I’ve always tried to push myself to not only meet the standard but to exceed it —not just for myself, but to the benefit of the soldiers beneath and beside me. —Staff Sgt. Jessica Smiley, Army Ranger Her spot alongside other Ranger candidates was made possible in 2015 when then-Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that all combat roles and specialized training would be open to women. “There will be no exceptions,” Carter said at the time. “They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat. They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers and everything else that was previously open only to men.” The new policy meant changes, not just for the military, but also for the way the nation structures Staff Sgt. Amanda F. Kelley, assigned to the 1st Armored Division’s combat aviation brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas, gets her Ranger tab pinned on by a family member during her Ranger School graduation at Fort Benning, Ga., Aug. 31, 2018. Kelley was the first enlisted woman to earn the Ranger tab. (Photo by Patrick A. Albright/Army) care and support for women veterans when they transition to civilian life. Women are the fastest-growing demographic among all veterans in the United States today. About 9% of the roughly 9 million veterans treated by the VA are women, a percentage the Department of Veterans Affairs expects to double by 2040. To meet this demand, the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee announced the creation of the Women Veterans Task Force last year to identify and eliminate barriers women face when trying to access VA care—including reproductive health for women veterans, residential treatment programs and economic opportunity. Specifically, the task force is focused on four areas: ensuring a welcoming and inclusive VA; providing equity and access to VA health care, including women-specific care such as gynecology and obstetrics; improving economic opportunities for women veterans and their families; and guaranteeing that women veterans have equal access to VA benefits, including education, disability and pension benefits. “We have this growing population of women veterans who served during a time of war, and we know that they’re experiencing the same impact on their health as men,” said National Legislative Director Joy Ilem, who has been participating with the task force. “When they receive VA care, one apparent truth is a lot of these services and programs were designed for men; some of the nuances don’t shine through for women. “It’s an exciting and important time to witness the evolution of gender roles in the military,” said Ilem. “Our charge now is to make sure we support that evolution by putting in place the appropriate measures to provide all veterans the care they need and deserve.” n DAV | @DAVHQ | DAVHQ | COMPANY/DAVHQ | DAVETERANS | DISABLEDVETERANS 15