A Girl’s Guide to Military Service (available now)

To wrap up A Girl’s Guide to the Military series I asked my friend Trish Alegre-Smith to interview me about my new book A Girl’s Guide to Military Service. In this interview, we talk about why I wrote the book. How did I decide to work with a publisher? And who the book is for […]

Miscarriage in the Military

Miscarriage in the Military

Theresa wanted to get away from her hometown and when her parents would not support her in attending Howard University in Virginia she decided to join the Marine Corps. She began her career in the Marines and the day before she turned twenty she was married and she began planning for her future by saving […]

How an injury led to advocacy for women veterans

How an injury led to advocacy for women veterans

Women veterans with spinal cord injuries or disorders make up a small, but important population among women veterans. In America, women account for about 20 percent of spinal cord injuries. Among women veterans, that number shrinks to three percent. Because this cohort is so small, the Department of Veterans Affairs had not developed much in […]

Military Transition Experience – Looking back

Military Transition Experience – Looking back

Have you ever seen one of those cartoons where a character thinks they’re all set to head out toward a shimmering oasis of palm trees and gorgeous water and then it flashes forward to them discovering they were actually heading toward a mirage and now they’re stuck in a barren wasteland with no water or […]

From Women’s Army Corps to Operation Desert Storm

From Women’s Army Corps to Operation Desert Storm

Pennylee Deere began her military service in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and served in Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Her career spans 20 years, from 1975 -1995. It was interesting to hear her experience having begun her service as part of the WAC and then transferring over to the US Army in 1978. She also shared […]

Unintentional Trailblazers – The WASP of WWII

Unintentional Trailblazers – The WASP of WWII

“I’m going to be the first! The youngest! The oldest! The [insert superlative here]!” When people aspire to be a trailblazer, they often make it known. The public follows their journey. Cheering them along. And at times even supporting them financially or otherwise.  But what about the unintentional trailblazers? The ones who happened to be […]