Needs of women veterans reflected in art at San Francisco exhibit

By Angela Woodall
Oakland Tribune

May 8, 2012

When Victoria Hudson joined the Army's Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1979, the rule against women in combat was firm and the front line in conflicts was clear.

"In Iraq and Afghanistan, that's just not true," said Hudson, who served 32 years in the Army on active duty or as a reservist, including in Iraq.

Both wars have pulled women into combat situations because the fighting doesn't adhere to front lines.

Since the first troops landed in Afghanistan in 2001, more than 238,000 women have been deployed there or in Iraq. More than 800 have been wounded. More than 130 have died. Hundreds won top honors for their valor, blurring the line between combat and noncombat and forcing the military to include women in nonsanctioned roles. Read more here…