Four female retirees join VA advisory group

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Four female retirees join VA advisory group
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 3, 2008 16:51:21 EST

Four retired military women have been added to a Department of Veterans Affairs advisory group on issues involving female veterans.

The retirees announced Thursday as new members of the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans include a Navy commander, Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant, an Air Force technical sergeant and an Air National Guard chief master sergeant.

The retired Navy commander is Rene Campos of Washington, D.C., the deputy director for family matters of the Military Officers Association of America. Rosemarie Weber of Springfield, Va., the retired Marine gunny, is executive assistant for the Defense Travel Management Office. Barbara Pittman of Washington, D.C., is the retired Air Force technical sergeant, who currently works as the special assistant for veterans benefits to District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty. The retired Air Guard chief master sergeant is Helena Carapellatti of Upper Marlboro, Md., a tutor with the Prince George’s County, Md., literacy counsel.

The advisory committee, which reports to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James Peake, was created in 1983 under a congressional mandate to give VA officials expert help about programs for women veterans. Peake, a retired Army lieutenant general who had served as the Army surgeon general in his last job before his 2004 retirement from the military, said the committee’s work is important.

There are about 1.7 million female veterans, roughly 7 percent of the total veterans’ population. VA officials estimate that by 2020, women will make up 10 percent of the veterans’ population.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/military_women_va_080103w/