Women soldiers helped change the battlefield in Afghanistan, where they sustained injuries.
All too often, these soldiers have felt forgotten. Now, they are fighting not to be overlooked with a recently introduced will ensure women veterans are always remembered.
Fox News reports, During a night deployment in Northern Afghanistan in 2012, an Army soldier accompanied Special Forces colleagues for a particularly dangerous operation: moving through the back of a village known by traversing high walls to avoid public streets and the deadly IEDs known to be planted there. Everyone knew the risks.
The report continues noting the female soldier fell head first with 100 pounds of gear and sustained injuries. However, the mission was a success.
The soldiers name is Chief Warrant Officer Jaclyn Scott or JAX. However, according to her Army records, that night never happened. She never went with Special Forces; there were no injuries or special missions.
Chief Warrant Officer Jaclyn Scott served in the Cultural Support Teams (CST). The CSTs were female soldiers that worked alongside Special Forces. Their job was to engage the female population if it would not be culturally acceptable for a male to do so. It was one of the only ways to communicate with innocent civilians and sometimes save their lives.
CSTs also participate in various operations, including those involving medics or combat. The CSTs arent part of a secret program, but their military records state they did not serve in the capacity they did. The lack of acknowledgment affects more than 300 women.
JAX is working to fix this. According to Fox News, Im working with the Special Operations Association of America and authoring new legislation in Congress the Jax Act to correct this wrong. With both Republican and Democrat cosponsors, my bill will provide the missing military service credit for women CSTs that served in Iraq or Afghanistan between 2010 and 2021 but were never recognized for that service.
The JAX Act will recognize and acknowledge the women soldiers who stepped up, volunteered, and participated in dangerous missions without hesitation.
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