Jessica Lynch on a New Mission as Female Veteran Liaison

CHARLESTON — Jessica Lynch will be acting as a liaison for female veterans across the state as part of a state program focusing on them.
In his weekly briefing Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice announced the Wirt County native and former prisoner of war as the head of a new program focusing on women veterans through the West Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs. The program will be known as the West Virginia Women Veterans Program.
“This is a lady with grit beyond belief,” Justice said recounting Lynch’s story of being held captive during the Iraq War in 2003. “(Lynch) stepped up for this nation and now you are stepping up again for West Virginia and stepping up for women veterans who need help.”
The experience that women have serving in the military is much different than that of the men who work alongside them. They have a much higher chance of experiencing what the federal VA and DOD call Military Sexual Trauma (MST). This can be anything from sexual harassment to sexual assault or rape. It can affect them on many levels and can make them reluctant to file a claim for benefits or even to visit an office for assistance from Veteran Service Officers (VSOs), said Daryle W. Bayless, USN, Retired, Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance following the governor’s briefing.
In many instances, many women would rather speak to a female veteran.
​“As the Director of the Woman Veterans Program, Jessica will make certain that female veterans who come into our offices will be able to access the full scope of benefits that they earned through their service, including help dealing with potential MSTs or serious disability,” Bayless said. “When it comes to women’s issues, our staff will report and take direction from her.
“She will also be the primary contact with our department for women veterans who have experienced MST and physical injuries in service, and will mentor them through getting assistance.
“We are going to draw heavily from Jessica’s experiences and let her guide us on many of the finer details. She has been helping veterans in a different capacity for more than two decades and has experienced just about every situation imaginable with her own recovery.”
Part of Lynch’s role will also be outreach, making sure that women veterans in the state know that there are resources for them as well as working with service organizations and nonprofits within the state that are working on issues that are important to women veterans and connecting people to those resources as well, Bayless said.
The Department of Veterans Assistance has 15 offices throughout the state where veterans file claims to connect them to their benefits. They also operate the West Virginia Veterans Nursing Facility in Clarksburg, the West Virginia State Veterans Home in Barboursville, and the Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery in Institute.
Lynch appeared during the governor’s briefing to talk a little bit about what she will be doing with female veterans across the state.
“I hope to be able to work with them and get them anything they are lacking or that they are needing at this point,” she said. “It is a very exciting job that I am willing to take on.
“We will be able to reach more women veterans across the state.”
Justice also announced $19 million in grants for 56 outside projects across the state dealing with new trails and trail improvements.
“This will be used to create 700 miles of new or improved trails across the state,” he said.
Justice touted the benefits of tourism for the state in bringing in people who spend money on attractions and at restaurants and more.
The state is located within two-thirds of the population of the United States, Justice said. He touted improvements to tourism across the state since the state decided to promote itself more over the past several years. Visitors to the state see what is available here and some will decide to move here.
“Look at our state with four unbelievable seasons and unmatched beauty,” he said.
Tourism has brought in a lot of money to the state in recent years where for every dollar spent the state gets back.
In a year, the state has seen around $1 billion in visitors spending money which has helped support many businesses and jobs, the governor said.
“There is still so much more we can do and so many more things that can happen,” Justice said of continuing to promote tourism.