Fifteen women veterans were honored Tuesday night the local office of  the Georgia Department of Veterans Services and Veteran Service Officer Debbie O’Neal. Georgia Commissioner of Veterans Service Col. Patricia Ross, United States Air Force (Ret.), was the keynote speaker.

“These are 15 amazing women,” Commissioner Ross, said. “They’ve served right beside male veterans, putting their lives in jeopardy as much as their male counterparts to serve our nation.”

According to the Commissioner, the Armed Forces is made of approximately 18 percent of women, and even less when it comes to veterans, but she sees that changing.

“I would encourage young women to consider joining the military,” she said. “It’s one of very few careers where women don’t have to worry about breaking the glass ceiling. As long as they do their jobs, they receive equal pay, equal opportunity for advancement and many other benefits not seen in the civilian workforce.”

Ross has served as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Services since November 2021.