NATO formally ended
combat operations in Afghanistan and transferred full security responsibility
to the Afghan government, via a ceremony in Kabul on December 28, 2014. For
many female veterans, however, the painful consequences of military service have
not ended. They have only just begun. Take the case of Maria Martinez who was
raped by a commanding officer and later brutalized by the very people assigned
to protect her from her assailant. Maria’s eventual triumph and vindication
illustrates the challenges and cultural changes which must take place if women
are to successfully serve their country on the front lines of combat. Directed
by a skilled documentary filmmaker, MAJ. Lynette Jones, “The Female Veterans Film Project” will benefit from the vision of an accomplished women who is as
passionate about the craft of storytelling as she is about social justice issues.
This proposed documentary film will be a rigorous, respectful and community-building
exercise that will raise diverse voices with the power to change the world as
we know it. This project will be hosted by New Day Talk Radioof Gardena, CA. New Day Talk Radio (NDTR)has a long-standing record dedicated to talk radio that providesmeaningful stories via theInternet. NDTR providesbroadcast quality programming via audio and video.We are dedicated to the empowerment of Female Veteranswho suffer from trauma via sexual assault, low self esteem and PTSD. Mind, body and soul - if you touch one of these you touch the whole woman!
The number of women
Veterans serving our country has grown significantly over the last several
years. So far, 44 U.S. servicewomen have been killed in Afghanistan since the
conflict began there in 2001. Another 335 female soldiers have been wounded. The
number of female casualties has risen as more women join the U.S. military in
combat roles alongside their male counterparts. According to the U.S.
government, 110 female U.S. soldiers died in Iraq and another 636 were wounded.
In contrast, only 15 were killed in the Persian Gulf War, which began in 1990.
Traditionally, women
were first allowed to serve in non-combat positions in 1901. It was almost a
century later, in the early 1990s, that they were allowed to enter combat
units. But they were restricted from the front lines after the Pentagon ruled
they could not serve in artillery, armor, infantry and other similar roles. That
ban, however, was overturned in January 2013, when the Defense Department
announced women were now permitted to serve in front-line combat positions.
Today, women are
estimated to comprise 20 percent of new recruits, 14 percent of the current military,
and approximately 8 percent of the entire veteran population.[1] While the switch from military to civilian life is
challenging for both male and female veterans, the trauma experienced by women
veterans during military service often makes this transition more difficult for
women and can contribute to an increased risk of unemployment, homelessness,
depression, mental health issues and suicide. Research has shown that 81% to
93% of female veterans have been exposed to some type of trauma.[2] One in three female veterans experienced
Military Sexual Trauma (MST).[3] Of the recent female veterans deployed to
Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly 20% have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD).[4] Overall, women veterans are two to
four times more likely to become homeless as compared to non-veteran women.[5] Female veterans have seen an alarming 11%
increase in suicide from 2009 to 2011 and is still climbing.[6]
[1] “Women’s Bureau Trauma Care Guide”, 2011. United States Department of Labor.
[2] National Center for PTSD.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:
Traumatic Stress in Female Veterans
[3] Military Sexual Assault Unresolved, December 7, 2014. The New York Times: Editorial Board
[4] Study: Female Vets
Especially Vulnerable to Suicide. NPR:
December 4, 2010
[5] Stand Up for Women Veterans, Current Profile of Women Veterans in
the United States. Women’s Bureau of
Trauma Care Guide, 2011.
[6] Report: Suicide rate spikes
among young veterans. Stars and
Stripes. January 9, 2014
Supporters
MAJ Jones is a hard worker and dedicated to whatever she does. I am also a female Veteran and this is a very worthy cause.
This is a great cause. I personally know Major Jones and have been involved with her campaigns and films. I think supporting our female veterans is something All American citizens should do. We need to protect our female soldiers.
Because a friend ask me
Such a great project and positive
This is an important project to support!
The Female Veterans Film Project - The Truth is needed so much, we here the stories of male vets. Now it is time we heard the stories about the brave Women in the Military. There is no better person to tell their story than Lynette Jones.
Please join me in supporting this important endeavor.