who takes care of the woman veteran?

According to the this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, women are the fastest-growing group of veterans. More than 1,500 women have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan and have sought help at veterans hospitals.

In this war without a front, female veterans, who still aren't officially allowed in combat, are increasingly placed in combat situations. And let's face it, no place in Iraq is safe. And women aren't exempt from PTSD, far from it.

Of course, women aren't safe even among their own units. Last January, specialist Suzanne Swift went AWOL from her unit rather than return to Iraq and be continually sexually abused.

You'll note that this case hasn't gotten much media coverage, while the alleged rape and consequent murder of an Iraqi girl and her family have. Both are wrong, but the sexual abuse and assault of female soldiers, who now constitute 15% of all military servicepeople, is not considered mediaworthy. After all, what did those females expect when they enlisted? Perhaps to serve their country with honor and respect? Nah! I see that not much has changed since 1974, when I was an Army service member, and subject to the same treatment.

You may wonder why I am not posting this information in regular veterans forums. The truth is that we veterans are talking to ourselves (nothing new there), while the general public remains unaware and untouched by what's going on "over there" and "to them." I harbor a faint hope that if the general public were aware of these issues that are fucking up the lives of so many people, they would call for 1) an end to the war, 2) a reform of the military, and 3) a reform of the veterans compensation and medical system.

Update: Learn more about Suzanne Swift at her website.