Loved ones honor soldier killed in crash
Updated: Sunday, 20 Nov 2011, 7:07 PM EST
Published : Sunday, 20 Nov 2011, 7:07 PM EST
Rachel Kingston
Posted by: Kellie Mazur
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Loved ones gathered in Buffalo Sunday afternoon to remember a local soldier killed in a crash in Texas.
23 year old, Kaylynn Rhodes, grew up in Buffalo. She was killed in a motorcycle crash November 14th near her Army base in Fort Hood, Texas.
Sunday afternoon her friends and family gathered on the basketball courts in Delaware Park where they used to play together to celebrate her life.
Kaylynn's smile is going to be one of things her friends will miss the most.
Michelle Lane said, "Kay Kay was crazy. She was silly. She was hilarious. She was the silliest person you would ever meet. She could make a bad situation, like it wasn't even happening."
Rhodes was killed in a motorcycle crash in Texas last week. Even though she moved away from Buffalo six years ago to join the Army.
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Showing posts with label women at war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women at war. Show all posts
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Lawsuit Alleges Tolerance for Rape, Sex Abuse in Military
Lawsuit Alleges Tolerance for Rape, Sex Abuse in Military
November 14, 2011
Virginian-Pilot
by Bill Sizemore
VIRGINIA BEACH -- A female Sailor who worked in a support role for a Virginia Beach-based SEAL team is one of 28 plaintiffs who allege in a federal lawsuit that they were raped or sexually assaulted with virtual impunity while on military duty.
The plaintiffs -- 25 women and three men from all of the services -- accuse two former defense secretaries, Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, of allowing the perpetuation of a military culture in which sexual abusers go unpunished and are even promoted, while their victims are discouraged from seeking justice and subjected to harassment and retaliation when they do.
Petty Officer 1st Class Amy Lockhart alleges she was raped by a member of a Beach-based SEAL team while she was blacked out after a night of drinking with Sailors during a pre-deployment training trip to California in February 2010. She also says her senior enlisted leader failed to take her accusations seriously, dismissing them with degrading, sexually charged language, including calling her a "slut."
read more here
November 14, 2011
Virginian-Pilot
by Bill Sizemore
VIRGINIA BEACH -- A female Sailor who worked in a support role for a Virginia Beach-based SEAL team is one of 28 plaintiffs who allege in a federal lawsuit that they were raped or sexually assaulted with virtual impunity while on military duty.
The plaintiffs -- 25 women and three men from all of the services -- accuse two former defense secretaries, Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, of allowing the perpetuation of a military culture in which sexual abusers go unpunished and are even promoted, while their victims are discouraged from seeking justice and subjected to harassment and retaliation when they do.
Petty Officer 1st Class Amy Lockhart alleges she was raped by a member of a Beach-based SEAL team while she was blacked out after a night of drinking with Sailors during a pre-deployment training trip to California in February 2010. She also says her senior enlisted leader failed to take her accusations seriously, dismissing them with degrading, sexually charged language, including calling her a "slut."
read more here
Friday, November 18, 2011
DoD misses deadline for women-in-combat report
DoD misses deadline for women-in-combat report
By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 17, 2011 12:25:27 EST
The Defense Department has failed to meet an October deadline for a report that looks at whether women should be allowed to serve in combat roles.
Congress in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act required the defense and service secretaries to review policies “to determine whether changes are needed to ensure that female members have an equitable opportunity to compete and excel in the Armed Forces.” That report was due to Congress on April 15, but the Pentagon requested an extension through October.
The report had not been submitted as of Nov. 16.
read more here
By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 17, 2011 12:25:27 EST
The Defense Department has failed to meet an October deadline for a report that looks at whether women should be allowed to serve in combat roles.
Congress in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act required the defense and service secretaries to review policies “to determine whether changes are needed to ensure that female members have an equitable opportunity to compete and excel in the Armed Forces.” That report was due to Congress on April 15, but the Pentagon requested an extension through October.
The report had not been submitted as of Nov. 16.
read more here
Saturday, November 12, 2011
National Guard, single Mom wins Honda Civic
Soldier and single mom wins new car on Veterans Day weekend
Sat Nov 12, 2011.
By Matt Chiappardi Staff writer
HAMILTON — This Veterans Day weekend is going to be one Warrant Officer Seron Verrett won’t soon forget.
The Pemberton Township resident, information technology specialist for the National Guard, and single mother of three children is not only accepting thanks for her service to the country, she also just won a brand new car.
“I thought someone was pulling my leg,” Verrett, 38, said. “This is amazing.”
