armed forces and looking for work outside the military, why not give one of these opportunities a go? You may find it satisfying and rewarding.

More than 650,000 servicemembers were in operation from August 2, 1990, to July 31, 1991. Those who served in the Persian Gulf at Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm are known as Gulf War-era veterans. Let’s learn a little more about Gulf War-era veterans in this spotlight.

What was the Gulf War?

The Gulf War lasted about seven months and was against Iraq and also involved troops from other countries as well. These troops include the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France and Kuwait, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The war was in response to Iraq invading Kuwait because of oil disputes.

The initial stage was known as Operation Desert Shield. Its main goal was to defend Saudi Arabia from Iraqi invading forces, in order to protect one of the world’s main sources of oil. The next part was dubbed Operation Desert Storm and was more of an offensive, active combat mission that was meant to force out the enemy. According to historical records, the Iraqi resistance fell after four days of bombing, and Kuwait was liberated. This is an extremely condensed version of the first Gulf War, and veterans from this era know the true extent of the conflict.

Who are the Gulf War Veterans?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are over 18.8 million veterans. Of these, there are about 7.4 million Gulf War-era veterans, which now make up the largest share of veterans. Before 2016, Vietnam-era veterans were the dominant group. The Gulf War demographic can also be further broken down:

• 17% of Gulf War-era veterans are women, higher than in most recent military conflicts.
• Almost 50% of Gulf War veterans are aged 45 to 54.
• 33% of Gulf War-era veterans are current or past members of the Reserve or National Guard.

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Employment

BLS reports that “Gulf War-era II veterans had the highest unemployment rates from 2009 to 2015.” in 2019, “5.6 million Gulf War-era veterans were employed in 2019, about 6 percent of civilian U.S. workers.” Veterans Affairs (VA) offers programs to help people find opportunities to work, which can assist in matching them with employers who are looking for workers who have their skills.

Related health issues

The Gulf War had relatively few deaths during the conflict, but many of this demographic from this era are facing post-war illnesses.  The VA reports that this group often experiences a  “cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders and memory problems,” called chronic multisymptom illness.

Other serious health issues include:

• Fibromyalgia.
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
• Functional gastrointestinal disorders.
• PTSD.

Long-term illness may also come from the environment that those who served in the Gulf War found themselves in. This could be things like the effects of sand and dust on the respiratory system and chemical and biological weapon side effects. For those that were in proximity of oil well fires or spent any amount of time in military vehicles that use Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) paint, health issues may arise.

Gulf War veterans deserve our respect and support for their brave service during their time carrying out the nation’s mission. The demographic of post-war individuals in the country is changing, but their valor hasn’t.

While anyone can experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at some point during their lifetimes, it’s highly prevalent among veterans, first responders and active duty service members. Estimates of the rates of PTSD vary by era, but veterans who served during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have illness rates of about 11-20%, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

It’s not just combat that causes PTSD among veterans: 23% of women who use VA health care report having been sexually assaulted during their service, further increasing rates of PTSD among veterans.

One type of therapy, in particular, stands out as a unique and effective form of treatment for PTSD: music therapy.

What is PTSD, and why does it matter?

PTSD, once known as shell shock to describe similar symptoms among combat veterans, can be an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after a traumatic event. The disorder is a complicated psychiatric illness. Some symptoms of PTSD include, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA):

• Intrusive thoughts or dreams about the traumatic experience that happen involuntarily and cause distress. This can include episodes of feeling like the traumatic incident is recurring and acting out the event (sometimes called “flashbacks”).
• Intense psychological distress and usually avoidance of triggers that remind one of the episode.
• An inability to remember details about the incident.
• Increased arousal and reactivity.
• Feelings of detachment or estrangement from other people.
• Persistent fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame.

Left untreated, these symptoms can worsen over time. That’s why it’s vital for sufferers of PTSD to receive intervention from a qualified professional.

The appearance of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Music therapy and PTSD

One form of complementary treatment to treat PTSD and other psychiatric illnesses, is music therapy. Music therapy is the use of music interventions to accomplish goals, e.g., to treat symptoms of PTSD. It can involve songwriting, or playing or listening to music.

