How One Combat Medic Built A Lifeline For Women Veterans

The most powerful sentence in today’s conversation is also the simplest: “Actually, she’s the veteran.” We sit down with Brooke Jackson Kahn—Army combat medic, neurosurgery PA, and founder of She’s the Veteran—to explore what service, transition, and healing look like when the world still assumes the veteran is a man. Brooke brings clear, lived insight into how women experience PTS differently, why so many never seek help, and how community can change a life when therapy hours end.We walk through the rough edges of coming home—from culture shock to isolation—and why early VA claims matter for long-term health. Brooke reveals the research gap that pushed her to act and the program model she built on neuroplasticity: activity-based experiences that retrain the brain and reduce stress. Think stand-up comedy led by a retired Army colonel, virtual cooking classes, and monthly meetups that require one crucial boundary: no spouses, no civilians, no kids. That protected space lets women step out of their roles and reconnect with themselves, often realizing how much relief they’ve been postponing.We also talk scale and impact. With over 80% of eligible women not using VA healthcare and one in five military suicides involving a woman veteran, access must reach beyond traditional systems. She’s the Veteran, now runs chapters in Charleston, Columbia, and San Diego, and has an app that helps women find each other nationwide by location. Recognition from Evan Williams’ American-Made Heroes amplified the mission with grants and national visibility, but growth remains intentional—training leaders, centralizing logistics, and prioritizing programs that truly move the needle on mental health.If you’re a woman who served—or you love one—this episode offers a map: how to find your tribe again, why celebrating service matters, and where to plug in. Subscribe for more conversations that lift up veteran voices, share this with a woman warrior in your life, and visit shestheveteran.org to donate, join an event, or start a chapter in your city. Your share might be the connection that keeps someone going.