FEEA advocate and Veteran’s Affairs employee Edwina Hubert has long been a women’s champion. As a FEEA volunteer, she regularly tells women about the no-interest loans FEEA provides for feds struggling with delinquent rent, mortgage or utility payments. She even used one of FEEA’s loans herself, and after her debt was paid, continued to contribute to FEEA’s fund, so another down-on-her-luck woman could avail herself of a loan.

It wasn’t until Edwina survived a fight with breast cancer last year, however, that she realized just how in need of advocacy women veterans are. After suffering through five grueling surgeries, each lasting more than six hours, and enduring nearly constant pain, Edwina woke up after her last surgery vowing that no woman should ever have to wake up in a veteran’s administration hospital alone. She promised herself she would start a support group.

Hubert continued to work three days a week throughout her trying year. Experiencing anew the power of “feds helping feds,” she was deeply touched when federal employees from around the country donated their time off, so she could continue to support herself.

Of the 1.8 million women veterans with whom she shares a legacy, Hubert says, “Something has got to be done to help our woman veterans. We have almost as many homeless women veterans as men. Everything is co-ed in the VA, but we need something of our own.“

Hubert’s sentiment is shared with a small, but vocal minority within the Veterans Affairs community. The Center for Women Veterans distributes a frequently asked questions guide and reports on relevant legislative initiatives, such as a law signed last month, which improves services for women veterans.

Another dedicated veteran, Waddell McGee, President of the American Veterans Alliance in Miami, Fla., is helping to make Hubert’s dream a reality. A Vietnam-era vet, McGee was re-activated at age 62, and upon his release from the military three years ago, founded the Alliance with his own retirement money.

Since then, with his all-volunteer staff, he has started an apprenticeship program, a dormitory initiative and a family health care network. Seeing Hubert’s passion, he asked her to preside over Women Veterans of America, another Alliance initiative. He says, “With our programs like our health network and Women Veterans of America, we can do a lot of things. But we have to market our programs throughout the country. We have to do outreach in the community to make this happen.”

All but a few committed groups have neglected the heritage of women in the military. However, American women distinguished themselves on every battlefield since the War of Independence. During the Civil War, at least 400 women on both sides of the conflict disguised themselves as men and assumed combat roles. Throughout our martial history, women have served in unconventional roles, such as spy and courier, and in more traditional roles as cooks, caregivers, and nurses. Lioness, a new documentary about five female Army support soldiers who served in Iraq, provides insight into the woman’s role in one of America’s most recent and controversial conflicts. With the efforts of committed veterans like Hubert and McGee, America’s women veterans can earn their rightful place alongside our country’s other heroes. We at FEEA applaud all the “lionesses” out there, and stand behind your efforts to support them.