[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 293 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 293
Designating June 12, 2023, as ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 12, 2023
Mr. Booker (for himself, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Braun, and Mr.
Boozman) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and
agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating June 12, 2023, as ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day''.
Whereas, throughout every period of the history of the United States, women have
proudly served the United States to secure and preserve freedom and
liberty for--
(1) the people of the United States; and
(2) the allies of the United States;
Whereas women have formally been a part of the Armed Forces since the
establishment of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 but have informally served
since the inception of the United States military;
Whereas 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Women's Armed
Services Integration Act of 1948 (62 Stat. 356, chapter 449), legally
allowing women to serve in all 4 branches of the military;
Whereas more than 3,000,000 women have served the United States honorably and
with valor on land, on sea, in the air, and in space, including--
(1) as ``Molly Pitchers'' during the American Revolution, providing
support to the Continental Army and taking their place on the artillery gun
lines as soldiers fell;
(2) by passing as men to serve as soldiers during the Revolutionary
War, the Early Republic, and the Civil War;
(3) as doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and Signal Corps telephone
operator ``Hello Girls'' during World War I;
(4) during World War II--
G (A) as members of the Women's Army Corps (commonly known as
``WACs'');
G (B) as Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (commonly
known as ``WAVES'');
G (C) as members of the Coast Guard Women's Reserve (commonly known
as ``SPARS'');
G (D) as Women Airforce Service Pilots (commonly known as
``WASPs''); and
G (E) as nurses;
(5) as permanent members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air
Force, serving as nurses, physicians, physical therapists, air traffic
controllers, intelligence specialists, communications specialists,
logisticians, and clerks during the Korean War and Vietnam War; and
(6) as fixed and rotary wing combat pilots, surface warfare sailors,
submariners, artillerists, air defenders, engineers, military police,
intelligence specialists, civil affairs specialists, logisticians, and,
most recently, in all combat roles in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and
Afghanistan;
Whereas, as of 2021, women constituted approximately 17 percent of Armed Forces
personnel on active duty, including--
(1) 21 percent of active duty personnel in the Air Force;
(2) 21 percent of active duty personnel in the Navy;
(3) 16 percent of active duty personnel in the Army;
(4) 9 percent of active duty personnel in the Marine Corps;
(5) 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Coast Guard; and
(6) 20 percent of active duty personnel in the Space Force;
Whereas, as of 2021, women constituted more than 21 percent of personnel in the
National Guard and Reserves;
Whereas women were critical to COVID-19 relief, including as part of the
personnel in the National Guard and Reserves activated to support COVID-
19 response efforts;
Whereas women have been critical to responding to the unjustified invasion of
Ukraine by the Russian Federation, including as members of the National
Guard and as active duty personnel in the Armed Forces who have been
deployed to contribute to foreign assistance efforts;
Whereas 13 members of the Armed Forces, including 2 women, were killed during
Operation Allies Refuge, in which more than 120,000 people were
evacuated in the largest civilian airlift in the history of the United
States;
Whereas, in 2023--
(1) the population of women veterans is more than 2,066,000, which
represents a significant increase from 713,000 women veterans in 1980; and
(2) women veterans constitute approximately 11 percent of the total
veteran population;
Whereas women are the fastest growing group in the veteran population;
Whereas an estimated 1 in 3 women veterans who are enrolled in the healthcare
system of the Department of Veterans Affairs report having experienced
military sexual trauma (MST) during their military service;
Whereas the United States is proud of, and appreciates, the service of all women
veterans, who have demonstrated great skill, sacrifice, and commitment
to defending the principles upon which the United States was founded and
which the United States continues to uphold;
Whereas women veterans have unique stories and should be encouraged to share
their recollections through the Veterans History Project, a part of the
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, which has worked
since 2000 to collect and share the personal accounts of wartime
veterans in the United States; and
Whereas, by designating June 12, 2023, as ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day'',
the Senate can--
(1) highlight the growing presence of women in the Armed Forces and the
National Guard; and
(2) pay respect to women veterans for their patriotic military service:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate designates June 12, 2023, as ``Women
Veterans Appreciation Day'' to recognize the service and sacrifices of
women veterans who have served valiantly on behalf of the United
States.
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