Women veterans face many issues that highlight a need for more efforts to support these veterans. Some of these issues are:
Find a Job:
There is no doubt that the military background of women veterans is an asset to any employer. Nevertheless, just like men veterans, women vets need to work on their resumes and network. It is most challenging for these female veterans to find jobs after leaving the military. This is because of their limited job experiences; most have had clerical or administrative positions in the armed forces. Therefore, they are encouraged to seek assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has programs geared towards helping women veterans prepare for civilian life and gain new skills to increase their chances of finding a decent job.
Homecoming:
After being away from home for long periods, adjustment back at home is usually hard on most vets. The best thing you can do as a family member or friend is to make sure veterans’ return goes as smoothly as possible; this means having your house ready before the veteran arrives. It is also prudent to ask about any issues that might arise during the adjustment period. This will ensure that everything will go fine, and the veteran will feel at home.
Issues with Mental Health:
Many female veterans are likely to face mental health challenges after leaving the armed forces or serving in the military. There are several reasons for this, one of these being their traumatic experiences during deployment. For example, physical injuries, loss of friends due to death or permanent damage, and physical abuse that might have happened while deployed, among many other factors that cause mental stress on women soldiers, especially those who were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq war zones. Some of these issues include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression among many others. Therefore, military women must be given the necessary support to deal with these serious mental illnesses.
Career Gap:
Military Careers usually have a few breaks, whether voluntary or involuntary, especially during deployment or training. This usually affects their career since most employers do not look favorably at resumes that show gaps in employment history. Some may even refer to this as “career sabotage.” Moreover, if they try to explain these gaps, there is still the risk of being labeled as unstable members who may quit after short periods of time or become unfit for duty due to their past deployment experience, which might be traumatic.
All in all, there is still a need for more initiatives to be taken by employers and communities to make sure women veterans get the best possible opportunities after leaving the army.
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