Over the past few decades, the U.S. military has made a concerted effort to create a force that is increasingly inclusive and diverse. These efforts have seen the number of women serving in the U.S. Army grow exponentially since the 1980s. In fact, as much as 11% of Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan operations in 2008 were women. Unfortunately, while the number of women joining the military continues to grow, there is still a considerable disparity between the level of support services offered to male and female veterans. It was, after all, not until the late eighties that the Veterans Association (VA) finally started to offer mental health and medical services to female vets. Since then, the VA has established a range of programs aimed at female veterans.
Post-Service Job Training is Essential
Upon completion of their active duty, many female veterans find themselves in need of new employment. This often proves to be very difficult for a number of reasons ranging from a lack of skills to the absence of a resume. Formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment services, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) provides a range of extremely beneficial services to veterans. This includes employment accommodation, resume development, job training, and coaching in job seeking. VR&E services may also include assisting a veteran to start her own business and providing veterans who are unable to work due to severe service-related disabilities with an independent living service.
VA Loans Can Make a Big Difference
VA home loans are among the most beneficial military benefits available to veterans. Qualifying veterans can utilize a VA loan to build or buy a new home or even refinance a current home mortgage. Veterans can benefit greatly by choosing a VA loan over a traditional loan as the former are issued by private lenders and are backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Due to this, they are often offered without any down payment or PMI. Once a veteran has established that she meets the requirements for a VA loan, she needs to apply for a VA loan certificate of eligibility which will serve as proof of her service. The certificate will officially indicate that the veteran meets the minimum requirements to be eligible for the VA loan.
VA Health Care Provides Comfort
Every VA medical center across the country boasts a Women Veterans Program Manager (WVPM) that is tasked with providing female veterans with advice and guidance. A WVPM is able to organize and effectively coordinate a variety of healthcare-related services a veteran may require. This ranges from primary health care and reproductive health to the treatment of chronic health conditions and out-patient rehabilitation. Trained female representatives at VA medical centers can also assist VAs with setting up health care appointments in their areas, enrolling in VA health care, and providing answers about the different services and benefits available to them.
The number of females in the U.S. military continues to rise every year. It is therefore only fitting that the number of supportive services available to female veterans also increases accordingly.
