AirTran Airways Salutes Women Airforce Service Pilots as They Receive the Congressional Gold Medal

/PRNewswire/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI) , today congratulates the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) as they receive the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal for their heroic service during World War II.

In 1942 and 1943, more than 1,000 women answered the call of duty, accumulating more than 60 million flight miles, ferrying all types of aircraft from factories to the front lines, providing training to male combat aviators, testing aircraft and even towing aerial targets for anti-aircraft artillery units. During that time, 38 WASPs made the ultimate sacrifice.

"We are overjoyed to see these pioneers and real American heroes finally recognized for their contributions and we are truly honored to salute them today along with a grateful nation," said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways' vice president of marketing and sales. "To be able to fly some of these living heroes to this ceremony is a singular honor for the 8,500 Crew Members of AirTran Airways."

The low-cost carrier is an official sponsor of the group's festivities in Washington this week and offered complimentary flights to the ceremony for all living WASPs. The Company has a long history of supporting female aviation professionals from both the pilot ranks and throughout the industry.

"We are extremely grateful to AirTran Airways for stepping up to pay tribute to our WASPs, who after 66 years are finally receiving recognition for what they did for our country during World War II," said Brigadier General Wilma Vaught (ret). "Our corporate sponsors helped make the tribute special. I am a proud AirTran customer."

WASPs were officially classified as civilians by the U.S. government and were not considered to be members of the military during their service. They were responsible for providing their own transportation to and from duty and were not afforded veteran status until 1977. President Obama signed the bill officially awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the WASPs on July 1, 2009.

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'Week of the Women Warriors': Launch of Groundbreaking Report on Female Troops and Veterans

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, released its new issue report, "Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle,'" on the unique service and homecoming challenges facing female troops and veterans. The report is the cornerstone of IAVA's first annual "Week of the Women Warriors," a multi-faceted effort to honor the courage and sacrifice of female servicemembers.

"Women make up 11% of the force in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, their challenges have largely been overlooked and underreported. IAVA's new report pulls together the most up to date information on a broad range of issues confronting female servicemembers and veterans," said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. "Countless women have served bravely and honorably for their country. It's time for the Department of Defense, the VA, lawmakers and the public to take bold action on behalf of these women warriors and give them the support they have earned."

IAVA's newly released report explores a wide range of issues, including:

-- Sexual Assault, Harassment and Military Sexual Trauma (MST): Women in
the military have been coping with significant and underreported
sexual assault and harassment for decades. The report examines the
statistics behind this prevalent issue, the measures that are
currently in place and steps that must be taken to aggressively
address this systematic problem.

-- Higher Divorce Rates for Female Servicemembers: Marriages of female
troops are failing at almost three times the rate of male
servicemembers. The report examines the data behind this troubling
trend.

-- Barriers to VA Health Care: In recent years the VA has been challenged
to care for female veterans, who now make up 12% of all Iraq and
Afghanistan veterans seeking VA health care. The report examines the
fragmentation of women's VA services, privacy and safety concerns and
problems communicating eligibility and benefits to female veterans.

-- Homelessness among Female Veterans: Of homeless Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans, almost 10% are women, and many of them have families. The
report examines this growing trend and the urgent economic challenges
facing female veterans.

Week of the Women Warriors: During this week, IAVA.org will feature a new Women Warriors Center. Anchored by the new report, the Women Warriors Center will highlight ways veterans and civilians can get involved with supporting female veterans. Visitors will be able to read the report, learn about the history of women in the military, sign on to IAVA's letter introducing the report to Congress and participate in an aggregation of associated Twitter activity. Female veterans are encouraged to join Community of Veterans (COV), an online social network exclusively for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the first of what will be an annual week to honor and advocate for female troops and veterans.

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101 Year Old Veteran Receives Commendation From the Army

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alyce Dixon is 101 years old but you would never know it if you had the opportunity to sit down and talk to her. Last week Dixon, Gladys Schuster Carter, and Mary Crawford Ragland, all members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, were honored by the U.S. Army’s Freedom Team Salute program at a ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Dixon is the oldest surviving member of the Battalion.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the only all female African American Army unit to deploy to Europe during World War II. The unit was composed of approximately 850 members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WACs). They were tasked with sorting and distributing letters and packages to over 7 million Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Red Cross and civilian personnel all over Europe.

“I felt like I was doing something worthwhile for my country when I was in the Army with the 6888th in Europe,” said Dixon. “We had to find the Soldiers, their units and route the mail to them. I enjoyed the Army and I met a lot of nice people when I served overseas. The Army taught me discipline and to stop and think before making a decision.”

Dixon said the Battalion’s trip from the United States to Europe was very stressful because the boat they were on was sometimes followed by German submarines. She said to avoid contact with the submarines, the boat had to make various diversionary turns which caused pots, pans and other objects to fall to the floor.

Major Charity Adams, who later was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and became the highest ranking African American female officer in the military, was the commander of the 6888th, and arrived with the unit in Birmingham, England in February, 1945. After completing their assignment in England, she and her unit were sent to Rouen, France and later to Paris. A few months after World War II ended, the unit was sent back to the United States.

“They sent us to Ft. Dix New Jersey, gave us our discharge papers, and sent us home,” said Mary Crawford Ragland, the clerk of the 6888th, who joined the Army at the age of 17 after finishing high school. “There were no parades, no welcomes, no nothing.”

“Honoring the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion with Commendations is long overdue,” said the Army’s Colonel David Griffith, Director of Freedom Team Salute. “These were strong women who faced prejudice in the United States but still managed to complete their mission, putting their Country ahead of their own trials. They did not have the luxury of working with automation equipment to help them organize, sort and distribute the millions of letters and packages that had accumulated in airplane hangars and other places in Europe. They are a true American story that needs to be told.”

The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WACs) 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was a World War II unit. Composed of approximately 850 African American women, the unit was formed in the days when the U.S. Armed Services was segregated. They were the only black women to serve with the U.S. military overseas during World War II. The group was charged with handling military mail, and was based at a boarding school in Birmingham, England.

“For the morale of Soldiers in war time, only one thing counts more than somewhere to sleep or something to eat,” said Freedom Team Salute’s Colonel Griffith. “That one thing is mail from home – holiday greetings, photographs, regular letters, and packages filled with items from relatives and friends. The Battalion broke all records for redistribution of mail to front line troops in the European theatre.”

Freedom Team Salute was established in 2005 by the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army, which gives the public the opportunity to thank all U.S. Army Veterans for their service by recognizing them with Commendations. The program also honors and recognizes the Parents, Spouses, Employers, and Supporters of Active Duty, Army Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers. The Commendations consist of a personalized letter and certificate signed by Pete Geren, the Secretary of the Army and General George W. Casey Jr., the Army Chief of Staff. Honorees also receive lapel pins and The Salute, a quarterly newsletter that contains information of interest to the Army family. Freedom Team Salute has honored over 1.9 million Army Veterans, Spouses, Parents, Supporters, and Employers since its launch.

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