A Salute to our Female Soldiers this Memorial Day 

Countless members of the U.S. military have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and privileges we enjoy everyday. However, it comes as a surprise to many the number of women who have fought and died for their country. In fact, according to the U.S. Military, more than 150 women have been killed and more than 800 wounded in the Iraq and Afghan Wars alone. Even though many associate Memorial Day with hot dogs, beach parties and the kickoff to summer, we hope you all take a moment to remember and appreciate our fallen heroes. Here are just a few of the brave women we salute. Do you have a fallen hero you want to recognize this Memorial Day? Please share on the TomboyX Facebook Page. Let's bring visibility to all soldiers! 

Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen

Photo: The Advocate 

Not only was Major Vorderbruggen one of the first openly gay service members, she also advised the White House on how to implement the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Major Vorderbruggen was killed by a suicide bomber along with six of her fellow service members in 2015. She leaves behind her wife, Heather, and son, Jacob. 

Spc. Brittany B. Gordon

Photo: American Women Veterans 

Specialist Gordon was an Army Intelligence Analyst who was killed by a suicide bomber along with five others in 2012. She was on her first deployment, a mission she had volunteered to take on. According to TampBay.Com, her cousin, Rev. Evelyn Thompson described Gordon this way: "If I would describe her, she had no fear. She wanted to make a difference. Because that's what military people do: make a difference in the lives of others."

1st Lt. Ashley White Stumpf 

Photo: Cosmopolitan 

1st Lt. Stumpf was a pioneer, part of a band of sisters called the Cultural Support Teams. These teams of women were among the first to go into combat zones. Their mission so secret, they couldn't even tell their families. Stumpf's assignment was to speak with local women and children to gather information. She was killed in action along with two Army Rangers when walking into a booby-trapped compound. Her story so brave, she and her team were the inspiration for the book Ashley's War. 

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