Still Serving

How a woman veteran is turning her struggles into positive action

- SANDY BLAIR

OUR NATION DOES A LOT TO HONORmilitary veterans. But one group of veterans often gets overlooked.

Women.

I should know. I’m a woman and an Air Force veteran. I served for 12 years until a medical discharge prematurely ended my military career.

Like many veterans, I struggled to gain a foothold as a civilian. I couldn’t find work. After years of structure and camaraderie in the military, I felt alone and adrift. I endured a period of homelessness and sank deeper into despair.

Women veterans face unique challenges. They are often single parents, as I was. When they leave military service, they frequently take on caregiving roles, as I did, nursing my father after he suffered a stroke. They may encounter discrimination. I was told I was overqualified so many times in my job search, I wondered if race or gender wasn’t the real issue.

My immigrant parents taught me the value of self-sufficiency and hard work. Those values cut both ways. They were a huge help in the military, where I reveled in the discipline and opportunities for advancement. When I struggled after my discharge, I didn’t know how to ask for help. Like many veterans, I thought I should be able to take care of myself.

It was ultimately God who taught me that no one is truly self-sufficient. We all need God’s love. And we all need one another.

That’s the vision that powers the work I do now. I run a nonprofit in central California called Operation WEBS: Women Empowered Build Strong. Our mission is to help women veterans by inviting them into a community of love and mutual support.