Sacramento, CA. – The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the California National Guard and the California Commission on the Status of Women are joining forces to celebrate the accomplishments of women in the U.S. Military.

EVENT: The Celebrating Military Women: Telling Their Stories event will commemorate Women’s Military History Week in California with a panel of women veterans representing several different branches of the armed forces and war eras.

DATE: Wednesday, March 9, 2011
TIME: 9 a.m.
PLACE: Sacramento VA Medical Center, Auditorium
10535 Hospital Way
Mather, California
WHO: CalVet Acting Secretary Rocky Chavez, CalVet Deputy Secretary for Women and Minority Veterans Affairs Barbara Ward, Northern California Health Care System Associate Director John Mendoza and California Commission on the Status of Women Executive Director Mary Wiberg.

BACKGROUND: The third week of March is recognized as Women’s Military History Week in California, a time to recognize and applaud the accomplishments of women who have served in the armed forces. Women have played a vital role in every U.S. war, whether officially recognized as a member of the military or not. The involvement of women in the military is more important now than ever with their increased roles in combat zones and leadership positions. Military women continue to make vast contributions in securing the freedoms we enjoy.