Manchester resident Linda Grant had been mostly quiet during a roundtable discussion Monday about the challenges women face during and after military service. But before U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster left the event, Grant approached the congresswoman.

Grant is a military veteran – and a victim of sexual assault. She served from 2002 to 2006 in the U.S. Marine Corps. When she returned to New Hampshire, she became homeless after she went through a divorce. She has five children.

Grant wanted to tell the congresswoman her story, about how she finally got help at the Manchester Veterans Affairs Medical Center, about how she is learning to trust again.

“You can be in crisis mode for years before you get help from the VA,” Grant said later.

The issues of military sexual assault and veteran homelessness are in national headlines and on the lips of lawmakers. Last week, the first two women ever graduated the grueling training program for U.S. Army Rangers. Next month, the leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps will make recommendations about which military roles should be open to women – and which, if any, should not.

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