THE DAV MISSION STATEMENT

1. THE DAV MISSION STATEMENT We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government. Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically. Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government. Extending DAV’s mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local chapters. Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.

2. WOMEN VETERANS • Women Veterans Demographics • Key Women Veterans Challenges • VA Benefits and Services • What Women Veterans Tell Us They Need and Want • Joint Coordination and Collaboration • Outreach • Local Assistance • VA Advisory Comm on Women Veterans • Did You Know?

3. WOMEN VETERANS DEMOGRAPHICS • One of the fastest growing Veterans subpopulation. Of the 23.4 million Veterans, over 1.8 million women Veterans; 7.7 percent of Veterans population. • Five percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services are women. Nearly 300,000 women Veterans used VHA health care in FY 2009. Utilization expected to increase to 10 percent by 2020. • Women represent 15 percent of active-duty military members, 15.1 percent of National Guard and 17.7 Reserves Forces (WIMSA data from DoD as of 9/30/09). • 20 percent of new military recruits are women. According to Stars & Strips (25 Jan 10), 8 percent of female troops are mothers. • Women represent over 220,000 of the 1.8 million troops serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

4. WOMEN VETERANS DEMOGRAPHICS

5. KEY WOMEN VETERANS CHALLENGES • Many women Veterans do not self identify as Veterans. Many are not aware of and do not apply for VA’s benefits and services. • Women Veterans underutilize VHA health services. (Of more than 1.8 million women Veterans, nearly 300,000 women Veterans used VHA health care in FY 2009.) • In some areas, access to VA’s gender-specific care may be limited. • Disparities in Military/VA health care still exists. • Outreach to women Veterans in rural areas limited.

6. VA BENEFITS AND SERVICES VA offers a full continuum of comprehensive medical services including: • Health promotion and disease prevention. • Primary care, acute medical/surgical, telephone, emergency, education, vocational rehabilitation. • Substance abuse treatment, mental health, domiciliary, homeless, rehabilitation and long term care. • Women's gender-specific health care, such as hormone replacement therapy, breast and gynecological care, maternity and limited infertility (excluding in-vitro fertilization).

7. VA BENEFITS AND SERVICES (CONTINUED) • Other VA benefits of interest to women Veterans include: • Health Care and compensation for certain birth defects experienced by children of women Vietnam Veterans. • Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for the loss or loss of use of specific organs or extremities, to include hysterectomy and loss of a percentage of tissue from a single breast, or both breasts due to mastectomy, or radiation treatment. • Military Sexual Trauma (MST) counseling and treatment, even without filing a service-connection claim for disability. 7

8. WHAT WOMEN VETERANS TELL US THEY NEED AND WANT • Recognition and respect. • Employment. • Suitable housing. • Access to and receipt of high quality health care. • Childcare options. • Opportunities for social interaction. • Want to make a difference. • Homeless veteran shelters with a focus on women with children. 8

9. JOINT COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION Active participation in joint initiatives and workgroups: • White House Council on Women and Girls. • Congressional roundtable discussions. • Federal and military agencies (DoD[DACOWITS, SAPRO] DOL, DOJ, HHS, etc.). • Veterans service organizations. • State conferences (in support of State women Veterans coordinators). • Faith-based and neighborhood partnerships. • Policy and legislative groups (such as Women’s Policy, Inc.).

10. OUTREACH • Outreach is an important education tool to connect women Veterans and to demonstrate to them that VA values their military contributions. Outreach needs to portray and target women Veterans with images, messages and branding in the media. • In March, the Center in collaboration with VA administrations initiated the Her Story campaign. The campaign was held in conjunction with commencement of Women’s History Month (theme: “Writing Women Back into History.”) • Goal of Her Story campaign is to encourage sponsored events that would highlight the service of women Veterans and VA’s women Veterans employees. • Department and each district has a Women Veterans Coordinator.

11. HOW WOMEN VETERANS CAN OBTAIN LOCAL ASSISTANCE • Women Veterans coordinator at every VA regional office: www.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash-1Full-time women Veterans program managers at every VA healthcare facility; Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group (formerly Women Veterans Health Program Office): www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth/ • Homeless Veterans coordinators: www1.va.gov/HOMELESS/Hmls_Vet_Prog_Coord.aspVA National Homeless Veterans Call Center 1-877-424-3838 or 1-877-4AID-VET, www.va.gov • Minority Veterans program coordinator at every VA healthcare facility, regional office, and national cemetery: www.va.gov/centerforminorityVeterans/ • OEF/OIF and mental health coordinators: http://www.oefoif.va.govand www.mentalhealth.va.gov. VHA plans to utilize the OIF/OEF Call Center to reach out to Women Veterans • Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) • National Cemetery Administration “webpage outreach to Women and Minority Veterans.” Website: www.cem.va.gov 11

12. VA ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN VETERANS (ACWV) • Established by PL 98-160 in 1983; charter renewed every 2 years. • Purpose is to provide advice to the Secretary, through Director of Center for Women Veterans, on the needs of women Veterans (1.8 million). • Currently 12 Members (diverse group of women and men, representing different military branches, and multiple eras to include 2 OEF/OIF Veterans • Ex-officio and advisor members, from VHA, VBA, NCA, as well as Departments of Defense, Labor, and Health and Human Services, provide expertise. • The ACWV meets three times annually-- twice in Washington, DC, and once at a site visit in the field—and produces a biennial Congressionally mandated report to Secretary. • 12

13. DID YOU KNOW? • 7 women died in the line of duty while serving in theater during the Vietnam War. Their names can be found inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial. • Almost 41,000 women served in theater during Persian Gulf War. 13 women were killed and two were taken as prisoners of war. • To date, more than 20,000 women have served as peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo. • Two women sailors were killed and five were wounded in the terrorist attack on USS Cole. • About 10 percent of the U.S. Forces currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are women. • There are over 50 monuments dedicated to women Veterans or by women Veterans organizations in our VA national cemeteries. Some of VA National Cemetery Administration’s oldest monuments dedicated to women date back to the late 1800s.