As I began my journey of healing as I shared my stories with some, I quickly realized that my experience in the military was not as unique as I had thought. It took me over a decade to realize that there were many other women (and also some men) who shared a similar story of military sexual trauma, discrimination, abuse, and intimidation among many other things. I couldn’t understand why this was happening and why these things were allowed. Our voices were squandered due to coercion, the lack of someone willing to listen and believe us, or just the plain feeling of hopelessness. Throughout my journey in the military, it often felt like I was a second-class citizen, as a woman, and especially as a black woman. When people found out that I was in the military they seemed so shocked as their picture of a soldier was usually a white man or even a man of any color but rarely a woman, especially a woman of color.

When we look at how the military is compromised, we can see that more and more women are entering the service. According to Pew Research, “Women in this decade have made up a much greater share of the active-duty military than they have at any time in U.S. history. Among the ranks of the enlisted, 14% are now women (up from 2% in 1973), and among commissioned officers, 16% are now women, compared with 4% in 1973.” Although women are not a large percentage of the military, we do exist. We matter. Our stories matter.

Uncle Sam's Daughter is a podcast that was created to ensure that our voices are heard. Women that I know of who have served have a level of tenacity and strength that is like none other. We have made the same sacrifices and given the same dedication as our male counterparts and therefore we deserve the same opportunities to be heard.