The nearly 20-year veteran of the National Guard entered the drawing, along with about 1,900 other hopefuls, at Hamilton Honda on Route 130 in April for a 2012 Honda Civic.
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Sat Nov 12, 2011.
By Matt Chiappardi Staff writer
HAMILTON — This Veterans Day weekend is going to be one Warrant Officer Seron Verrett won’t soon forget.
The Pemberton Township resident, information technology specialist for the National Guard, and single mother of three children is not only accepting thanks for her service to the country, she also just won a brand new car.
“I thought someone was pulling my leg,” Verrett, 38, said. “This is amazing.”
The nearly 20-year veteran of the National Guard entered the drawing, along with about 1,900 other hopefuls, at Hamilton Honda on Route 130 in April for a 2012 Honda Civic.
read more here
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Scars from military service go deeper than combat for women veterans
Scars from military service go deeper than combat
Posted: Nov 07, 2011
By Margo Gray
Huntsville, AL (WAFF) -
WAFF 48 News is helping to highlight a major issue involving sexual assault or rape, something that happens too often in the states, and overseas in the military.
We sat down with a veteran Monday night, she said the ones she served shoulder to shoulder with were same ones she feared the most.
Cheryl Martin was 18 years old when she enlisted.
"I understood freedom and what the prices were and I wanted to contribute to that but I didn't think that included what I received," said Martin.
It took Martin years to speak about her time serving in the 2nd infantry division in Korea in 1986 to 1989.
She was raped three times by two of her superiors.
read more here
Posted: Nov 07, 2011
By Margo Gray
Huntsville, AL (WAFF) -
WAFF 48 News is helping to highlight a major issue involving sexual assault or rape, something that happens too often in the states, and overseas in the military.
We sat down with a veteran Monday night, she said the ones she served shoulder to shoulder with were same ones she feared the most.
Cheryl Martin was 18 years old when she enlisted.
"I understood freedom and what the prices were and I wanted to contribute to that but I didn't think that included what I received," said Martin.
It took Martin years to speak about her time serving in the 2nd infantry division in Korea in 1986 to 1989.
She was raped three times by two of her superiors.
read more here
Monday, November 7, 2011
Women change face of combat, VA care
Women change face of combat, VA care
Since 2001, females in uniform have faced bullets and bombs unlike ever before
Written by
Jeanette Steele
6 p.m., Nov. 6, 2011
Army National Guard soldier Angela Kozak served for a year in Iraq, the only woman in her engineering unit. She felt she had to work harder to be respected in the battle zone, even though she was in just as much danger as the men.
When she got home to Delaware in 2004, her head rattled by war, she had another battle for respect — this time at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I don’t think they were quite ready to see women at the VA. I remember sitting in the waiting room with older veterans and one of the gentlemen looked at me and said, ‘Oh, are you waiting for your father?’” Kozak, 30, now a senior at San Diego State University..
“I said, ‘No, I’m here. I’m a combat vet.’”
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end, female veterans will be changing the demographics of who seeks care for service injuries, especially the “signature” wound of these wars: post-traumatic stress disorder. Since 2001, women in uniform have faced bullets and bombs unlike ever before — in part because more military jobs are open to them, and partly because the concept of a “front line” doesn’t exist.
read more here
Since 2001, females in uniform have faced bullets and bombs unlike ever before
Written by
Jeanette Steele
6 p.m., Nov. 6, 2011
Army National Guard soldier Angela Kozak served for a year in Iraq, the only woman in her engineering unit. She felt she had to work harder to be respected in the battle zone, even though she was in just as much danger as the men.
When she got home to Delaware in 2004, her head rattled by war, she had another battle for respect — this time at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I don’t think they were quite ready to see women at the VA. I remember sitting in the waiting room with older veterans and one of the gentlemen looked at me and said, ‘Oh, are you waiting for your father?’” Kozak, 30, now a senior at San Diego State University..
“I said, ‘No, I’m here. I’m a combat vet.’”
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end, female veterans will be changing the demographics of who seeks care for service injuries, especially the “signature” wound of these wars: post-traumatic stress disorder. Since 2001, women in uniform have faced bullets and bombs unlike ever before — in part because more military jobs are open to them, and partly because the concept of a “front line” doesn’t exist.
read more here
Monday, October 31, 2011
Female Vet and a Dog Made All the Difference
For Local Vet, a Dog Made All the Difference
Faith Harris suffered PTSD after serving in Iraq, but Stiggy's Dogs -- an organization that matches service dogs with vets -- changed her life.
