There are women veterans who grapple with recognition as veterans — even among themselves — so they don’t seek out the assistance that could address mental health and other challenges they may face. 
 
“Many veteran women have this strange concept that if they didn’t serve in combat, they’re not worthy of all the resources,” said Miette Wells, president of ALA Texas Unit 55, service officer for Post 55, and a combat-disabled veteran who was a K-9 handler in the Air Force. 
 
Wells is on a mission to show all women who served in the military that they deserve whatever assistance they need — and to help them find the resources that can provide that support. 
 
That’s why she created the GI Joan Project, which provides advocacy and support for women veterans.
 
Collaborating for impact
In 2024, Wells and the GI Joan Project joined Luann O’Boyle, ALA Unit 55 secretary and Legion Post 55 adjutant, to coordinate a resource fair, wellness events, and to lead the assembly and distribution of wellness packages for women veterans.
 
Wells and O’Boyle enlisted support from other groups and businesses as well. American Legion Post 317 in Jarrell, Texas, and Post 133 in Temple, Texas, were among the  entities assisting with the events.
 
The collaboration led to a variety of initiatives that, together, reached hundreds of women veterans. 
Among the services:

• A resource fair for women veterans. The event provided access to veterans assistance services, vendors, and featured speakers with expertise in healing from military sexual trauma, or MST. Each person attending received a bag filled with helpful information and wellness gifts.
• A faith-based mental health wellness program focused on women who were in the 
military. More than 800 women veterans have taken advantage of support for overcoming PTSD, anxiety, depression, spiritual crises, and MST.
• Three MST workshops. Wells, herself an MST survivor and expert who has written books about recovering from MST experiences, led the sessions.
• Wellness packages included information about VA services, suicide prevention, trauma recovery, and arts and crafts kits. Organizers distributed more than 650 packages throughout Texas, with some going out of state as well.

Expanding the support
And now Wells is hoping to broaden this support for women veterans. She’s encouraging others in The American Legion Family nationwide to provide resource information and wellness packages — or to work with the GI Joan Project to supply packages to women in their own local areas who have served.
 
Wells encourages others to visit the GI Joan Project on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GIJoanProject, or go to www.GIJoan.org to learn more about the effort and how you can get involved.