An Arkansas veteran was among more than 100 advocates who traveled to Capitol Hill in late September to press members of Congress to consider legislation aimed at improving health care and other services for women veterans.
The visit followed the Wounded Warrior Project’s Women Warriors Summit and included meetings with lawmakers to urge action on three legislative proposals, organizers said. The event highlighted demographic shifts within the veteran population: Department of Veterans Affairs figures cited by advocates project the share of women veterans to rise from 11.4% in September 2023 to 17.1% in September 2043.
Arkansas advocate at the summit
Ashley Trevino, of Sherwood, said she attended the summit and the Hill visits as a warrior advocate leader with the Wounded Warrior Project. Trevino, who served four years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and medically retired in 2022, described how peer support through the organization helped her after leaving the military.
“I realized I found my group of people that challenged me, saw my potential and growth, and helped me heal and become the best possible version of myself,” Trevino said.
Trevino told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette she believed many women veterans struggle to recognize the value of their military service, in part because some did not deploy or perform roles they perceive as traditionally heroic.
Legislative focus
Organizers said three bills were the focus of the summit’s push. One named in coverage was the Veterans' Outcomes, Inclusion, Care, and Experience for Women Veterans Act, which advocates described as calling for updates at the Department of Veterans Affairs to better serve women veterans. The other two measures were discussed by participants as priorities for improving access, inclusion and outcomes, though the Arkansas coverage did not list their formal titles in full.
Representatives of the Wounded Warrior Project coordinated the meetings on Capitol Hill to press lawmakers on the proposals and to highlight the changing demographics and needs of the veteran population, particularly in health care and support services tailored to women.
Background and next steps
- More than 100 advocates attended the Women Warriors Summit in late September and met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
- The VA projects women will make up 17.1% of veterans by Sept. 2043, up from 11.4% in Sept. 2023.
- Ashley Trevino of Sherwood participated in the summit and subsequent meetings as a Wounded Warrior Project advocate.
Advocates said they would continue outreach to congressional offices to press for consideration of the bills discussed at the summit. Lawmakers’ responses and any formal bill actions were not detailed in the Arkansas coverage.
