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Women veterans share triumphs and traumas at San Antonio's 9th Annual PTSD Conference

Combat PTSD Conference 2024, Women Veterans Panel
Courtesy photo
/
F. Alex Carrizales
Combat PTSD Conference 2024, Women Veterans Panel

UT Health San Antonio and the STRONG STAR Consortium hosted the 9th annual Combat PTSD Conference at San Antonio's Briscoe Art Museum this week.

The conference brought together servicemembers, veterans and speakers who shared the latest research to combat PTSD.

Alan Peterson, director of the STRONG STAR Consortium and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Health San Antonio, said that every year a team comes together to look at what topics are relevant to providers and researchers.

This year, organizers brought keynote speaker MJ Hegar, an Air Force veteran. She has experienced combat PTSD. She now works to change the rules to allow women to serve in active combat roles.

One of the highlights of the conference was the women veterans panel, which consisted of retired military women from various U.S. branches and one woman from the Royal Dutch Army. Participants shared their perspectives on their careers, the challenges they faced, and successes they achieved.

The topic of military sexual trauma was at the forefront of the conversation, and for many of the women they either experienced it themselves or knew someone who did.

“MST [military sexual trauma], the type of rape that happens so often [that] we gave it its own acronym. That is not okay,” said Virginia Cruse, a U.S. Army reservist and three-time combat veteran. “I think calling it military rape, you know? And here we have IPV, DV, MST. These things happen to women, primarily, and we give them acronyms to make them a little softer.”

Another woman from the panel spoke on her own personal experience with MST. She said though she started the process to get help right away, her case was still not handled but she never stopped fighting.

“I would say definitely speak up and don’t stop speaking. Don’t say 'I’m fine' and try to be how they perceive us to just be strong and sit in the corner,” said Violeta Reeves, an Army veteran, while recounting her experience with MST. “Say something and keep saying something until it’s done, until they’re looking at them and not you.”

Combat PTSD Conference 2024, Women Veterans Panel
Courtesy photo
/
F. Alex Carrizales
The women veterans panel at the Combat PTSD Conference 2024.

The Royal Dutch Army officer also offered her experience, saying that although she wasn’t assaulted, she still experienced harassment. But, she said, her commander was determined to put a stop to it.

“I went and I made an official complaint, and it well ... it went on for a month, but she said, 'we're going to get them,'” Maj. Dorethe Gijsbertson explained. “ 'This is not going to happen because now you're a major,' she recalled her commander telling her. " 'if you don't do anything now, what will happen to young females who will come next to you, or who are entering the military right now?' ”

The panelists also discussed reproductive health care while serving in the military. One veteran recounted her time dealing with challenges with fertility while on active duty.

“At least here and around San Antonio they have a really great infertility clinic at BAMC, but outside, from the active-duty side, it's very restrictive in the services that they offer,” said Darcy Babutzke, an Air Force veteran. “A servicewoman shouldn't have to wait until she separates or retires to try to meet a desire they have to start a family.”

Peterson said more research of women in the military and their experiences was needed. “Obviously there's some very unique experiences they have," he said. "So that's an added area of research emphasis that's really needed.”

Looking back on the week, Peterson also said he hoped attendees walked away having learned something new.

“We hope that individuals [who] leave this conference understand that there are effective treatments for many psychological health conditions, for sleep disorders, for post traumatic stress disorder, for traumatic brain injury,” he said. “So there's hope for obtaining good, good treatment, good clinical care for that. But we're not satisfied. We need to continue to do better and better in those areas.”

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Gabriella Alcorta-Solorio is a reporter for Texas Public Radio. She recently graduated from Texas State University with a major in journalism, minoring in women’s studies. She has previously worked as a photojournalist with The Ranger and has reported on Alzheimer’s and dementia in South Texas using public health data. Her main focuses include reporting on health as well as military and veterans issues. Alcorta-Solorio is a U.S. Army veteran.