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a Ceremonial Resolution
20-175
In the Council of the District of Columbia
April 8, 2014
To recognize and honor the brave service and impressive contributions of women veterans who reside in the District of Columbia.
WHEREAS, the month of March is Women’s History Month, and women across America and in the District have made countless contributions to our society, including protecting our liberty and freedom by serving in the United States Armed Forces;
WHEREAS, there are currently 3,991 women veterans living in the District who have served in all branches of the United States Armed Services, including the Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army National Guard;
WHEREAS, those women have served, among other posts, as JAG officers, medics, aircraft mechanics, humvee drivers, military police, and quarter masters;
WHEREAS, the brave women veterans of the District have proudly served their country throughout all periods of United States history, and the women veterans currently living in the District have served in numerous conflicts and wars, including Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq;
WHEREAS, the challenges that face veterans as a whole often plague women veterans at a disproportionate rate: women veterans suffer higher rates of homelessness, they experience greater unemployment when returning home from war, and they earn nearly $10,000 a year less than their male veteran counterparts;
WHEREAS, according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation, women service members and veterans are at higher risk for symptoms consistent with a diagnosis for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and major depression;
WHEREAS, women veterans not only struggle from the physiological trauma and the stress of serving in war, but also often suffer from the trauma of sexual assault and harassment, which frequently goes unreported;
WHEREAS, despite these extraordinary challenges, women veterans have gone on to make major contributions to our society, continuing their service in a variety of ways, including as nonprofit executives, corporate leaders, veteran advocates, educators, and in the halls of Congress, where Tammy Duckworth and Tulsi Gabbard both serve as members of the House of Representatives;
WHEREAS, the women veterans living in the District continue to bring great pride to our city by serving their community, as seen in the work of Retired U.S. Air Force Sergeant Barbara Pittman and Retired Army Nurse Corps Captain Kathleen Hope;
WHEREAS, Barbara Pittman, a third-generation Washingtonian who retired as a highly decorated United States Air Force Sergeant, is the daughter of a World War II veteran and currently serves as the Veterans Benefits Special Assistant for the District’s Office of Veterans Affairs, where she helps the District’s veterans secure much-needed assistance and benefits;
WHEREAS, Kathleen Hope, a Persian Gulf veteran who retired as a Captain with the Army Nurse Corps, currently serves as an advocate for women veterans in the District as a member of the Mayor's Advisory Council for Veterans Affairs and through her organization “Ladies in Boots”; and
WHEREAS, it is fully appropriate to honor and recognize the major contributions, sacrifices, and the ongoing service of these women veterans and all of the District’s women veterans, especially given the challenging circumstances that many of these women face during and after their service to our country.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Women Veterans Recognition Resolution of 2014”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia honors these incredible women for their tremendous commitment to the service of our country and the District and seeks to honor their commitment by working to improve the condition of women veterans in the District.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
