LAS VEGAS -- Right now, there are thousands of women in combat overseas. When talking about the war, women are often overlooked or forgotten about.
A two day conference is happening at UNLV where the focus is on the trauma and possible addiction women encounter when returning from battlefield deployment.
Female veterans say they tend to be lost in the mix when it comes to post traumatic stress disorder. They say we don't often hear about the mental health issues they return with that leaves many of them turning to substance abuse.
Grace After Fire
They want everyone to know women in the military go through the same traumatic experiences as men.
"My mother and I are very close, and I was worried that she would see in her mind what I saw when I closed my eyes. So there's a lot of not wanting to talk to your family and have them worry like you worry," said Jessica Goodell, who served in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps.
Goodell is now in a work suit rather than her Marine uniform. She is using her military experience to help other women who are having a hard time in finding resources that help women of combat.
Goodell left her small town near Buffalo, New York to see the world, she says, but never imagined to be left with such traumatic experiences after war.
"One of the things we focus on is they don't have to be a victim. Just because you were in war, just because you did experience some horrific things, you do not have to allow those things to ruin the rest of your life," said Air Force Major Jewel George, who has been deployed five times and is a mental health nurse.
Goodell is an example of this. She is now an author of a book that details the trauma women encounter when overseas.
Part of this conference is to offer attendees resources that are out there. The conference also offers help in areas like physical health and family dynamics.
Right now there are 30,000 single moms deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
