For Air Force veteran Jessica Coulter, growing up with Vietnam veteran parents meant joining the military was in her cards. At age 17, she was determined to follow in their footsteps.
After scoring exceptionally well in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) exam, Coulter enlisted in the Air Force with the support of her parents, who understood the decision would provide her with housing, healthcare and money for college and that she would be well taken care of.
She was on active duty from 1999 until 2003, serving as a chaplain’s assistant and the only woman in her section. She mastered self-discipline, developed a strong work ethic and established long-lasting friendships, and says that up until then, the military boosted her confidence.
But while deployed in the Middle East, her experience took a drastic turn. In 2000, she was sexually assaulted on base.
Coulter returned to civilian life in 2007, married and became a mother, but years later, the effects of an undiagnosed, untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) appeared when she divorced.
“I couldn’t keep a job because of my PTSD,” she says. “All my emotions were dysregulated, but a therapist explained to me that that was a typical response from the assault.”
At that time, Coulter learned about Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), an organization assisting veterans around the country, through its grocery gift cards a Veterans Affairs (VA) social worker provided her in her hometown of Newport, R.I.
As part of her healing process, she attended a women’s veteran conference where, for the first time, she spoke openly about her assault. “All the other women were talking about their injuries and combat experiences, and here I was, talking about sexual assault, feeling like I didn’t belong.”
After the conference, a staff member from WWP approached Coulter to talk about her trauma. “That was the first conversation where I learned this happens to other people,” she says.
From there, she started getting more involved with the organization, attending events and meeting other female veterans who went through sexual trauma. Finding out she wasn’t alone was a turning point.
Coulter came full circle when she decided to help veterans reconnect with themselves through holistic healing, finding a stable job as a yoga teacher at VA Tampa Health Care in 2019.
During the pandemic, she moved to Miami, became a licensed aesthetician and founded Intuitive Wellness & Esthetics, a mobile holistic wellness company.
“Looking back, I chose to be well. I was heading toward a very self-destructive path during that time,” she says.
Today, Coulter continues advocating for female veterans, fighting for better treatment and ensuring they receive the healthcare they deserve.
As we approach Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, she asks everyone to go beyond the usual, ‘Thank you for your service’ sentiment and suggests taking an extra step. “Ask us questions, get to know us and keep the conversation going,” she says.
