Women make up nearly 10 percent of the U.S. veteran population and are the fastest growing group within the veteran community, yet they remain mostly invisible in society. In recognition of their service and the centennial of women’s suffrage, a group of community and Ohio University sponsors are holding a panel discussion with women veterans on Monday, March 25. The five panelists will share their military experiences and how the military has shaped their identities as voters, students, spouses, mothers and other roles they play in society.  

The panelists include the recently appointed Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services Deborah Ashenhurst, who retired as a major general from the U.S. Army and the National Guard in 2015. Ashenhurst is the first woman to serve as director of ODVS.  

The panelists represent different eras of service and different branches of the military and include Jenn Eskey, U.S. Army National Guard; Rebekah Eyre, U.S. Marines; Layla Sweet, U.S. Air Force; and C.J. Wilson, U.S. Navy. The discussion is being moderated by Katherine Jellison, Ph.D., chair of the Ohio University History Department. 

The event, which is free and open to the public, is being held on March 25, from 5 – 6:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge on 12 W. Carpenter St. in Athens. The event is sponsored by the Ohio University History Department, Ohio University Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University Veterans and Military Student Services Center, Ohio University Women’s Center, Ohio University Air Force ROTC Detachment 650, League of Women Voters of Athens County, Southeast Ohio History Center, Sweet Arts Bakery and Women Veterans of Southeast Ohio.