Daily Skimm

We asked two veterans and advocates to share their thoughts on the VA's new policy and the post-Roe world. Here are snippets of our conversations with retired Air Force Colonel Lorry M. Fenner, the director of government relations for the Service Women’s Action Network, and with Allison Jaslow, an Iraq War veteran and Operation Liberty co-founder.

Q: What was your reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe?

Jaslow: As a combat veteran, it has been a little hard to swallow. For this reason specifically: My country trusted me with life and death decisions in war. They trusted me with my troops’ lives in combat [and] millions of dollars of war-fighting equipment, but now no longer trusts me with decisions regarding my own body and health care? 

​​Q: How has the SCOTUS ruling influenced your work?

Jaslow: Both my co-founders and I knew that this decision was going to uniquely impact the military veterans community...[because] women in the military can’t pick up and move their job location or choose where they’re going to be stationed.

Q: What was your reaction to the VA’s decision to provide some abortion services and counseling?

Fenner: We applaud the VA for taking this measure and including the health of the pregnant veteran and beneficiaries. We applaud that it starts with abortion counseling before you even get to care. It is a huge step forward, but it doesn’t cover everything that needs to be done now.

Q: What else could the VA do?

Fenner: [Expanding] other reproductive care like IVF. Right now that is very limited to heterosexual married couples who have combat injuries that prevent them from being pregnant. But both parties in that heterosexual relationship have to provide what they call gametes, which is the woman has to provide her own viable eggs and the man has to provide his own viable sperm. [Meaning, donor sperm or eggs aren’t covered.]

PS: To read more of our interviews with Lorry M. Fenner and Allison Jaslow, click here.

Looking for recs to check out on Veterans Day? Dive into these books, pods, and docs about female veterans. 

• “Every Day Is a Gift” by Tammy Duckworth…in this memoir, the Iraq War vet and Illinois senator shares her remarkable life story — from growing up as a biracial child in Thailand, to losing both legs in combat, to being the first US senator to give birth while in office.

• “Women of the Military”…hosted by an Air Force veteran, this podcast features interviews with women who’ve served in the military, both past and present.

• “Served Like a Girl”...a moving documentary that follows the organizers and contestants of the Ms. Veteran America pageant, an annual event that raises awareness about homelessness among female veterans. 

• “A Higher Standard” by Ann Dunwoody…even if you’ve never served, you’re bound to learn invaluable life and leadership lessons from Dunwoody, the first woman to earn the rank of four-star general in the US Army.

• “Soldier Girls” by Helen Thorpe...with the help of interviews, emails, diaries, and even therapists’ notes, Thorpe offers a raw, intimate look at the lives of three female soldiers — before, during, and after deployment.

• “The Invisible War”…an Oscar-nominated exposé that documents the epidemic of rape in the US military, the cover-up of these crimes, and the need for cultural and structural change. The film centers on the survivors who share their stories. 

• “Glory in Their Spirit” by Sandra M. Bolzenius…a book about four Black Women’s Army Corps privates who risked their lives to get the same treatment as white service members during World War II. 

• “The Female Veterans Podcast”…through real conversations with vets, this podcast highlights the unique issues that women in the military face — whether during their time in service, their transition out of active duty, or beyond. 

• “Code Girls” by Liza Mundy…a deeply researched account that tells the story of the more than 10,000 American women who secretly served as codebreakers for the US Army and Navy in World War II. And how their work helped save countless lives. 

• “Beyond the Call” by Eileen Rivers…a riveting profile of three women who fought alongside their male counterparts — and worked with local Afghan women to gather intel on the Taliban.