Led by U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., members of the North Florida delegation, helped amend the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to have the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) review how it helps female servicemembers move out of the Armed Forces and into the civilian workforce.

With the support of U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., last week, Rutherford proposed to amend the NDAA “to evaluate the effectiveness of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for female servicemembers.”

While Rutherford and Dunn voted against the NDAA, the amendment was added without opposition. The NDAA passed the House last week on a party lines vote.

Rutherford weighed in on Thursday on why he had brought out the amendment.

“Female servicemembers, who represent the fastest growing veteran population, have unique needs and care requirements that differ from their male counterparts,” said Rutherford. “Unfortunately, many VA and DoD services are geared toward men, and this is especially true for transition assistance. With more women serving in combat roles, our transition assistance programs must address gender-specific differences in the physical and psychological wounds of war when servicemembers return to civilian life.”

First elected to Congress in 2016 after three terms as sheriff of Duval County, Rutherford serves in the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus and the Women Veterans Task Force.

Rutherford represents all of Nassau County and parts of Duval and St. Johns Counties in a secure Republican district.

Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.