SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3

        A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Commending, honoring, and thanking South Dakota's numerous women veterans for their service to our country and state.

    WHEREAS, throughout the history of the United States, during times of peace and of war, women have served honorably in the military, upholding the nation's ideals and protecting freedom through dedication to duty and sacrifice; and

    WHEREAS, while women were not formally part of the United States Armed Forces until the inception of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901, they have served in an unofficial capacity dating back to the American Revolution; and

    WHEREAS, during the American Revolution, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War, women disguised themselves as men and served alongside their brothers and husbands on the front lines. Off the battlefield, women made vital contributions to the war effort as nurses, couriers, and spies; and

    WHEREAS, around 35,000 American women served as nurses and support staff in World War I, and during World War II, some 350,000 women served with the Women's Army Corps, the Navy's Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, the Coast Guard Women's Reserve, and the Women Airforce Service Pilots; and

    WHEREAS, Congress made women a permanent part of the military with the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, but until 1967, it limited the proportion of women in each branch of the military; and

    WHEREAS, women nurses served on ships and in combat zones during the Korean War, and during the Vietnam War, thousands of female military personnel were deployed to Southeast Asia; and

    WHEREAS, with the transition to an all-volunteer military in 1973, women experienced a dramatic increase in opportunity in the military, including leadership positions; and

    WHEREAS, more than 40,000 women participated in the Gulf War, and since September 11, 2001, over 300,000 women have served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; and

    WHEREAS, in 2016, the United States Department of Defense opened all previously closed

combat roles to women service members; women patrol war zones, fly combat aircraft, and command ships at sea; and

    WHEREAS, today, there are over two million women veterans in the United States; women are the fastest growing segment of the veteran community and make up roughly ten percent of all American veterans; and

    WHEREAS, South Dakota is home to more than 7,000 women veterans, who have distinguished themselves both on and off the battlefield, and they continue to serve their communities as leaders in both the public and private sectors; and

    WHEREAS, South Dakota women veterans have served in every branch of the military, and in various roles including gunners, police, pilots, truck drivers, and fuel suppliers; and

    WHEREAS, women bring a unique skill set and perspective to military service; and

    WHEREAS, South Dakota women veterans continue to selflessly and courageously serve our country; and

    WHEREAS, because of historic cultural limitations women veterans have experienced, their service has not always been fully recognized or appreciated; and

    WHEREAS, South Dakota women veterans deserve to be recognized for their incredible sacrifices and service:

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Senate of the Ninety-Fourth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that South Dakotans are committed to all South Dakota's veterans and are eternally grateful for the selfless sacrifices of all our veterans and are dedicated to remembering the hurdles women veterans overcame, and their selfless commitment to our country and state; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the South Dakota Legislature commends, honors, and thanks our women veterans for their service to our state and our great nation.

---

Adopted by the Senate,

Concurred in by the House of Representatives,

Larry Rhoden President of the Senate	Kay Johnson Secretary of the Senate
Steven G. Haugaard Speaker of the House	Sandra J. Zinter Chief Clerk of the House