Minnesota National Guard Veteran, Ashley Laganiere, recently became the Gold Star Family and Women Veterans Program Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

The mission of the Minnesota Women Veterans Program is to ensure women Veterans have equal access to federal and state benefits and services. The program responds to gender specific needs of women Veterans and ensures that women Veterans are treated with dignity and respect. It is also geared towards offering the appropriate benefits and services needed for women, primarily in healthcare.

Laganiere takes the mission of the Women Veterans Program to heart. She believes in equitable healthcare for both men and women Veterans. She understands the difficulty of being a woman in the military striving for a level of equality, as well as the challenges that accompany transitioning as a Veteran into civilian life. Looking ahead, Laganiere said she hopes to continue to improve the awareness of available benefits, services, and eligibility criteria for the women who served in the United States Armed Forces.

Earlier this year, Laganiere told Minnesota Public Radio, "Coming out of the service and identifying as a woman before a Veteran is difficult. It's hard for women to speak up and ask for what can be perceived as specialized treatment, but it's not specialized help; Women do have gender-specific needs, as do male Veterans, but sometimes [women] have had to fight a little bit more [to get those benefits]."

Both the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and the St. Cloud VA Medical Center have Women's Health Centers dedicated to healthcare equity and specific healthcare needs of women.

In addition to the Women Veterans Program, Laganiere also oversees the Gold Star Family Program. The Gold Star families are the immediate family of a fallen service-member.

"We support the families of the fallen from every branch and from every era. So many families were never recognized or thanked for their sacrifice. We stand to not only change that and provide them the gratitude that they so greatly deserve, but also to provide the support, resources, and coping skills they may need," said Laganiere.

There are a variety of opportunities for women Veterans and Gold Star Families to be recognized:
The Salute to Women Veterans Event will be taking place on May 16, 2015 at Cragun's Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota. This event is open for all ages, eras, branches, and transitioning military women. Participants can enjoy discounted room rates, workshops, connection and networking, information on State and Federal benefits, and more. Register for the event by calling Jennell Stai at (612) 970-5787.

The Gold Star Family Retreat will be taking place October 2-4, 2015 at Cragun's Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota. In honor and remembrance of Minnesota's Fallen Service Members, Commissioner Larry Shellito of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has designated the first weekend in October for the Annual Gold Star Family Retreat.

Specialized License Plates are available to Women Veterans and Gold Star Families For more information visit https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/forms-documents/Documents/MV_SpecialPlatesApplication.pdf.