U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CMV – News Update

For Women’s History Month, the Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) and Center for Women Veterans (CWV) join forces to commemorate women Veteran Congressional Gold Medal recipients: the trailblazing Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). These courageous women broke barriers and proved that women were just as capable as men at serving as skilled military pilots. Highlighting the WASP’s incredible contributions sheds light on women’s often overlooked achievements in military history. [From VA News]

Janie Mines was born in 1958 in Aiken, South Carolina. In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and participated in Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC). Her academic success led her to graduate as the class salutatorian, making her a good candidate for the Naval Academy, which, until 1975, had not accepted female applicants. With her excellent grades, Mines was also accepted by every Ivy League university she applied to, but she felt her calling to the Navy. [From VA News]

During Women’s History Month 2024, VA Office of Women’s Health is honoring Native American women Veterans. VA recognizes the impact your advocacy, contributions and sacrifices have made on our military history. Native American women Veterans have had an exemplary tradition of military service for over 200 years, overcoming adversity and serving at a higher rate compared to any other demographic, demonstrating dedication to our country and everlasting commitment to service. Today, women make up 11.3% of the Native American Veteran population (about 20,000), which is a higher percentage than women in all other demographics. [From VA News]

For the first time in nearly three years (due to the global COVID-19 pandemic), the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans (ACMV) was able to meet in person. VA’s Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) recently joined the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) leadership and the National Association of State of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) minority committee to discuss challenges, opportunities and unique needs of our minority and underserved Veterans. “The pandemic slowed us down, but it hasn’t stopped us,” said Bobby McDonald, Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans (ACMV) chairman. [From VA News]