The Woman Veteran Strong (WVS) program encourages being uniquely happy, which experts say is a challenging state of mind for military women.
Chaplain Brian Webb, the professional overseeing this program, says that friendship (peer support) is key.
In this article, we’re taking a look at how Michigan’s military women are leaning on community and physical activity for happier, healthier lives.
The Need for Women Veteran Support
Less than 2% of the American population is choosing to serve in the military, and only 15% of service members are female.
So, it’s no wonder that this group of women may feel that they are more different than happy.
“The word ‘happy’ doesn’t exactly fit when describing women veterans,” says Chaplain Webb, “yet being a woman with military experience is unique. It’s an attribute that should be celebrated.”
“The word ‘happy’ doesn’t exactly fit when describing women veteranS.”
Chaplain Brian Webb, Veteran Liaison, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Pictured above is Shelly Rood, a former Captain in the branch of Military Intelligence. It wasn’t until after her service time (16-years in the U.S. Army Reserves) that she learned of the mental wellness statistics surrounding women veterans.
If you’re into reading about military women, we recommend checking out our military culture section here on the blog.
“I’ll never forget reading a report stating that 42% of female veterans say that they ‘do not feel’ respected and valued. How could I ignore that?” Rood asked. “These are my brethren. If the heroes of our nation are not feeling respected and valued, what hope is there for anyone else?”
Now a small business owner and Chaplain in the civilian sector, Rood says that this data drove her to start outreach initiatives that support veterans and women who work in traditionally male dominated fields.
In 2019, she connected with Chaplain Webb and was given the opportunity to spearhead the Women Veteran Strong program. Shelly Rood is Co-Founder of Mission Ambition, LLC, a professional development provider. Others Over Self® is a registered trademark of Mission Ambition, LLC, and serves as the promotional arm of the Woman Veteran Strong program.
Community Makes us Happy
Woman Veteran Strong focuses on 3 Key Areas:
- The lowering of stigma attached to mental wellness & health
- A greater ability to self-advocate and better represent those around us
- Anecdotal feedback of personal life experiences
“From our communication styles to our lifestyle preferences, the likes of military women can be vastly different from those of the general population,” says Chaplain Rood. “We’re even different amongst ourselves.”
Which is why, she says, building life-long connections with other military women is so important. Past experiences shape us all, and it’s no different for military women.
“Sharing experiences – that’s the hard part,” says Chaplain Webb. “Many military people don’t want to talk about certain events. Or, we may not be allowed to share some things because of classified or sensitive information. It weighs us down over time.”
The Answer is Friendship, Peer Support
According to this report from Mental Health America®, both quantitative and qualitative evidence indicate that peer support lowers the overall cost of mental health services by reducing re-hospitalization rates and days spent in inpatient services, increasing the use of outpatient services.
See Nicole in the photo above? She’s a combat helicopter pilot – we recommend checking out Nicole’s story here on the blog.
The Woman Veteran Strong website says that they aim to enhance the lives of women Veterans and military women by facilitating training and opportunities for them engage in healthy habits and meaningful relationships.
The program is free for women residing in Michigan who have, or are, serving in the military. The members are organized into small groups by location, and are invited to attend regular monthly gatherings. The program also hosts and participates in various advocacy and physical wellness events- all at no cost to them.
Woman Veteran Strong falls under an umbrella of veteran support services offered by the Walking With Warriors program. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, through the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, has provided funding for this initiative through a Federal Community Mental Health Block Grant and a Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.
What Goes on During a WVS Small Group Meeting
Every month, Woman Veteran Strong presents new, forward-thinking content to the members. This content is designed to serve military women so that they recognize and utilize their power to succeed in life beyond the military environment.
The meeting agenda includes time for fellowship, self-advocacy, a review of the group guidelines, the presentation of content (which may include private journal time and group discussions), and announcements for upcoming events.
Members and guests can attend both in-person and virtually, with eight Michigan locations to choose from.
What Military Women Want to Learn About
Chaplain Rood says that when WVS launched in 2019, their pilot program produced the following Top 6 research and development findings of what Michigan’s military women want out of lessons taught by a peer support group:
Areas of Interest for Military Women:
- finding self-value
- building mental resiliency
- setting boundaries
- anger management
- building self-confidence
- adjusting thought patterns
“I find that military women struggle to identify with much of the personal development content that exists for women,” says Chaplain Rood, “so, we create our own.” She says that program leadership builds out an annual content calendar and brings mental wellness experts in to develop unique content.
Why Healthy Habits and Advocacy Events
Jennifer Scott, U.S. Army Veteran and WVS member, tells us that engaging in physical wellness activities with other military women was important to her right from the start.
“Listen,” she says, “I don’t want to sit around and talk, and I’m pretty sure that most vets feel that way. Let’s get together and do something- and walk away feeling happy.”
Jennifer says that’s exactly how she feels whenever she leaves a WVS group gathering or event.
In the photo above, the Veteran standing in the middle is Kirsten, a combat occupational therapist. Read Kirsten’s story here on the blog.
Over the past four years, WVS has played a hand in their members actively meeting celebrities, golfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, watercolor painting, snowshoeing and more. Even in the thick of the global pandemic, WVS adjusted their strategy and offered virtual events including meditation, wellness nights, small group meetings and a live holiday concert.
“For the first time in my transition to civilian life, I truly feel like I belong.”
Member, Woman Veteran Strong
Military women can locally connect with like-minded ladies in a safe space through the Woman Veteran Strong program.
So, what is the first step towards being uniquely happy as a military woman? According to Chaplain Rood, it’s applying for a free membership at WomanVeteranStrong.org.
This article is published as a professional courtesy; no grant funds were used.
