'I never thought of myself as a veteran': written reflections on veteran identity by ex-servicewomen in Wales.

Introduction: Although over 2 50 000 women in England and Wales have served in the armed forces, veteran research has historically focused on men, with only 2% of international studies including women. This study examines how veteran identity, defined as the significance of military service to one's self-concept, shapes ex-servicewomen's connection to the veteran community.

Methods: Qualitative written reflections were collected from 21 ex-servicewomen. Participants reflected on their perception of what constitutes a veteran, and whether the term 'veteran' formed part of their identity. The researchers employed reflexive thematic analysis, using NVivo V.14.

Results: Participants generally understood the official UK government definition of a veteran. Additionally, women's understanding of the meaning of the term veteran was related to someone having served in the military, having shared core values relating to military service and preconceived associations of the term veteran with men, older age and particular conflicts. In relation to their own veteran identity, results indicate that while some participants experienced a sense of pride and belonging tied to their veteran identity, others struggled with feelings of unworthiness, especially if they had shorter service periods or non-combat roles. Many participants also described a delayed identification with veteran status due to stereotypical perceptions and negative in-service experiences.

Conclusions: This study aligns with previous evidence that ex-servicewomen struggle to identify with the term veteran. Both stereotypical societal perceptions of who a veteran is, often older men with combat experience and longer terms of service, and negative military experiences were factors related to women's non-identification or delayed identification with their veteran identity. This study underscores the importance of peer support opportunities for ex-servicewomen. For some, engaging with other ex-servicewomen and participating in the veteran community was a factor in developing connection to being a veteran, which they previously had not identified with.