Carol Whitmore is the Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). She is the first woman leading the VFW. Carol served in the Army from 1977 to 2013 starting in Communications and switching to the medical field ending her career as a nurse. She shared her experience of serving in the military along with her goals for the VFW as the Commander-in-Chief.
Leading the VFW – Carol Whitmore
Carol ran out of money after three years of college and needed to figure out a next step. It led her to join the U.S. Army. She initially planned to stay in for her first commitment and then leave. But when she was heading out of the military the retention NCO asked her what would keep her in. She shared she wanted to serve as a medic and he made it happen.
It led to her staying in the military for a total of 36 years with most of her service in the U.S. Army Reserve. She served as a medic cardiac technician and then was able to go to school to become a nurse. She was able to work as a nurse in her civilian job while also serving in the Reserve. Her final assignment was in Iraq. She learned she had a hip injury and decided to retire from both military service and her career as a nurse.
Leading the VWF
She joined the VFW in 2012 at Post 9127 in Des Moines, Iowa. It was through an invite from a friend that she decided to check it out. She got involved and served in a variety of positions and when given the opportunity to move into a national role took it. This year she hopes to advocate for veterans in three main focus areas.
The first is getting the Major Richard Star Act passed. Legislation that would allow those who served in combat and were medically retired to receive both their military medical retirement and their disability settlement. Currently, members can only select one. Secondly, she wants to ensure that Veteran Service Officers are available and known to Veterans. Lastly, she is working to remember Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. There are so many lost during Vietnam and World War II who never made it home.
Want to learn more about the VFW?
Members of the U.S. military who served overseas in a combat zone are eligible to be members of the VWF. You can check with the VFW to see if you are eligible to join. There are posts across the nation and you can also join as a member and not be directly connected to a post. The VFW advocates for veterans and provides resources such as Veterans Service Officers to help you file your disability claim. Learn more at vfw.org.
