Women in Combat and the Transition to Civilian Life after the Military

Even though the ban on women serving in combat was only officially lifted last week, women have already been serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. This hour host Craig Cohen talks with Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Erica Borggren about what the ban means for women in the military and about her experiences serving in Iraq.

Then, we’ll be joined by Elizabeth Ambros, a 26 year old veteran Navy corpsman. She’ll tell us about what it was like to serve as a young woman overseas and about the challenges she’s faced as a veteran transitioning to civilian life. Nicholas Osborne, Assistant Dean of Students in the Office of Veteran Student Affairs at the UIUC and a veteran member of the US Coast Guard also joins us.

Are you a veteran? What do you think about the new policy to allow women to serve in combat units? Join the conversation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/focus580 or find us on Twitter @Focus580.

Elizabeth Ambros is pictured above at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina after she returned home from Iraq in 2009.