NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia has the largest percentage of women veterans per population size of any state according to the Virginia Department of Veterans Services.
Those women are being honored March 17 to 23 for Virginia Women Veterans Week.
Pamela McGill is a Navy veteran.
She’s one of more than 108,000 women veterans living in Virginia according to the Virginia Department of Veteran Services.
“I went out of the Navy a few different times," said McGill.
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She said Women Veterans Week is very important because being a woman who has served isn’t easy.
“There are certain struggles that women veterans have that maybe our male counterparts don’t necessarily have, especially when you think about having children and how to care for them," McGill explained.
Kascha Homontowski was a soon-to-be veteran as of March 21. She was transitioning out of the Navy.
“I am glad and grateful for my time in service," Homontowski said. "I’m looking forward to new opportunities outside the Navy as well, though."
McGill and Homontowski offer this advice for fellow women service members.
“Always fight for what you want," Homontowski said. "Don’t let someone tell you, you can’t do something. I had a lot of people through the beginning of my career when I first got in say ‘You’re not good enough to do this. You’re not good enough to accomplish this.’ I pushed myself, past what they said."
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"Pay attention in TAP class," said McGill. "But also, start building a network very early. A network of other female veterans, a network of potential employers, resource groups."
Throughout the week, the Virginia Department of Veterans Services holds events.
In 2024, that included the unveiling of a new state license plate to support women veterans.
“It’s a heavy assignment that we carry and I really don’t think we get the recognition that we deserve," Virginia Department of Veterans Services Women Veteran Assistant Program Manager Jamilah Clay told our sister station, WTVR.
A small token of appreciation for the large impact they have.
This was the seventh year the state dedicated a week to women veterans.
