Page 10 - San Diego Woman Military Coverage 2019
P. 10

Power Women
                                    Linsey Daley







                                    Veteran, Mom & Volunteer


                                                 By Judith A. Habert

                                                 Photos courtesy of Linsey Daley

           Linsey Daley joined                                                            also in the military and is
        the Navy to see the U.S. As                                                       still active military. They
        funny as that sounds, it is                                                       have two small children
        one of the main reasons                                                           who Linsey loves spend-
        she decided to go into the                                                        ing time with, but she
        military. “My mom was                                                             also has a passion for her
        from Scotland and my Dad                                                          volunteer work. “I work
        was an American stationed                                                         with an organization called
        in Glasgow, when they                                                             Veteran Sisters. They are
        met and fell in love. I was                                                       doing some great work to
        born in Glasgow, Scotland.                                                        help female veterans with
        Where we lived until I was                                                        PTSD (Post Traumatic
        six. From there we went                                                           Stress Disorder) and MST
        to Iceland, and we lived in                                                       (Military Sexual Trauma)
        Iceland for two years, and                                                        I love being a part of this
        then after that, we moved                                                         amazing organization,
        to Spain, and we lived                                                            and I dedicate much of
        there for about 10 years.                                                         my time helping to walk
        So I never lived in the US                                                        these veterans through the
        until I joined the navy.”                                                         claim process, which is not
           When the question is                                                           always an easy process.”
        asked of most young men                                                               Veteran Sisters provide
        and women as to why they                                                          a safe haven for female
        joined the military it is                                                         veterans and their families.
        usually to see the world.                                                         They offer peer to peer
        For Linsey, she had already                                                       support and assistance
        seen a great deal of the                                                          through the VA Claims
        world and lived for ex-                                                           process. They are there to
        tended periods of time in                                                         help one another thrive af-
        several great spots. Linsey's                                                     ter life in the military. They
        Dad didn't want her to join                                                       are Battle Buddies who
        the military, but she had                                                         allow the veteran to realize
        her own ideas. "I figured   the States. Living stateside   being stationed in Tennes-  that they are not alone in
        I would join the navy for   would only last for a short   see for four years, but was   their battles against PTSD
        four years and get a chance   time as she was then reas-  once again sent back to It-  and MST. The statistics are
        to see the United States.   signed to Japan. Linsey's   aly for another three years.   mind-boggling when you
        I went in as a Hospital    initial plan to spend 4     She did, however, end up   realize that an estimated
        Corpsman for the Navy      years in the service ended   back in Arizona which is   1 out of every 5 female
        and wouldn’t you know it, I   up becoming 14. "I loved   where she was when she   veterans have experienced
        was stationed in Italy.”   being in the Navy, and I    got out of the military, well   Military Sexual Trauma
           After spending two      stayed a lot longer than    not entirely, as she is still in   and 9 out of every 10 suffer
        years in Italy Linsey finally   planned."              the reserves.              from PTSD.
        was stationed in Chicago       Linsey finally managed     While in Italy, Linsey      This organization's goal
        Illinois, finally making it to   to get some time in the US   met her husband who was   is to open walk-in centers

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