Using music therapy to ease PTSD symptoms goes as far back as 1945 with the military’s Technical Bulletin 187, which observed how music affected the reconditioning of service members in Army hospitals.

The U.S. War Department discovered that music positively affected soldiers’ PTSD rehabilitation programs. This effect was demonstrated during physical reconditioning, occupational therapy, education, and recreation. The military followed up on this after the study was completed, attempting to further explore the possibilities of using music during therapy for recovering soldiers.

Various organizations have developed applications as a result of these studies to include programs ranging from active duty airmen improving their stress management and coping skills with music to using songwriting to treat PTSD symptoms.

Why use music therapy when traditional cognitive behavioral treatment exists?

Music therapy can be less intimidating than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) because of one factor: stigma. Despite the ongoing efforts by mental health professionals to encourage those with psychiatric symptoms to seek counseling and psychiatric treatment, there is still a strong aversion toward seeking mental health services. According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, between 30-80% of people with psychiatric illnesses do not seek treatment.

Many see music therapy as less intimidating or stigmatizing than psychotherapy, and thus is more broadly accepted.

Music therapy is a promising treatment for PTSD among service members

Since its initial success during World War II to treat symptoms of PTSD and promote recovery, associations such as the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) have helped develop its use to treat psychiatric illnesses such as PTSD.

There’s a long way to go until any PTSD treatment is perfected and universally helpful for sufferers of its symptoms, but music therapy is helping lead the way as a promising source of hope.

Every November since 1993 has been federally recognized as Military Family Appreciation Month. During this month, several military-themed holidays are celebrated. This period is a great opportunity to show your appreciation for both veterans and military families who have loved ones in the armed forces. If you know any of these people in your life or just want to anonymously help out with those you might not know, November is the perfect time to show them you recognize the uncommon challenges they go through.

Military families serve along with their loved servicemembers. They are aware of the risks involved in serving in the armed forces as well as the sacrifice of being away from them during long periods of training and deployment.

The history of Military Family Appreciation Month

In 1993, the Armed Services YMCA looked for a way to honor military families and recognize their sacrifice, dedication, and contributions to the armed forces which they’re an intrinsic part of. Thus, they came up with Military Family Appreciation Month as a time to do exactly that. After being officially endorsed by the President of the United States, November was chosen as the month in which the observation would take place.

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What military-related holidays happen in November?

Several important holidays take place in November, and they’re perfect opportunities to plan out your shows of appreciation.

First is the Marine Corps’ Birthday on Nov. 10. This originated in 1921, when Marine Corps Order No. 47 was issued. This order intended to commemorate the founding of the Marine Corps and directed that it be repeated each year on the same day. This day is typically commemorated with the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball. First held in 1925 and observed every year since, the ball includes entertainment, cake, and a formal dinner.

The celebration of the Marine Corps’ birthday has evolved over the years. In 1923, a formal dance was held at the Marine Barracks in Ft. Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, a mock battle occurred at the Washington Navy Yard, and a baseball game was held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Later, in 1925, the first official Birthday Ball was held in Philadelphia. The cake-cutting ceremony began in 1952, which included the first piece of cake being presented to the oldest Marine present and being passed to the youngest as a symbol of the tradition passing.

After that is Veterans Day on Nov. 11. This day is especially important, as it is a federally-recognized holiday specifically meant as a day to pay respect to veterans. The day was originally known as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I, but was later expanded to include all veterans.

Thanksgiving is also a part of Military Family Appreciation Month as one of the ideal times to give thanks to the people in our armed forces who have dedicated their lives to keeping America and its citizens safe from harm. Military families at the Thanksgiving table can use this opportunity to appreciate their loved servicemembers, while non-military families can take the time to show respect to both servicemembers and their families.

However you choose to recognize the holidays during Military Family Appreciation Month, it’s important to always give thanks both to servicemembers and their families so they know they’re loved and appreciated. In addition to the ever-important respect toward the members of the armed forces themselves, remember that the families of servicemembers have their own unique challenges to tackle every day and they deserve recognition just as much as their cherished servicemembers do.