Genevieve Chase was the founder of American Women Veterans® and a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom VII and XIII. After enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve in 2003, Genevieve volunteered to be one of the first Pashto linguists in the US Army and deployed to Afghanistan with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in 2006. During a mission in Helmand Province, her vehicle was attacked by a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. She received a Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, and Joint Service Commendation Medal.
After returning from active duty service, Genevieve soon found herself struggling with the aftermath of combat and her injury. To counter the symptoms of TBI and Post Traumatic Stress, Genevieve dedicated herself to advocacy and worked tirelessly to bring to light the issues faced by today’s veterans. While advocating on their behalf, she recognized a need for a focus on women veterans from all eras and branches of service. In 2009, from that void, Genevieve created American Women Veterans® and began in earnest, the 21st-century women veterans’ movement.
In 2013, Genevieve was activated to serve on a second tour to Afghanistan, based out of Forward Operating Base Shank, Logar Province. The team endured near-daily rocket attacks and faced the loss of a teammate who was redeployed due to wounds suffered in an attack. For the team’s exceptionally meritorious service while under the most extreme circumstances, she was awarded The Bronze Star Medal.
In 2009, Genevieve testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In 2010, the U.S. Army Reserve appointed her as a Soldier Hero and in 2016, Genevieve was inducted into the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame. In 2018, she was nominated and joined an exclusive cohort of nine other women as L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth and in 2019, received national recognition by Points of Light.
Genevieve has been a keynote speaker and panelist at numerous events, universities, and almost every major news network. Today, she advises nonprofit start-ups, veterans’ advocates, and volunteers with organizations that represent causes she’s passionate about such as veterans in higher education, protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and foster children.
In 2019, Genevieve completed a tour at the Pentagon in the Headquarters for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence’s Counterintelligence Division. She subsequently was hired as a high-level technical specialist (GG 14) in the Army Civilian Corps at the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command before leaving to attend Yale University as an Eli Whitney Student in the fall of 2022.
She currently serves as an advisor (Army Reserve) to a Military Intelligence Group Commander supporting the National Ground Intelligence Center and remains active in the U.S. Army Intelligence’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and the U.S. Intelligence Community’s Women in Intelligence Affinity Group.
At Yale, Genevieve hopes to pursue a Global Affairs major and to take several philosophy classes on her way to law school.
genevievechase.com 