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By Terri Hendry  
 
(Reno & Las Vegas, NV)— The Year 2017 ushered key milestones for women serving in the U.S. military. In January, an infantry battalion at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina received three historic additions — the first three women to serve as infantry Marines in the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. According to news reports, the three had specializations as rifleman, machine gun and mortar. The units already had three females in leadership roles and were expected and able to help with the transition.  
 
It was just one year before women were allowed to participate in certain military roles. It was Defense Secretary Ash Carter who announced starting in January 2016 the military would be required to open all combat positions to both males and females.  
 
Around this same time frame, women in the military and women veterans were marking milestones in Nevada. On March 14, 2014, Governor Brian Sandoval signed Executive Order 2014-08. It paved the way for the creation of the Nevada Women Veterans Advisory Committee. The following year, in 2015, the Nevada Legislature approved a law establishing the Committee and defining its make-up, duties and role.  
 
In 2015, the Nevada Legislature noted and declared women make up 15 percent of the veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. In drafting the legislation that became law, lawmakers noted few studies have been done to determine and understand the special challenges women veterans may have in post deployment and following separation from active duty.  
 
So, the Women Veterans Advisory Committee (WVAC) was born but out of the gate members realized something unique about many women veterans; they don’t identify as veterans. WVAC Chairman Dr. Anne Davis said, “This is unfortunate as they may not seek out and receive the benefits and services to which they are entitled and have earned.” She explained, “Some of these women veterans did not serve in combat positions, in fact were prohibited from doing so. Therefore, some don’t identify as ‘having served in the military,’ but nothing could be further than the truth.”  
 
The duties of the committee are to support and assist the Nevada Department of Veterans Services in locating, educating and advocating for all women veterans in Nevada. The Committee also assists in outreach and education aimed at explaining the benefits, services and programs women veterans have earned. These benefits range from health care to education to employment opportunities and more.  
 
Additionally, the Committee advocates on behalf of women veterans to make sure programs and polices remain open to women veterans and mindful to their unique needs.  
 
Chairman Davis said, “We have so many benefits as well as tremendous services and programs that it would be a shame for a woman veteran to miss these opportunities because she didn’t know about them.”