This story originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of Town&Gown magazine.
The opportunity to join the armed forces always appealed to Amanda Strandburg. Both of her grandfathers served in the Vietnam War, which lit an early respect and admiration for the women and men in the military. Strandburg found the altruism involved in such a decision commendable.
Strandburg’s opportunity to follow in her grandfathers’ footsteps came in January 2009 when she joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Service of others, coupled with the National Guard’s valuable educational benefits, inspired her to enlist.
After 15 years in the Army National Guard, another call to civic duty tugged at Strandburg. Her time in the National Guard shone a spotlight on issues exclusive to women veterans, and she, along with fellow soldier Elizabeth Maines, launched Her Boots in February 2024.
The organization aims to illuminate issues faced by women veterans while helping to dismantle the roadblocks that often stand in the way of access to military-centric resources.
Although Her Boots was established last year, Strandburg spent a handful of years organizing back-to-school and Easter drives before ultimately launching the organization. “I decided on female veterans because I was on Facebook one day, and I actually saw one of my old soldiers posting,” Strandburg, 37, says. “She has two children, and she was talking about how she couldn’t afford back-to-school supplies for her children. … (I) decided to make it more concrete with the nonprofit.”
As the daughter of a single mom, the post resonated with Strandburg.
Her Boots meets on the first Tuesday of every month via Microsoft Teams. Representatives from Veterans Affairs and other military-centered organizations and nonprofits also join the monthly meetings on occasion to provide information and enlighten members on services available to them. Group gatherings have included meetings at coffee shops, hiking adventures and yoga classes.
“We want to provide a community for female veterans,” Strandburg says. “If you think about a veteran, most people think about males. Men go to the VFW or the American Legion. But typically, and it’s kind of sad, women in the military are moms — they’re probably not going to want to hang out at a bar. So we’ve been trying to create different ways to get female veterans connected.”
Strandburg, an employee at Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory, grew up in Clearfield and now lives in Howard. She attended the now-defunct DuBois Business College when she enlisted in the National GuardCollege when she enlisted in the National Guard and ultimately earned her bachelor’s degree (psychology) and MBA from Capella University.
Like Strandburg, patriotism also courses through Maines’ veins. The daughter of a soldier, Maines was born at the U.S. Army’s Fort Irwin National Training Center in California. Strandburg and Maines met in 2010, not long after the two completed basic training. Maines playfully calls the friendship unlikely.
“The Army just has a way of pairing people up together who in any normal daily life situation, probably wouldn’t even chat with that person,” Maines, 34, says with a laugh. “Amanda has always been very pretty, and I have been more tomboy, rough, and rugged compared to her. It was honestly by chance and trainings.”
Maines left the unit in 2014 when she moved from the area, but the two remained in touch. In 2019, the pair reunited when Maines returned to Central Pennsylvania. Throughout the years, Strandburg and Maines discussed launching a website or program that served as a resource for women veterans.
The need for such a platform was further underscored in the winter of 2020 when 3 feet of water flooded Maines’ basement and destroyed every electrical item stored there, including the washing machine, dryer, and furnace. The incident forced Maines and her young child to stay with Maines’ parents while awaiting a new furnace.
“I started battling all this red tape, and I was like, the Army as a whole preaches to everyone that resources are available, thank you for serving your country, and I went through a horrendous nightmare of trying to get someone to help me,”
Maines explains. “I came into work almost every day crying.” Maines’ experience and Strandburg’s Facebook friend’s post prompted the two to finally set Her Boots in motion.
“The resources that people offer are great, but unless you specifically know what you need to ask for or who you need to talk to, it is almost impossible,” Maines says. “So we’re trying to get women together, and we’re spreading the information for resources. All [military] branches are welcome.”
The State College chapter of the YMCA of Centre County has been a welcoming venue for several Her Boots gatherings. Members also huddle at the branch for one of their gift basket assembly sessions.
The organization has utilizes other sites around the area.
In 2024, Her Boots hosted a back-to-school drive at the State College Municipal Building. Earlier that year, the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg served as the site for Her Boots’ Women’s History Month event.
Strandburg and Maines hope to add similar functions in the near future. The duo is in the process of applying for grants to assist with funding.
A valuable and willing ally for Strandburg, Maines, and Her Boots has been Susan Yohn, Woman Veterans Program manager with VA Altoona Health Care. Strandburg says she’s encouraged by the steps being taken nationally by the Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize women veterans and its effort to address their specific needs.
“The VA as a whole is really recognizing that female veterans respond to treatment differently — they actually don’t get treatment that often,” she explains. “So they’re completely revamping how they are approaching female veterans.”
Strandburg is also doing her part to supplement the agency’s national push. She assists by distributing surveys through Her Boots and social media channels to seek insight on why treatment for women veterans remains low, and uncovering things that would dismantle some of the roadblocks preventing them from seeking needed health care.
More than 170,000 women currently serve in the Army National Guard.
On June 12, 1948, President Harry Truman, with the stroke of his pen, signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. In doing so, women were legally allowed to permanently serve in the four branches of the armed forces: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. They were, however, prohibited from serving in combat. Maine congresswoman and eventual senator Margaret Chase Smith sponsored the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act.
According to a 2021 press release from the then-U.S. Department of Defense (now the U.S. Department of War), “women made up 17.3% of the active duty force, totaling 231,741 members; and 21.4% of the National Guard and reserves at 171,000 members.” While Her Boots helps ease access to resources and benefits available to women veterans, it also serves as an outlet for women to address their unique experiences in the armed forces — both it’s a good way to connect with other female veterans. You get a lot of information that you wouldn’t normally get.”
She’s also been able to contribute to Her Boots.
McGarry started teaching yoga when she was deployed, and her expertise proved valuable to Her Boots. A yoga session followed by a hike at Curwensville Lake is included as one of the organization’s activities.
While the information Her Boots provides its members alone makes being a part of the organization valuable, McGarry says the fellowship it affords members to enjoy is just as beneficial. “A lot of people showed up for the yoga and the hike,” McGarry says.
“A lot of people believe in it and appreciate it. I think it’s a good thing. I think everyone feels the same way I do about it having connections and resources.”
Although the paths Strandburg, Maines, and McGarry took to arrive at the National Guard differed, their shared experiences in the service set them on the same mission. Through Her Boots, they hope to give women veterans a sense of community and provide them with the valuable resources they deserve.
“The military is friendly for all; however, it’s geared toward males,” McGarry says. “It’s getting better. But we’re still learning how to be equals in the military, like the males are. You don’t really get information. It’s nice to have something there that’s geared towards females.” T&G
Elton Hayes is a freelance writer in State College
