Read Stories > Women Veterans: A Legacy of Service

During Women’s History Month — and all year long — we celebrate and honor the impact of women in communities across the country, including the important role women Veterans and Service members play in our military. Women in the military represent an enduring legacy of leadership, service, and sacrifice.

“[The] military taught me how to be stronger, how to have faith in myself, to trust my instincts, to fight when I needed to,” says Sherri, a U.S. Army Veteran who served in Iraq. “It taught me how to be a leader. And once I learned how to be a better leader, I learned how to be a better mother.”

Each woman’s experience is unique, yet many women face similar challenges when serving in the military and after returning to civilian life. VA offers resources and support specifically for women Veterans, including the Women Veterans Call Center. Women seeking VA support can:

• Call. Reach out to 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636) Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Eastern time, and on Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Eastern time. Your call is free and confidential.
• Chat. Anonymously chat online with a trained representative. All the representatives at the Women Veterans Call Center are women, and many are Veterans themselves.
• Learn more. Visit the Women Veterans Call Center homepage to find out more about the resource.

“All these years, I didn’t think I’d be eligible, because I kind of associated the VA hospital with old guys from other eras,” says Tawayna, a U.S. Army Veteran. “So I didn’t think there would be any services for me. Maybe it’s not just for old guys — maybe I can go, too.”

Hundreds of thousands of women have served, and hundreds from all service eras and branches have shared their stories with Make the Connection.