Prioritizing Women Veterans' Health: An Insightful Interview with an Air Force Veteran
Written by Angela D. Smith
Air Force veteran Amanda Huffman while serving in Afghanistan.
Each year on November 11, the United States honors and celebrates veterans for their service and sacrifice. The health and wellbeing of these brave individuals, whether active duty or retired, is important, and the prioritization of women veterans’ health should be celebrated on that day and everyday as well.
Women in the Armed Forces: A Growing Presence
Did you know that for 200 years women have served in the military across every branch? And, their dedication to protecting our country continues to grow.
A 2022 U.S. Department of Defense annual demographics report,, showed an upward trend in the number of women serving in the armed forces. The report highlights that in in 2021:
Women made up 17.3% of the active-duty force, totaling 231,741 members.
Women accounted for 21.4% of the National Guard and reserves at 171,000 members.
And, since 2017, the percentages of women in the active-duty and selected reserve have risen 1.1% and 1.8% respectively.
Challenges Faced by Women Veterans
According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, “Many women veterans experience trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and/or reproductive mental health conditions. Some also face medical and social issues that affect their relationships and quality of life.”
A 2020 survey conducted by Military OneSource revealed that:
The mean age of active-duty women serving is 27.9 years old
85% of active-duty women reported “overall good health”
49% of active-duty women reported more personal stress than usual
Women have many roles, whether personal, professional, and/or societal, and may feel overwhelmed by obligations, responsibilities, and a strong sense of duty and commitment. Add in an increase in the possibility of physical harm or trauma, and deployment or separation from family, one can easily see why almost half of the women surveyed reported more personal stress than usual.
These factors can negatively impact women veterans' physical and mental health.
Meet the Interviewee
Amanda Huffman, a retired Air Force veteran, author, and host of the Women of the Military podcast, knows this well.
She served in the Air Force for six years, including a deployment in Afghanistan in 2010, where she was awarded both a Combat Action Service Medal and Bronze Star during deployment in Afghanistan in 2010.
Huffman shares her experience managing and advocating for her physical and mental health, as well as the importance of finding a community of support.
Amanda Huffman
Health Concerns and Challenges Faced
In 2019, a few years after Huffman’s active-duty service ended, she was diagnosed with a stage 0 melanoma, but thankfully, due to early detection, had it removed and fully recovered.
Since then, in 2022, a law called The PACT Act, added melanoma as “a presumptive [condition due to exposure] for those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan.” The PACT Act expanded VA health care and benefits for Veterans like Huffman who served in these parts of the world, to provide care coverage for those exposed to various toxic substances, adding many health conditions presumed to be a result from exposure.
Huffman also experienced mental health challenges and went through therapy. She found it beneficial to use support groups to deal with the challenges from her deployment after coming home.
“It has been a lot of work to get healthy and find healing. I still utilize many tools from counseling, especially meditation,” Huffman said.
To sum up her health journey and advice for fellow veterans’ health, Huffman said, “Advocate for yourself. If you think there is something wrong, keep trying to find out what it is. Your health is so important.”
Resources and Advice for Women Veterans
The VA offers a wealth of resources for women veterans who are seeking to improve or address physical or mental health conditions.
For physical health, Huffman encourages women veterans to:
Enroll in VA health care
Work directly with a VA representative, especially if you are filing a disability claim.
If you have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, look at conditions covered by the PACT Act.
She has also found certain types of exercise very valuable and recommends them to fellow women veterans who want to improve their health and quality of life.
“I grew up running, but I didn’t realize how important both core strength and general strength would be for my fitness, especially during my deployment. Gaining physical strength and core strength can help protect you from injury,” she explained.
For mental health, Huffman recommends utilizing the free counseling by Cohen Veterans Network, which offers a number of programs for active duty members, family members, and veterans based on particular challenges, including military sexual trauma (MST), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.
Huffman while serving in Afghanistan where she was deployed to be on the Provincial Reconstruction Team. A great fit for her background and degree in Civil Engineering, as the team helped with the nation building of Afghanistan.
Conclusion
Huffman’s challenges are unique, as is everyone’s health journey, but the resources and advice she shares for those with health issues, whether physical or mental are not. Her willingness to share her story and create a space through her blog and podcast to foster a culture of belonging and community among women veterans is inspiring and needed.
MakeTheConnection.net offers a platform where hundreds of veterans share their mental health stories in the hopes of helping form valuable connections and reducing stigma associated with mental health challenges.
“Don’t do it alone,” Huffman emphasizes. “Try to find a community of support.” She recommends starting with social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn.
“I didn't realize how lonely I was and how much I needed the validation of my experience from other women veterans. I also have made amazing women veteran friends and feel so lucky to connect with women veterans and women who are serving, giving them a platform to highlight the experience of being a woman in the military,” Huffman shared. “Opening up and sharing my feelings and learning I'm not alone in how I feel has been truly life giving.”
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Resource for Military Veterans Spotlight
US Military Veterans have a higher risk of developing addictions and other mental health conditions. In fact, 1.3 million veterans reported battling substance abuse in 2019. For more information on these conditions, treatment options, and recovery assistance, visit: addictionhelp.com
Addiction Help is one of the only educational websites founded by a recovering addict, an addict’s spouse, and a board-certified addiction doctor. It’s co-founder, Chris Carberg, is a recovering addict of more than 20 years and is the son on US Marine Corp Veteran who himself battled alcoholism.
