Abstract
Women have had a presence in the US armed forces for more than a century. In many ways, they are still “forgotten veterans”. It is important to better understand these women and let their voices and their truths be heard. The purpose of this exploratory study is to explore the subjective meanings and self-perceptions of women who have served in the military and are now veterans. Furthermore, this study seeks to explore how these subjective meanings and self-perceptions may affect their access to services (both medical and mental health care) available to them through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sixteen participants were recruited through snowball sampling. Using a 21-item interview guide that included closed-ended, open-ended, and Likert scale questions, the researchers solicited and discussed these women’s subjective perceptions of their status as a military veteran. There is an overwhelming sense of pride that exuded from the veterans as they spoke about their military service. Some have suffered trauma and some say they had the most memorable experiences of their lives; regardless of their situations, none appeared to have any regrets. It does not appear as if their self-perceptions have had any effect on their access of VA services. However, the women did express concern about the quality of care that they have received at the VA. They shared a desire for increased awareness and sensitivity to the unique needs of women.