Leaving the military can be a difficult adjustment for most veterans, especially when so many face unemployment. But according to a new study, employment for female veterans is actually on the rise in the U.S.

According to the report released by the Council on Veterans Employment, in addition to trending down, the unemployment rate for women veterans is not significantly different from the average unemployment rate for all women. In 2013, the numbers were 6.9 percent versus 6.8 percent, and 6 percent versus 5.9 percent in 2014, respectively. 

Taking federal action
The study was established in response to the Veterans Employment Initiative, launched by President Obama in 2009 under Executive Order 13518, "Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government." The order called for the federal government to promote employment among veterans through leading by example. According to the report, 31 percent of new hires across the executive branch in the fiscal year 2013 were veterans as a result of the initiative.

While results such as these showed that the initiative was increasing employment opportunities among veterans in general, the Women Veterans Initiative was established to ensure that female veterans were also receiving opportunities at the federal level. 

The report revealed that the federal government performed well in meeting the employment needs of female veterans. Though women make up only 9.2 percent of U.S. veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, they comprised almost a quarter of new hires in 2013 across the executive branch.

A valuable demographic
Female veterans draw on their military experience to excel in the workplace.  

"The Nation needs traits veterans possess to keep America competitive," said Elisa Basnight, director of the VA Center for Women Veterans. "When women veterans surrender the uniform, they keep the intangible with them – resolute resilience and the unbeatable skills that they will use in business, entrepreneurship, industry, and public service at all levels."

The Women Veterans Initiative additionally reported that female veterans were nearly twice as likely to be enrolled in school as their male counterparts. They are also younger and more racially and ethnically diverse than male veterans.

To increase conversations about the needs of female veterans, the VA's Center for Women Veterans launched a campaign in March that focuses on honoring and supporting the women who served this country. 

A former Hollywood star is using her Nashville farm to offer hope and healing to wounded warriors and their families.   

Jennifer O'Neill is an actress best known for the film "Summer of '42" and her role as a CoverGirl makeup model. She is also the daughter of a World War II vet, which sparked her desire to use her farm, Hillenglade, to reach out to members of the armed forces.

According to the nonprofit's website, Hope and Healing at Hillenglade uses horses and the scenic beauty of the country to provide a place for servicemembers and their families to heal, not only from physical injuries, but from invisible injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder, difficulties reintegrating into civilian life and familial and marital stress.

 "Anyone in the service – whether they have PTSD or not – is welcome," O'Neill told Fox News. "The farm is about restoration, healing and giving hope."

O'Neill hosts events at Hillenglade on holidays that pertain to military life, such as Flag Day and Independence Day. Hundreds of military members, past and present, and their families are treated to live music, food, activities and, of course, horses.

"What really works well for PTSD is love – and whether that's from a person or an animal, it doesn't matter," Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor at New York University's Langone Medical Center, told Fox News. "Horses are absolutely therapeutic. I believe in this."

Hillenglade's next event is planned for June 13, the weekend of Flag Day, and is free to active military members, veterans and their families who register prior to the cut-off of 300 people. According to the nonprofit's website, the day will include pony and horse rides, sports, food, horse exhibitions and paintings, and more. 

Transitioning back into civilian life after serving in the military can be difficult. Often, some of the challenges are caused by the misconceptions and myths about veterans perpetuated by civilians who have little knowledge of the experience of members of the armed forces. But journalism students from the University of Michigan hope to help combat some of those misconceptions with their new book "100 Questions and Answers About Veterans: A Guide for Civilians." 

The book is composed of 100 questions that veterans said they wish civilians knew the answers to, according to the University of Michigan. Questions range from knowledge of basic military life, such as the meanings of Memorial Day and Veterans Day, to more personal questions such as why veterans often prefer people do not thank them for their service.

"Veterans are frequently misunderstood by well-meaning civilians who want to reach out, but who might not know just how," said Joe Grimm, the School of Journalism's editor in residence who led the class that researched and wrote the book. "This guide was created to help close that knowledge gap."

Though written by the journalism students, the questions and answers were reviewed by veterans of the Marines, Army, Air Force and Navy, including Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Jeff Barnes, the University of Michigan reported.

The book is part of a larger series on cultural competence. Other guides by Grimm's "Bias Buster" class focused on Native Americans, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans and more. All seek to promote greater understanding by breaking down walls and encouraging communication between diverse groups.

"Given the similarities between vets and other groups of people who are frequently stereotyped, this would be a place we could do some work," Grimm told The Associated Press.

The book is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. 

Military uniforms perform an honorable duty when they are in use, but once they are no longer needed, they are often discarded or packed away. However, those looking for an alternative option are in luck. A U.S. Marine mom is turning old uniforms into treasured mementos for loved ones. 

