HR0900 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0900 LRB094 19507 LCT 55373 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Women have served in all of America's major conflicts, beginning with the American Revolution when some women disguised themselves as men to join the Continental Army; and

WHEREAS, Women were hired in medical service in the wars of the 18th and 19th centuries and, during the Civil War, were also hired as cooks, seamstresses, saboteurs, scouts, couriers, and foragers for supplies; and

WHEREAS, In the Spanish-American War, a typhoid fever emergency forced the United States Army to recruit 1,500 women under a civilian contract, which is considered the event that established women as a formal part of the military; and

WHEREAS, In spite of the secondary status of women in the military at the time, more than 35,000 women served in roles ranging from nurses to telephone operators to clerks in World War I, which was the first war in which American women served overseas; and

WHEREAS, More than 350,000 women served in World War II, including the first female officers, who responded to an all-out mobilization because of a desperate need for personnel; and

WHEREAS, During the Vietnam War, the military opened up many other positions to women as a result of not only personnel shortages but also general societal changes in the role of women; and

WHEREAS, Between 1990 and 2000, the female veterans' population in the United States increased by 33.3% from 1.2 million to 1.6 million, representing approximately 7% of the total veteran population; and

WHEREAS, In fiscal year 2001, approximately 203,000 women were serving in the United States military and made up 15% of the active duty force and about 23% of the reserve force; and

WHEREAS, By the year 2010, it is projected that female veterans will comprise well over 10% of the veteran population; and

WHEREAS, Female service members are currently stationed throughout the world and are proudly serving their country in many operations including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

WHEREAS, Veteran services and health systems should reflect the increasing population change of women in military service; and

WHEREAS, There are only 8 Women Veterans' Comprehensive Health Centers in the federal Veterans' Affairs system that serve as health care centers for female veterans and develop new and enhanced programs focusing on the unique health care needs of female veterans, including research on medical and psychosocial issues of female veterans; and

WHEREAS, These services should be expanded to all veteran health care systems, including the Veterans' Affairs Illiana Heath Care System in Danville, Illinois, which provides care to approximately 150,000 veterans primarily residing in central Illinois and west central Indiana; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs to consider the increasing needs of female veterans and to expand services to women throughout the Veterans' Health Administration, especially at the Veterans' Affairs Illiana Heath Care System in Danville, Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs and to all of the members of the Illinois Congressional delegation.