Army veteran Watha Alston-Hooper, of Augusta, Ga., thought female vets deserved a special treat for Valentine’s Day. So, as the commander of the Women’s Veterans Club of the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area), a group that helps women transition back into civilian life, she organized a spa day for fellow female vets.
This month, women gathered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 649 to receive massages, facials, sweet treats and makeup tips from volunteers. Just as important as the beauty treatments was the chance for the veterans to bond with other women who could relate to their military experience, a goal the Women’s Veterans Club of the CSRA takes as its mission.
Army veteran Mary Smith Tyler, who doesn’t usually wear makeup but was happy to try it on at the event, told Nicole Snyder of WJBF, “We should be appreciated. There are so few woman and so many men in the military, so to have a day that’s about me—I’m honored. I’m glad. It is a male dominated field, so I do feel like women do get forgotten about a lot in this field, but today we are not… and I love it.”
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