Elsa Zarate, an Army veteran, operates Bands 4 Courage, a company that creates bands and bracelets from military uniforms. According to her website, Zarate was inspired when her son was on his first deployment overseas with the Marines.

Zarate took pieces of her son's boot camp uniform and fashioned them into a band in order to symbolically keep him close while he was away, Today News reported. People soon started asking about the bracelet, and the idea for Bands 4 Courage was born.

"The more compliments I received the more I wanted to show my appreciation to our servicemembers and find a way to uphold the honor of their used Military uniforms instead of it being trashed or misused," Zarate said on her Etsy page.   

Zarate uses fabrics, buttons, patches and any other salvageable part of the uniform to make each of her final products unique. Each item is delivered with a card containing information about the person who owned the uniform that was used to make the band, and free bracelets are given to anyone who donates a uniform. 

Bands and bracelets can be ordered from the Bands 4 Courage website or the company's shop on Etsy. While there are many options online, customization is also available.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with 50 cities to provide economic opportunities for veterans nationwide. 

According to the VA, the Veterans Economic Communities Initiative, launched on May 18, aims to increase employment and education opportunities for former servicemembers through national and local employers alike. 

"The best way to get things done for veterans is to involve partners from both the public and private sectors – national to local," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald. "If history has shown us anything, it's that all you have to do is give veterans an opportunity and they will go beyond anything you could ever envision."

Each community will have a VA Economic Liaison who will encourage and coordinate participation among public and private organizations that offer resources for veterans, the VA reported. The initiative's partners include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, departments of Defense and Labor, large companies like Hilton and TriWest, and others, at both the national and local level. 

While data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment for veterans declined in 2014, the numbers are still above 5 percent for both male and female veterans. The VA hopes that the community partnerships created by the VECI will accelerate job growth for America's soldiers. 

Six bills passed by Congress aim to provide solutions to some of the problems that veterans face in everyday life. The successful votes bring the bills one step closer to becoming laws. 

According to the minutes from the floor proceedings, on May 18 the House voted to approve the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act, the Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act, the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act, the Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act and the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act.

The bills aim to help veterans and keep the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable.

For example, the Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act would require the VA to keep a copy of any employee reprimand or admonishment on file, according to the Library of Congress. This would allow the VA to keep better track of each employee's work history, providing greater accountability.

To combat a problem that many veterans face, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act could help protect former servicemembers from identity theft, The Associated Press reported. Under current laws, many veterans must carry around official documentation in order to prove military service. Because some of these documents contain sensitive information, such as the veteran's Social Security number, it can make the vet vulnerable to identity theft. 

Homelessness is a problem that affects far too many veterans. The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act extends reintegration programs available to veterans through the year 2020, according to the Library of Congress website.

The Senate will vote on the bills next. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to hear the nation's best ideas for how to use technology to improve quality of life for veterans with disabilities. 

The VA's new Innovation Creation Series for Prosthetics and Assistive Technologies is a two-month campaign that seeks to gather ideas for innovative ways to solve problems that disabled veterans face every day.  

 "We're reaching out to technology leaders in the corporate world and to the public in order to find creative new solutions to help transform care and quality of life not only for our veterans, but for the public at large," VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald said. "The innovations that come out of this challenge will benefit the veterans we care for and will be open source to help advance American medicine."

The series launched on May 15 in Palo Alto, California. According to Stanford University, guest speakers at the launch included Beijing Paralympics gold-medalist Oscar Sanchez, director of the Center for Women Veterans Elisa Basnight, and White House Maker-In-Residence Stephanie Santoso. 

According to the VA, the organization is calling for innovators to submit ideas to address the following five challenges: 

1. Develop a device that can be put on the end of an upper or lower extremity prosthetic for use in daily life.
2. Create a pillbox with a built-in reminder system that can be used for pills that need to be taken up to eight times a day.
3. Design technology that would change the speed and grip strength of an upper extremity prosthetic. 
4. Develop a video game controller that would provide alternative access for veterans who are using them in therapy. 
5. Create an apparatus to dampen tremors during the performance of tasks that require fine motor skills. 

Solutions to these challenges would give disabled veterans greater autonomy and reduce some of the stress they deal with every day. They could also provide aid to members of the general public who face the same struggles. 

The launch was the beginning of a tour that will cross the country en route to Washington, D.C., where the National Maker Faire takes place on June 12 and 13. The series will then conclude with final judging on July 29 at the Richmond VA Medical Center.

  

Life after the military can be challenging. But innovative individuals and companies are creating apps that make it a little easier to be a veteran in the U.S.