By Kristi Ceccarossi
It's been years since Faith Harris left the Air Force, years since her deployment to one of the most volatile regions in Iraq and years since she developed her first symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The Dunstable Street resident is still haunted by nightmares, she's still vulnerable to feelings of panic and she can get anxious, even today, in a crowd.
But Harris has Honor, a service dog that was trained specifically to help her cope with and overcome PTSD. And Honor, a sweet black lab mix, has made all of the difference.
"She's given me my life back," Harris, 29, said, during a recent chat over coffee at Zume's.
red more here
Faith Harris suffered PTSD after serving in Iraq, but Stiggy's Dogs -- an organization that matches service dogs with vets -- changed her life.
By Kristi Ceccarossi
It's been years since Faith Harris left the Air Force, years since her deployment to one of the most volatile regions in Iraq and years since she developed her first symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The Dunstable Street resident is still haunted by nightmares, she's still vulnerable to feelings of panic and she can get anxious, even today, in a crowd.
But Harris has Honor, a service dog that was trained specifically to help her cope with and overcome PTSD. And Honor, a sweet black lab mix, has made all of the difference.
"She's given me my life back," Harris, 29, said, during a recent chat over coffee at Zume's.
red more here
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Navy commander gets prison in rape of 2 female officers
Navy commander gets prison in rape of 2 female officers
Published: October 29, 2011
A Navy ship commander pleaded guilty Friday to sexual assault and rape of two female sailors, and a military judge ordered his dismissal and sentenced him to more than three years in prison, The Associated Press reported.
Cmdr. Jay Wylie was given a 10-year term but will serve 42 months as part of a plea agreement, said Sheila Murray, Navy spokeswoman. He also forfeits all future benefits.
read more here
Published: October 29, 2011
A Navy ship commander pleaded guilty Friday to sexual assault and rape of two female sailors, and a military judge ordered his dismissal and sentenced him to more than three years in prison, The Associated Press reported.
Cmdr. Jay Wylie was given a 10-year term but will serve 42 months as part of a plea agreement, said Sheila Murray, Navy spokeswoman. He also forfeits all future benefits.
read more here
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Death highlights women’s role in Special Ops
Death highlights women’s role in Special Ops
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 25, 2011 16:22:38 EDT
WASHINGTON — Army 1st Lt. Ashley White died on the front lines in southern Afghanistan last weekend, the first casualty in what the Army says is a new and vital wartime attempt to gain the trust of Afghan women.
White, like other female soldiers working with special operations teams, was brought in to do things that would be awkward or impossible for her male teammates. Things like frisking burqa-clad women, for example.
Her death, in a bomb explosion in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, underscores the risks of placing women with elite U.S. special operations teams working in remote villages.
Military leaders and other female soldiers in the program say its rewards are great, even as it fuels debate over the roles of women in combat.
“We could do things that the males cannot do, and they are starting to realize that,” says Sgt. Christine Baldwin, who like White was among the first groups of women deployed to Afghanistan this year as specially trained “cultural support” troops.
Male soldiers often cannot even speak to an Afghan woman because of the strict cultural norms that separate the sexes and the tradition of women remaining behind closed doors most of the time. Forcing the issue has yielded only resentment, military officials say, and has jeopardized the trust and cooperation of villagers. From the start of the war 10 years ago, Afghans have especially resented the practice of “night raids” in which male foreign soldiers enter and search homes, the traditional sanctum of women.
read more here
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 25, 2011 16:22:38 EDT
WASHINGTON — Army 1st Lt. Ashley White died on the front lines in southern Afghanistan last weekend, the first casualty in what the Army says is a new and vital wartime attempt to gain the trust of Afghan women.
White, like other female soldiers working with special operations teams, was brought in to do things that would be awkward or impossible for her male teammates. Things like frisking burqa-clad women, for example.
Her death, in a bomb explosion in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, underscores the risks of placing women with elite U.S. special operations teams working in remote villages.
Military leaders and other female soldiers in the program say its rewards are great, even as it fuels debate over the roles of women in combat.
“We could do things that the males cannot do, and they are starting to realize that,” says Sgt. Christine Baldwin, who like White was among the first groups of women deployed to Afghanistan this year as specially trained “cultural support” troops.
Male soldiers often cannot even speak to an Afghan woman because of the strict cultural norms that separate the sexes and the tradition of women remaining behind closed doors most of the time. Forcing the issue has yielded only resentment, military officials say, and has jeopardized the trust and cooperation of villagers. From the start of the war 10 years ago, Afghans have especially resented the practice of “night raids” in which male foreign soldiers enter and search homes, the traditional sanctum of women.
read more here
Friday, October 14, 2011
VA YouTube video wants to change attitudes toward female veterans
VA Announces PSA About Women Veterans
Nationwide Release Encourages Public to Join VA Culture Change
WASHINGTON (Oct. 13, 2011)- The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking its internal culture change message to the public with a new video about the vital role women play in the military and the importance of providing women Veterans with high quality health care.
VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group recently completed a 60-second public service announcement (PSA) that challenges viewers to rethink pre-conceived notions about women Veterans. This dynamic video features images of women in service to our country: they drive supply trucks, participate in reconnaissance missions, walk safety patrols, and operate helicopter machine guns.
"When these brave women complete their service and become Veterans, we want them to know that VA is there to meet their health care needs," said Dr. Patricia Hayes, Chief Consultant of the VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. "At the same time, we want the public to recognize the contributions of women Veterans and the benefits they have earned through their service to the Nation."
Broadcast organizations interested in obtaining a broadcast-quality version of the PSA should contact VA's Office of Public Affairs (202-461-7600).
The number of women using VA has doubled in the past decade, and that increase is expected to continue into the next decade.
More than half of the women using VA health care have a service-connected disability. These range from combat PTSD to missing limbs. The PSA gives a sampling of the service-connected disabilities women Veterans must cope with on a daily basis.
The PSA was developed for nationwide release from a new employee orientation video-available at www.womenshealth.va.gov-created as part of VA's ongoing efforts to change its culture to be more understanding and accommodating of women Veterans and honor the important service they have given our country.
"VA's goal is to provide the highest quality care for every Veteran, regardless of gender. Part of this initiative has been educating staff so they understand and appreciate that it is their job to make sure women Veterans receive the best care anywhere," said Hayes.
In addition to new employee orientation, VA is spreading its culture-of-change message to current employees through posters, conferences, and e-mail messaging. VA health care providers are all given the opportunity to participate in a ground-breaking mini-residency program in Women's Health for Veterans. This program has already educated more than 1,100 VA providers on the latest knowledge in gender-specific health care.
For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans, please visit: www.va.gov/womenvet and www.womenshealth.va.gov.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Poster Girl, Oscar nominated film on female veteran with PTSD
Oscar-nominated film to premiere at Middlebury's Town Hall Theater
Posted on October 10, 2011 | Middlebury
By John Flowers
MIDDLEBURY — Sara Nesson was a student at the University of Vermont during the late 1990s when she developed an interest in the stories of Iraq War veterans living in Burlington.
That experience led her to Robynn Murray, a teenager from upstate New York who joined the U.S. Army in 2003 as an enthusiastic recruit and returned from a tour in Iraq at age 20 fighting a personal war against the ravages of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Nesson spent two years chronicling Murray’s emotional and physical struggles following her return, struggles that include depression, nightmares, guilt associated with PTSD, battles with the Veterans Affairs (VA) for benefits, and attempts to navigate a civilian world that hardly recognizes her. Nesson turned Murray’s story into a 2011 Oscar-nominated short-subject documentary titled “Poster Girl,” which will be aired on HBO on Nov. 9.
“Poster Girl” will get a special premier on Friday, Oct. 14, at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater.
The event is being sponsored by the Gailer School, a grade 7-12 independent school in Middlebury that is partnering with the Vermont Veterans’ Place — a nonprofit, temporary housing organization in Northfield — to bring young people and veterans together to help create community bonds between students and veterans in transition.
read more here
Posted on October 10, 2011 | Middlebury
By John Flowers
MIDDLEBURY — Sara Nesson was a student at the University of Vermont during the late 1990s when she developed an interest in the stories of Iraq War veterans living in Burlington.
That experience led her to Robynn Murray, a teenager from upstate New York who joined the U.S. Army in 2003 as an enthusiastic recruit and returned from a tour in Iraq at age 20 fighting a personal war against the ravages of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Nesson spent two years chronicling Murray’s emotional and physical struggles following her return, struggles that include depression, nightmares, guilt associated with PTSD, battles with the Veterans Affairs (VA) for benefits, and attempts to navigate a civilian world that hardly recognizes her. Nesson turned Murray’s story into a 2011 Oscar-nominated short-subject documentary titled “Poster Girl,” which will be aired on HBO on Nov. 9.
“Poster Girl” will get a special premier on Friday, Oct. 14, at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater.
