TITLE: Recognizing March 2015 as Women Veterans Month in Texas and commending the work of the Texas Veterans Commission Women Veterans Initiative.

SUMMARY: Recognizing March 2015 as Women Veterans Month in Texas and commending the work of the Texas Veterans Commission Women Veterans Initiative.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Women play an essential part in the armed forces of the United States, and their efforts are being celebrated during March 2015 as the Texas Veterans Commission joins with individuals across the state to observe Women Veterans Month; and WHEREAS, The long tradition of women serving in our country's military dates back to the American Revolution, when they acted as nurses, cooks, and saboteurs; their important contributions continued in the centuries that followed and included assignments as military nurses in fixed-facility hospitals in World Wars I and II and as medical staff in field combat hospitals during the Korean and Vietnam Wars; and WHEREAS, Today, women constitute approximately 15 percent of the armed forces, performing a range of vital duties, and the Veterans Administration estimates that by 2020 women will make up 10 percent of all former military personnel living in the United States; and WHEREAS, Texas is home to the largest population of women veterans in the United States, and the Women Veterans Initiative sponsored by the Texas Veterans Commission helps educate these individuals about federal and state support available to them; the initiative also coordinates supplemental aid with local government and community organizations, and it works to raise awareness of the outstanding work performed by women in the military; and WHEREAS, Americans owe a profound debt of gratitude to the women who have helped defend our nation, and thanks to the efforts of the Women Veterans Initiative, these brave and patriotic individuals are gaining improved access to the assistance and recognition they so richly deserve; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 2015 as Women Veterans Month in the State of Texas and commend the work of the Texas Veterans Commission Women Veterans Initiative. Hernandez Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 852 was adopted by the House on March 12, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House