1. POS REP
Short for Position Report, the goal of this app is to connect veterans with other service members in their area. According to the POS REP website, the creators were inspired to create the app to combat the isolation many veterans experience upon reentering civilian life. Former and current members of the military can use the app to chat with, meet and even just stay connected with those dealing with similar challenges after reentry. 

2. Rx Refill
Implemented by the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Rx Refill app is an easy and convenient way for veterans to request prescription refills from their phones. The VA reported that any requested prescriptions will be delivered through the mail by the VA Mail Order Pharmacy. In addition to Rx Refill, the VA offers a number of other mobile apps focused on providing better health care to veterans.

3. Claims Coach
Benefits for veterans can be difficult to navigate. But the Claims Coach app by the American Legion wants to change that by providing step-by-step instructions to filing for VA benefits. The app walks veterans through the application process, helping to ensure that they receive the benefits to which they are entitled. 

4. Hiring Our Heroes
Veterans and their spouses can use the Hiring Our Heroes app to easily access all of the resources provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Hiring Our Heroes' website, as well as any partner websites. The app helps veterans by providing up-to-date resources on brand-building, job searches, mentorship and interviews, such as information on job fairs and helpful tips for every step of the job-searching process. 

Despite the success of recent box-office hits like "Lone Survivor" and "American Sniper," many former and current members of the armed forces find that Hollywood films often rely on stereotypes and dramatic action that give a very limited picture of military life. The GI Film Festival seeks to combat that problem by featuring a large collection of films that testify to the diverse experiences of the American soldier. 

Film festival for soldiers
The 9th annual GI Film Festival began on Monday, May 18, in the D.C. Metro Area. The week-long festival features film viewings, panels and various other events for attendees, according to the GIFF website. While the festival officially began on Monday and will feature events throughout the week, most of the action is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The GIFF is the first festival in the nation to exclusively use film to share the military experience. With films of varying lengths examining a medley of topics both in and out of war, the GIFF provides a more complete picture of the experiences of servicemembers than what may be seen in more traditional Hollywood-style films. The hope is not only to provide films that past and current military members can relate to, but to better educate the public. 

 "… in a nation where less and less people actually serve in the military, most people don't know what it means to serve," GIFF co-founder Laura Law-Millett told the Washington Post. "By educating the public, it's going to help veterans who are transitioning and returning home and looking for employment. Maybe the person interviewing them or hiring them will have a better understanding of what that veteran has been through. It's really just to bridge that divide between people who have served and people who haven't served." 

A full agenda
This year's festival will include more than 60 films, according to Military Times, and will address everything from historical battles to life after service. Attendees will be able to view projects like "The Haircut," a short film on one of the first women to attend West Point, "Craft in America," a documentary that looks at the healing role of crafts in the military, and the North American premiere of "Kajaki," a film that portrays the true story of the bravery of young British soldiers on Kajaki Dam.   

It can be difficult for a military spouse to find work. Whether it is the regular moves, single-parent duties or an attempt to go back to school, spouses often need flexible hours if they are looking to add extra income, something that can be difficult to find in this economy. Luckily, Uber wants to help. 

What it is
Uber is a technology company that matches drivers with people who are seeking rides. Unlike a traditional taxi service, drivers can use their own vehicles and choose their own hours. This makes the company a desirable option for people looking for extra income who are unable to work 9 to 5. 

After announcing its UberMILITARY program, which aimed to help vets and inactive military members earn extra income, in September 2014, Uber is now partnering with military families through the UberMILITARY Families Coalition. The new campaign seeks to help people in this demographic take advantage of the flexible hours offered by the company to earn additional income for their families. 

According to the Uber blog, the company is partnering with Hiring Our Heroes, Blue Star Families, National Military Family Association and American Military Partner Association in the effort to assist military families in the U.S.

"Military spouses face significant challenges with employment due to their service members' frequent moves, and the UberMILITARY program is a unique and innovative way to help address these challenges," said American Military Partner Association President Ashley Broadway-Mack in the AMPA blog. "AMPA is proud to partner with Uber for this program, helping make a difference in the lives of our modern military families who sacrifice so much for our nation."

How it can help
In addition to employment, the Families Coalition will provide rides for military spouses and family members to career fairs and other events, establish alliances with local chapters of the partner organizations and collaborate with the partners to discover new ways to support and empower these families across the country. 

Since initiating the UberMILITARY program eight months ago, Uber reported that drivers in the initiative have already taken home over $35 million and now earn over $1 million a week collectively. 

Military spouses can easily sign up on Uber's website and will be contacted by a company representative.