The event is being sponsored by the Gailer School, a grade 7-12 independent school in Middlebury that is partnering with the Vermont Veterans’ Place — a nonprofit, temporary housing organization in Northfield — to bring young people and veterans together to help create community bonds between students and veterans in transition.
read more here
Thursday, September 22, 2011
BBC reports on our female veterans and trauma
Female veterans tormented by combat and sexual trauma
By Laura Trevelyan
BBC News, New York
June Moss struggled with suicidal tendencies and depression after returning home from her tour in Iraq
Nearly one in six members of the US military on active duty is a woman. Coming to terms with what they experience, especially when they come home, can take a terrible toll.
Women in the US military have come a long way since a WWII recruiting poster urged them to 'Free a Marine to Fight' by joining up in support roles.
Today 14.5% of active duty members of the US military are women.
And even though they're not strictly in combat roles, women are experiencing warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan just like the men do.
Women, too, are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the horrors they've seen. Coping with that, and with being a mother, poses problems of its own.
Take June Moss, a mother of two who was a staff sergeant in the US army shortly after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
read more here
By Laura Trevelyan
BBC News, New York
June Moss struggled with suicidal tendencies and depression after returning home from her tour in Iraq
Nearly one in six members of the US military on active duty is a woman. Coming to terms with what they experience, especially when they come home, can take a terrible toll.
Women in the US military have come a long way since a WWII recruiting poster urged them to 'Free a Marine to Fight' by joining up in support roles.
Today 14.5% of active duty members of the US military are women.
And even though they're not strictly in combat roles, women are experiencing warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan just like the men do.
Women, too, are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the horrors they've seen. Coping with that, and with being a mother, poses problems of its own.
Take June Moss, a mother of two who was a staff sergeant in the US army shortly after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
read more here
Friday, September 16, 2011
Female soldier talks about the battlefield is still fresh on her mind
PTSD: THE WAR WITHIN WOMEN
Mothers, wives, and daughters all serve in the military. And women who served in combat zones continue to struggle with their war-time experiences when they're home.
Posted: 4:03 PM Sep 15, 2011
Mothers, wives, and daughters all serve in the military. And women who served in combat zones continue to struggle with their war-time experiences when they're home.
Research shows women are twice as likely to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder as men.
Now, one woman is talking about her problems to help others, but for Army Sergeant Megan Krause the battlefield is still fresh on her mind.
Megan served as a combat medic and struggles with the violence and trauma she experienced.
According to the Psychiatric Times, Archives of Internal Medicine, in recent years, nearly 20-thousand female veterans were diagnosed with PTSD and other war-related mental disorders.
Research shows women are four-times more likely than men to have long-lasting PTSD. In one study it took women five years to recover compared to two years for men.
Another study found women vets with PTSD were more likely to suffer from arthritis, lower back pain, obesity and hypertension than women without the disorder. Therapists say the key is to acknowledge the symptoms.
Sergeant Krause is now a college graduate and helps other vets. She says a lot of counseling saved her.
In July, the government established new PTSD regulations to help simplify and streamline the claims process.
read more here
Mothers, wives, and daughters all serve in the military. And women who served in combat zones continue to struggle with their war-time experiences when they're home.
Posted: 4:03 PM Sep 15, 2011
Mothers, wives, and daughters all serve in the military. And women who served in combat zones continue to struggle with their war-time experiences when they're home.
Research shows women are twice as likely to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder as men.
Now, one woman is talking about her problems to help others, but for Army Sergeant Megan Krause the battlefield is still fresh on her mind.
Megan served as a combat medic and struggles with the violence and trauma she experienced.
According to the Psychiatric Times, Archives of Internal Medicine, in recent years, nearly 20-thousand female veterans were diagnosed with PTSD and other war-related mental disorders.
Research shows women are four-times more likely than men to have long-lasting PTSD. In one study it took women five years to recover compared to two years for men.
Another study found women vets with PTSD were more likely to suffer from arthritis, lower back pain, obesity and hypertension than women without the disorder. Therapists say the key is to acknowledge the symptoms.
Sergeant Krause is now a college graduate and helps other vets. She says a lot of counseling saved her.
In July, the government established new PTSD regulations to help simplify and streamline the claims process.
read more here
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Special homecoming for soldier who survived Ft. Hood shooting
Special homecoming for soldier who survived Ft. Hood shooting
by Alicia E. Barrón
azfamily.com
Posted on September 2, 2011
Capt. Antonia Carreon was featured in Glamour Magazine for her service in Iraq and was at Fort Hood when a shooter opened fire. It was an emotional homecoming as she arrived at Sky Harbor.
read more here
by Alicia E. Barrón
azfamily.com
Posted on September 2, 2011
Capt. Antonia Carreon was featured in Glamour Magazine for her service in Iraq and was at Fort Hood when a shooter opened fire. It was an emotional homecoming as she arrived at Sky Harbor.
read more here
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Psychiatrist wins medal for fighting stress
Psychiatrist wins medal for fighting stress
Army lieutenant colonel earned Bronze Star for work in Iraq
By Madeline Will
When Rebecca Tomsyck was 53, she joined the Army. Now, six years later, she has been awarded a Bronze Star.
