Women have different challenges than men in the military, both while they're serving and when they come back.
So Operation Juliet helps women get together to help each other through some of those difficulities.
Some of those women shared their stories during a fundraiser for Operation Juliet at By All Means Brewing on Tuesday night.
The craft brewery and restaurtant donated one dollar from each pint sold to Operation Juliet.
Military sexual trauma can happen to women while serving their country.
“I experienced rape by a male soldier that I served with and then also I experienced rape from a non-soldier, but it was during my service time,” said Amber Wilson.
Wilson is a U.S. Army veteran serving from 2002 to 2005 and she is still dealing with that trauma of rape.
Operation Juliet has been a huge help allowing her to talk with other women.
“How we experience trauma is different than how men experience trauma,” Wilson said. “And it feels safe to be able to talk about it with a female."
Dallas Knight, the founder and president of Operation Juliet, and says many women have been affected just like Amber Wilson.
“The Veterans Administration reports one in three women have experienced military sexual trauma," Knight said. “But in my conversations with my sisters in arms, it's upwards of 80 percent.”
Knight served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2007, and was deployed in Iraq in ’03.
She says there are many issues challenging women veterans, including one she addressed in a film produced with the Patton Veterans Project.
"I am a Veteran" shows a woman vet being told that a parking space is for veterans only.
Knight says once it's known a woman is a veteran, she receives the same respect and appreciation as the male veterans.
“Ask them what their story is because that is when a veteran actually feels heard and can share a little bit of their contributions to this amazing country,” Knight said. “And that will give them some validation."
They say training for war takes the femininity out of them, which becomes a challenging transition when they return home.
“We're not just mothers, we're not just wives,” said Erica Wells. “We have a purpose and we are empowered by being with one another, and that's what it's given me, is a sisterhood outside of the military.”
Wells served in the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2012.
She credits much of her success of returning to civilian life to Operation Juliet and talking with other women.
“Only a veteran would understand, let alone a combat veteran,” Wells said. “So it's nice to be able to bond and now Dallas and I are inseparable.”
