Naperville resource fair to recognize, serve women veterans

U.S. Army First Lt. Shaye Haver, center, and Capt. Kristen Griest, right, pose for photos with other female West Point alumni after an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony in August 2015, at Fort Benning, Ga. Haver and Griest became the Army's first female graduates of the Army's rigorous Ranger School. AP Photo/John Bazemore

The 54,700 women veterans in Illinois might feel they have some explaining to do when they wear a cap from the war in which they served.

The last time Army veteran Nicole Mandeville wore her Persian Gulf war hat, she said a waitress assumed it wasn't hers, but her husband's.

"Women are serving," Mandeville said. "People always make the assumption that it's usually the husband that is serving, when a lot of times it's the wife."

A resource fair March 24 in Naperville that's designed to meet the needs of women veterans also will bring recognition to their service, said Mandeville, who works as a senior program manager for the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.

"In honor of women's history month, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs is doing a salute to women veterans to celebrate the achievements and the accomplishments that women have made in the military," she said.

The event, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873, 908 W. Jackson Ave., will include information about health care, entrepreneurship, jobs and veteran benefits and a keynote speech by Lt. Col. Sheila Perry of the Illinois Air National Guard.

"The VA is reaching out and trying to do all the right things to help women veterans," said Mike Barbour, a Post 3873 member and Naperville Township veterans advocate.

The Naperville event is the only women's veterans forum the department is planning this year. Resource tables will be available throughout the event from presenters including the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the U.S. Small Business Administration and Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital. Perry will give her talk at noon, focusing on historical achievements of military women through the years.

One highlight comes from last fall, when three women became the first females to graduate from Army Ranger School, an infantry leadership course that had been open only to men since its creation in 1952. And that's not to mention the historic opening to women last year of all military combat arms positions.

"We've had some huge historic firsts this year for women who have served in the military with the three female West Point graduates who have made it through Ranger School," Mandeville said. "It's not the only achievement, but it's a big one now, especially with the military across all branches opening up combat roles."

When women return from service, Mandeville said they often "come home and get on with everyday life," letting their military work be known only to their inner circle.

But that's even more reason women who have served should be celebrated for the sacrifices they made, Mandeville said -- and recognized as the veterans they are.

"You may not see a female veteran wearing an Army T-shirt of the conflict hats that say 'Vietnam,' 'Persian Gulf' or 'Operation Iraqi Freedom,'" Mandeville said. "But if you do see her in that hat, it doesn't mean it's her husband's hat."