A Charlotte psychiatrist who is board certified in pediatrics, psychiatry and child psychiatry, Tomsyck had a successful practice in the Arboretum area, where her home is, but wanted something more.
When Army recruiters started expressing an interest in her son, Jay, she saw an opportunity. Her son didn't join the Army, but Tomsyck did.
"I wanted to serve and I wanted a change, and I wanted an adventure before I died," said Tomsyck, now 59.
When Tomsyck was in medical school, she had thought about serving in the military after she finished her residency; but her parents had strong objections. She married before her residency was over, and the idea was laid to rest.
Her goal was realized decades later when she was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the Army in July 2005. She went on active duty that September, stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, as Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services, where she served soldiers' children.
read more here
Army lieutenant colonel earned Bronze Star for work in Iraq
By Madeline Will
When Rebecca Tomsyck was 53, she joined the Army. Now, six years later, she has been awarded a Bronze Star.
A Charlotte psychiatrist who is board certified in pediatrics, psychiatry and child psychiatry, Tomsyck had a successful practice in the Arboretum area, where her home is, but wanted something more.
When Army recruiters started expressing an interest in her son, Jay, she saw an opportunity. Her son didn't join the Army, but Tomsyck did.
"I wanted to serve and I wanted a change, and I wanted an adventure before I died," said Tomsyck, now 59.
When Tomsyck was in medical school, she had thought about serving in the military after she finished her residency; but her parents had strong objections. She married before her residency was over, and the idea was laid to rest.
Her goal was realized decades later when she was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the Army in July 2005. She went on active duty that September, stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, as Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services, where she served soldiers' children.
read more here
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Marine Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds is Parris Island’s first female commander
Marine Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds is Parris Island’s first female commander
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. — There’s a new commander on this sandy, swampy spit of land that has transformed rawboned recruits into macho Marines for nearly a century. Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds, a 6-foot-tall Baltimore native and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is the latest in a long line of no-nonsense leaders to take charge here.
But she’s the first woman.
And for the tradition-bound Marine Corps, which endlessly promotes a tough-guy image and built its recruiting on the search for “a few good men,” the idea of all those ruthless Parris Island drill instructors having to salute a leatherneck named Loretta could take some getting used to.
“I am sure that some Marines, especially those who served many years ago, were disconcerted that a female Marine general would take over Parris Island,” said Maj. Jim Franks, who served under Reynolds as her executive officer when they were deployed to Afghanistan. “But if they had the opportunity to meet her, they would quickly see that she’s eminently qualified to do that job. . . . Take the female part out of it. She’s an outstanding officer.”
read more here
(John Wollwerth/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) - Brig. General. Loretta E. Reynolds, 46, is the first female Marine commander of the Corps' iconic training ground for recruits at Parris Island, S.C. She took command in June.By Craig Whitlock, Published: August 19
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. — There’s a new commander on this sandy, swampy spit of land that has transformed rawboned recruits into macho Marines for nearly a century. Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds, a 6-foot-tall Baltimore native and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is the latest in a long line of no-nonsense leaders to take charge here.
But she’s the first woman.
And for the tradition-bound Marine Corps, which endlessly promotes a tough-guy image and built its recruiting on the search for “a few good men,” the idea of all those ruthless Parris Island drill instructors having to salute a leatherneck named Loretta could take some getting used to.
“I am sure that some Marines, especially those who served many years ago, were disconcerted that a female Marine general would take over Parris Island,” said Maj. Jim Franks, who served under Reynolds as her executive officer when they were deployed to Afghanistan. “But if they had the opportunity to meet her, they would quickly see that she’s eminently qualified to do that job. . . . Take the female part out of it. She’s an outstanding officer.”
read more here
Sunday, August 14, 2011
74 female drill sergeants at Fort Jackson, some are single parents
Single mom drill sergeants juggle family, work
By Suzanne M. Schafer - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Aug 14, 2011 13:38:36 EDT
FORT JACKSON, S.C. — Few women make it into the ranks of the Army’s top drill sergeants, even fewer when they face the challenge of being a single parent. But there they are, running fresh recruits through the grueling boot camp that welcomes every new soldier.
