It was just a quick glimpse in a mirror. But that’s all it took. Olga Mireles knew she was ready for war. Her camouflage uniform fit perfectly. The vest felt secure. Even the heavy weapon, that once felt so awkward across her chest, felt just right. Boot camp was over. Iraq was next.

    “A different part of your personality comes out when you know you’re going to war,” says the 47 year-old veteran. “My mind was ready for this. It’s what I was trained for.”

    Mireles always felt an urge to serve in the military. At 35, she decided to give in to the calling by enlisting in the Navy Reserve. She was instantly attracted to the growing bond within her battalion of 500 men and 50 women. Their mission was clear. The connection strong.

    “It’s hard to explain,” she says. “If you’re not in that circle, it’s hard for you to understand the bond.”

    But now things are different.

    Mireles is back home in San Diego after finishing a tour in Iraq and Kuwait. Days seem a lot slower now. The comrades she served with day in and day out, are now scattered across the country. The bond is still there, but it’s mostly just memories that take over. 

    “When you come back home, it’s hard,” recalls Mireles as she looks straight ahead. “There’s a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. Nobody really understands what you’ve been through over there.”

    The fact that she’s a female veteran made things even harder. It didn’t take long for her to notice, women in the military don’t always get the same recognition, gratitude or even respect as their male counterparts.

    Women make up about 20 percent of the military. They’re often denied certain benefits since they’re not recognized as serving in combat zones.

    “Here at home, we go through the same things [men] do,” says Mireles. “We suffer from the same health issues, but somehow, we don’t get the same credit.”

    Jennifer Roberts knows this all to well. She works as a program manager for San Diego’s Veteran Affairs office.

    “Female veterans have different stressors than men,” adds Roberts. “More likely she’s a single mom or part of a two soldier couple. They experience a loss of status: civilian employment may be a step down from [their] military role…..The female may want to further her education, but between work and children, finding the time can be a challenge. “

    When Mireles started volunteering at San Diego’s Veteran Museum and Memorial Center the inequality became clear. There, amid the dozens of flags hanging from the ceiling, the exhibits, placards and medals, something was missing: A proper exhibit honoring women in the military.

    “The photography was black and white, a lot of them were just copies mounted on foam,” says Mireles as she describes the “Women’s Room” in the museum. “Everything seemed dusty. I kept thinking, ‘I just got back from Iraq. A lot of stuff is going on over there, that isn’t being represented here.’”

    Although San Diego has a relatively large group of female veterans, with limited money and staff, upgrading the room wasn’t a priority for the museum.

    Mireles decided to step in. 

    After months of planning, now the 18’X28’ room has new carpet and fresh paint. As word gets around, female veterans are doing their part to help give the women’s room a much needed face lift. So called shadow boxes that hold all types of military awards will be showcased. Recent uniforms will be shown. Updated pictures will be framed. It’s a small yet highly symbolic way to honor female veterans and their service.

    “We’re really excited to kick off this project,” says Melanie Bruce, Director of Events at the Museum. “The main goal is to eventually make it into a permanent exhibit. Hopefully we can get some grants to keep it going.”

    For Mireles, the exhibit will help validate the role women play in the military. In a way it’s also therapy. Even for the self assertive, no-nonsense veteran, the reality of life after a war isn’t always easy.

    “In the military you can’t really show emotion,” says Mireles. “That takes its toll after a while.”

    Mireles served at Camp Bucca; a prison in Southern Iraq that holds Al Quaeda detainees. Like a scene from a movie, each prisoner has his eyes scanned as a precaution. It’s a tense atmosphere with scorching heat well over 100 degrees. There’s no greenery in sight and the enemies are always watching the guards. Any sign of weakness is an opportunity of the detainees. For the fellow service members, weakness often means loosing the respect of your battalion.

    Mireles recalls how a fellow female veteran, was criticized for being “nice” to a detainee. Something as small as giving them an extra soft drink, was seen as a weakness. She was told by her comrades to ‘straighten up,’ but the pressure was too much. Shortly after, she was placed on suicide watch at the Camp.

    “She threatened to hurt herself,” recalls Mireles with a blank stare. “I think [some of us] were just exhausted, anxious, ready to fight at the drop of a pin. Women get talked about a lot in the military. Guys don’t.”

    It’s also hard to ignore all international attention roaming around sexual abuse cases against servicewomen.

    On February 2011, 17 veterans, (15 women and two men) filed a lawsuit describing how some servicemen allegedly got away with rape, with little or no accountability.

    The lawsuit went straight to the top, blaming Defense Secretary Robert Gates for allegedly overseeing a culture that pushes victims to remain silent or risk being retaliated against. The alleged abuse ranges from verbal to gang rape.

    “Females are more likely to report and seek services than their male counterparts due to the stigma,” says Roberts. “Women with Military Sexual Trauma are nine times more likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder then those who have served in combat and don’t experience any kind of trauma.”

    Yet with all the challenges facing women in the military, Mireles lived  some of the best moments of her life, while serving. She recalls sleepless nights, physical hardships and mental stress, yet in her eyes, it’s clear she misses it.

    “I hope I’m deployed to Afghanistan,” she says with firmness. She’s ready to serve again….. some people just have it in their blood.

    The Women in the Military Her Story will kickoff Saturday March 19th from 10a.m to 5 p.m at the Veteran’s Museum and Memorial Center: 2115 Park Blvd in Balboa Park. For more information, visit www.veteranmseum.org. Female veterans are encouraged to donate their military items.