III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 616 

Designating June 12, 2020, as ‘‘Women Veterans Appreciation Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 11, 2020 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mr. 

BRAUN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating June 12, 2020, as ‘‘Women Veterans 

Appreciation Day’’. 

Whereas, throughout every period of the history of the 

United States, women have proudly served the United 

States to secure and preserve freedom and liberty for— 

(1) the people of the United States; and 

(2) the allies of the United States; 

Whereas women have formally been a part of the United 

States Armed Forces since the establishment of the Army 

Nurse Corps in 1901 but have informally served the 

United States since the inception of the United States 

military; 

Whereas women have served the United States honorably and 

with valor, including— 


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•SRES 616 IS 

(1) as soldiers disguised as males during the American Revolution and the Civil War; 

(2) as nurses during World War I and World War 

II; and 

(3) as combat helicopter pilots in Afghanistan; 

Whereas, as of April 2020, women constitute approximately 

17 percent of United States Armed Forces personnel on 

active duty, including— 

(1) 21 percent of active duty personnel in the Air 

Force; 

(2) 20 percent of active duty personnel in the Navy; 

(3) 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Army; 

(4) 9 percent of active duty personnel in the Marine 

Corps; and 

(5) 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Coast 

Guard; 

Whereas, as of April 2020, women constitute nearly 21 percent of personnel in the National Guard and Reserves; 

Whereas, as of April 2020, women comprise nearly 25 percent of the personnel in the National Guard and Reserves 

activated to support COVID–19 response efforts; 

Whereas, in 2020— 

(1) the population of women veterans reached 

2,000,000, which represents an exponential increase from 

713,000 women veterans in 1980; and 

(2) women veterans constitute more than 10 percent 

of the total veteran population; 

Whereas the United States is proud of, and appreciates, the 

service of all women veterans who have demonstrated 

great skill, sacrifice, and commitment to defending the 


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•SRES 616 IS 

principles upon which the United States was founded and 

which the United States continues to uphold; 

Whereas women veterans have unique stories and should be 

encouraged to share their recollections through the Veterans History Project, which has worked since 2000 to 

collect and share the personal accounts of wartime veterans in the United States; and 

Whereas, by designating June 12, 2020, as ‘‘Women Veterans Appreciation Day’’, the Senate can— 

(1) highlight the growing presence of women in the 

Armed Forces and the National Guard; and 

(2) pay respect to women veterans for their dutiful 

military service: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate designates June 12, 2020, 

2 as ‘‘Women Veterans Appreciation Day’’ to recognize the 

3 service and sacrifices of women veterans who have served 

4 valiantly on behalf of the United States. 

Æ 


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