To juggle childrearing with a job that features 18-hour days and six-day weeks, the women take different paths: One sent her two daughters to live with relatives in Tennessee, one drops her son and daughter at an Army-run day care center at 4:30 a.m., while a third woman’s own mother moved from Texas to care for her 7-year-old granddaughter.
“You just have to build a big extended family,” said Staff Sgt. Esasha LeBlanc, a 10-year-Army veteran with a 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. “It’s like being sent to war.”
The 30-year-old LeBlanc is one of 74 female drill sergeants at Fort Jackson who are single parents, out of the 207 women holding the job at the training post this summer. By contrast, 39 of 523 male drill sergeants are single parents, Army officials said.
read more here
By Suzanne M. Schafer - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Aug 14, 2011 13:38:36 EDT
FORT JACKSON, S.C. — Few women make it into the ranks of the Army’s top drill sergeants, even fewer when they face the challenge of being a single parent. But there they are, running fresh recruits through the grueling boot camp that welcomes every new soldier.
To juggle childrearing with a job that features 18-hour days and six-day weeks, the women take different paths: One sent her two daughters to live with relatives in Tennessee, one drops her son and daughter at an Army-run day care center at 4:30 a.m., while a third woman’s own mother moved from Texas to care for her 7-year-old granddaughter.
“You just have to build a big extended family,” said Staff Sgt. Esasha LeBlanc, a 10-year-Army veteran with a 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. “It’s like being sent to war.”
The 30-year-old LeBlanc is one of 74 female drill sergeants at Fort Jackson who are single parents, out of the 207 women holding the job at the training post this summer. By contrast, 39 of 523 male drill sergeants are single parents, Army officials said.
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Tuesday, August 9, 2011
New Zealand's greatest war heroine is likely to be honored
Veteran 'disgusted' war heroine never recognised
By Ian Stuart of NZPA
The woman considered to be New Zealand's greatest war heroine is likely to be honoured by a permanent memorial but a World War 2 veteran says he is disgusted she was never formally recognised by the country she refused to forget.
Nancy Wake, a British agent in France during the war, died in England yesterday, three weeks short of her 99th birthday.
The New Zealand-born resistance fighter saved hundreds of Allied lives during World War 2 by getting them back to England from Europe. She was one of the most decorated women of the war.
She left New Zealand when she was very young and lived most of her life until the war in Australia but until she died she refused to renounce her New Zealand roots, saying she was born in New Zealand and would always be a New Zealander.
She had been honoured by several countries but not formally by New Zealand.
read more here
Veteran disgusted war heroine never recognised
By Ian Stuart of NZPA
Naby wake - the woman considered to be New Zealand's greatest war heroine - is likely to be honoured by a permanent memorial. Photo / supplied
The woman considered to be New Zealand's greatest war heroine is likely to be honoured by a permanent memorial but a World War 2 veteran says he is disgusted she was never formally recognised by the country she refused to forget.
Nancy Wake, a British agent in France during the war, died in England yesterday, three weeks short of her 99th birthday.
The New Zealand-born resistance fighter saved hundreds of Allied lives during World War 2 by getting them back to England from Europe. She was one of the most decorated women of the war.
She left New Zealand when she was very young and lived most of her life until the war in Australia but until she died she refused to renounce her New Zealand roots, saying she was born in New Zealand and would always be a New Zealander.
She had been honoured by several countries but not formally by New Zealand.
read more here
Veteran disgusted war heroine never recognised
Saturday, July 9, 2011
VA creates Woman veteran's call center
VA Creates Women Veterans Call Center
Major Outreach Effort Launched
WASHINGTON (July 07, 2011) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
embarked on a major initiative to reach out to women Veterans in order
to solicit their input on ways to enhance the health care services VA
provides to women Veterans.
"We are taking a proactive approach to enhancing VA health care for
women Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
"We are seeking the input of women Veterans so that VA can continue to
provide high quality health care to the growing numbers of women
Veterans."
Representatives at VA's Health Resource Center (HRC) are placing calls
to women Veterans nationwide, asking them to share their experiences
with VA and suggest potential enhancements that will further VA's
mission to provide the best care anywhere.
Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran
population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million
are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran
population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care
services.
VA estimates by 2020 women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the
Veteran population and 9.5 percent of VA patients. The HRC, which
started placing calls on June 1, is contacting women Veterans who have
enrolled, but have not begun using VA services.
"Through this contact center, we are placing friendly, conversational
calls to women Veterans," said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the
VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. "We want these
Veterans and their caregivers to talk candidly about why they are not
using VA, whether they are aware of the gender-specific services we
offer, and what additional services they would like to see VA offer."
