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KPBS Evening Edition

Female Vets Face Tough Transition To Civilian Life

Expo To Help Female Veterans

There was more help available than takers at a resource expo for female veterans on Tuesday at Liberty Station.

More than 50 vendors were on hand to help female veterans learn about opportunities available to them, including law enforcement, colleges and companies who were ready to hire. But fewer than two dozen women veterans attended to find job training, advice and support for single moms.

One of these was Marine veteran Kristina Lachut. She said some female vets are frustrated when they return to civilian life. And she said she's still struggling to find meaningful employment.

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"Employers are having a hard time adapting themselves to what we need," Lachut said.

She came to the job fair to take advantage of the help being offered.

"I'm frustrated to see my sisters saying there's nothing out there; people aren't doing anything for you," Lachut said.

Kelly Price Noble, who organized the job expo, said she did it because she found there was a great need to reach out to both active duty and veteran women. Noble has also worked with disabled vets at the Veterans Affairs department.

"So it's networking and you're not taught that in the military," Noble told the women during a panel. "It's about the mission. It's about the team and not about me, myself and I. So the group that we brought together today was to help you transition."

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San Diego is already home to over 200,000 female veterans. About 130,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan will call the city home in the next decade.

Organizers say they need to do a better job to get the word out to all those vets. They hope to put on another Expo for female veterans in six months.