On Monday June 13, 2011, Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, recently named Chair of the Women Veterans Sub-committee, welcomed several women veterans to the New York State Assembly in conjunction with the ceremony commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the Women's Armed Services Act of 1948 by passing a resolution declaring June 12, 2011 "Women Veterans Recognition Day." All the branches of the military were represented at the ceremony.
Prior to the ceremony on the floor of the Assembly, a luncheon was held in honor of women veterans. At the luncheon Assemblywoman Russell opened by saying, “I view serving as chair of this committee an honor and want to begin my work as chair by listening to the concerns of the women who have served our country."
During the discussions at the luncheon, many of the women shared their experiences, including difficulty in being recognized as Veterans, even being encouraged to join auxiliary organizations instead of membership in veterans organizations. Others raised awareness of chemical exposure that have not been widely addressed in the women veteran population. Two other major concerns expressed were the need to better address Military Sexual Trauma (MST), the topic of a second resolution that was passed in the Assembly as part of the day's ceremony, and the need to expand treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to address the unique needs of women suffering from the disorder. Their input will serve as the foundation for developing an agenda for the sub-committee.
The discussions also revealed that there is little in the way of networks or organizations specifically for women veterans and that there is a desire to find a way to fill that void. "I look forward to a continuing dialogue with more women veterans and addressing the several issues identified that New York State can play a pivotal role in resolving."
Currently 68,000 female veterans reside in New York State and over 14% of the enlisted service members are active duty women. "As the Assembly has paused to recognize the contributions of women veterans, I want to encourage everyone to reflect on the long history, from the fight for independence to our current actions in the middle east, of women that either supported military actions before being officially allowed into the military and those that have served or are currently serving in our nation's military" Russell said.