The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women
Veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with
appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care.
Veterans who have complaints about VA are connected to a patient
advocate who helps resolve issues.
VA has trained professionals in all aspects of women's health, including
general primary care, osteoporosis management, heart disease, mental
health care, menopausal services and obesity-related issues, such as
diabetes. Preventive screenings for breast and cervical cancer are also
areas in which VA excels. Soon, all VA facilities will offer
comprehensive primary care for women from a single provider.
The Women Veterans Health Care program has made significant changes in
the last few years to enhance the health care offered to eligible women
Veterans. This progress includes:
* Adopting key policies to improve access and enhance
services for women Veterans;
* Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans;
* Conducting cutting-edge research on the effects of military
service on women's lives;
* Improving communication and outreach to women Veterans; and
* Providing mental health, homelessness and other services
designed to meet the unique needs of women Veterans
For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans,
please visit: www.va.gov/womenvet and
www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth.
Major Outreach Effort Launched
WASHINGTON (July 07, 2011) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
embarked on a major initiative to reach out to women Veterans in order
to solicit their input on ways to enhance the health care services VA
provides to women Veterans.
"We are taking a proactive approach to enhancing VA health care for
women Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
"We are seeking the input of women Veterans so that VA can continue to
provide high quality health care to the growing numbers of women
Veterans."
Representatives at VA's Health Resource Center (HRC) are placing calls
to women Veterans nationwide, asking them to share their experiences
with VA and suggest potential enhancements that will further VA's
mission to provide the best care anywhere.
Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran
population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million
are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran
population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care
services.
VA estimates by 2020 women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the
Veteran population and 9.5 percent of VA patients. The HRC, which
started placing calls on June 1, is contacting women Veterans who have
enrolled, but have not begun using VA services.
"Through this contact center, we are placing friendly, conversational
calls to women Veterans," said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the
VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. "We want these
Veterans and their caregivers to talk candidly about why they are not
using VA, whether they are aware of the gender-specific services we
offer, and what additional services they would like to see VA offer."
The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women
Veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with
appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care.
Veterans who have complaints about VA are connected to a patient
advocate who helps resolve issues.
VA has trained professionals in all aspects of women's health, including
general primary care, osteoporosis management, heart disease, mental
health care, menopausal services and obesity-related issues, such as
diabetes. Preventive screenings for breast and cervical cancer are also
areas in which VA excels. Soon, all VA facilities will offer
comprehensive primary care for women from a single provider.
The Women Veterans Health Care program has made significant changes in
the last few years to enhance the health care offered to eligible women
Veterans. This progress includes:
* Adopting key policies to improve access and enhance
services for women Veterans;
* Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans;
* Conducting cutting-edge research on the effects of military
service on women's lives;
* Improving communication and outreach to women Veterans; and
* Providing mental health, homelessness and other services
designed to meet the unique needs of women Veterans
For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans,
please visit: www.va.gov/womenvet and
www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Duckworth stresses women's service history
Duckworth stresses women's service history
Sun, 06/26/2011
Dave Hinton
Even today, Tammy Duckworth says she gets questions about whether women belong in combat.
"Where do you think I was?" she responds. "In a bar fight?"
Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of one arm when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down during a 2004 mission in Iraq.
A major in the Illinois National Guard, she now serves as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs — a position for which she was nominated by President Barack Obama.
She recently resigned the latter post and is rumored to be planning a run for U.S. Congress. Appearing Saturday at the annual Women With Wings event at Chanute Air Museum, Duckworth said she cannot speak about any potential run for Congress yet.
Duckworth said women serving in the military are becoming increasingly common. But she said many people forget that women's service started many years ago, citing the World War II service of the Women's Army Corps.
Duckworth stresses women's service history
Sun, 06/26/2011
Dave Hinton
Even today, Tammy Duckworth says she gets questions about whether women belong in combat.
"Where do you think I was?" she responds. "In a bar fight?"
Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of one arm when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down during a 2004 mission in Iraq.
A major in the Illinois National Guard, she now serves as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs — a position for which she was nominated by President Barack Obama.
She recently resigned the latter post and is rumored to be planning a run for U.S. Congress. Appearing Saturday at the annual Women With Wings event at Chanute Air Museum, Duckworth said she cannot speak about any potential run for Congress yet.
Duckworth said women serving in the military are becoming increasingly common. But she said many people forget that women's service started many years ago, citing the World War II service of the Women's Army Corps.
Duckworth stresses women's service history
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