Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Vietnam Veterans of America had a female commander in the 1980s.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 Nine years ago, when Army veteran Delphine Metcalf-Foster went to her local Veterans Affairs hospital for a knee replacement, she asked her doctors if they would use a female-specific prosthesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They said they never considered getting any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI realized then there needed to be more education,\u201d she said. \u201cWomen don\u2019t have the same bone structure as men. But they just always used a unisex knee. Maybe if (the injury) hadn\u2019t happened to me, I would have just assumed that it wasn\u2019t a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Metcalf-Foster is hoping to shine a bigger spotlight on those types of overlooked women veteran issues as the first female commander of Disabled American Veterans. She was sworn into the post on Aug. 1, becoming the first woman to lead one of the major American veterans organizations since 1991.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it means a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cIt means a lot to me personally, but it also means a lot to bring that new experience to the job. I have seen things that need to change, and unless we advocate for them, we cannot change them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The largest veterans organizations have long been seen as dominated by men, especially before the recent wars dramatically increased the number of women with military and combat service. Army vet Mary Stout served as commander of Vietnam Veterans of America from 1987 to 1991, but none have followed in the last 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in recent years, that image has begun to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three years ago, the American Legion named Army veteran Verna Jones the first female executive director in the organization\u2019s century of operations. Earlier this year, officials at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America promoted Army veteran Allison Jaslow to the same post. Army veteran Marsha Four has served as vice president of Vietnam Veterans of America since 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her inaugural speech as commander at last week\u2019s DAV convention, Metcalf-Foster said that \u201cI never wanted to be treated differently because of my gender\u201d but also said she was proud to be given a platform to help highlight those issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was an older woman when I joined the Army,\u201d she said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy. But I\u2019d like to believe I came through with the same fighting spirit that my male counterparts had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s the daughter of a \u201cBuffalo soldier\u201d and entered the Army Reserve in 1975. A leg injury sustained while serving during the first Gulf War eventually forced her retirement, but also started her work on behalf of injured veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Metcalf-Foster said her advocacy efforts have largely been met with support within the veterans community. \u201cUsually it\u2019s about awareness, and when our members learn there is a problem, they dive right in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVA has gotten better with those services,\u201d she said. \u201cYears ago, when I went into group counseling, I was the only female there, and there wasn\u2019t any other option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen them make improvements, but more needs to be done. The suicide rate among women veterans is even higher than men. There are still problems with OB-GYN services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she hopes that advocacy work won\u2019t overshadow DAV\u2019s broader slate of priorities. For the upcoming year, the group will also focusing on access to VA health care, department funding issues, expansion of caregiver support, and improving the benefits appeals process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never saw myself as a female soldier,\u201d she said. \u201cThe same about race. When I signed my papers for the military, it was just to be a soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never felt I was any different than any other member of my team, and that\u2019s still true today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n