Today, men and women in uniform ... work so hard on our behalf to protect our freedom (and) our liberty. As they give their best for us, we want to be there for them, ... The good news for returning veterans is that the demand for skilled talent is very strong.

As I looked up at the Statue of Liberty, I thought at that time, 'What a wonderful country.'

[She tells USA TODAY that demand for some professions needed in rebuilding was already strained amid demand for new housing. A labor shortage could push up wages, she says.] We're going to see a tremendous boom in construction, ... People want to come back home.

When my mother, sisters and I arrived on the shores of America when I was 8 years old, the boat on which we came, a freighter, passed the Statue of Liberty.

Progress is being made, but a lot of women are realizing it is not what they envisioned.

The work of these women doesn't end when they return home from overseas, as one goal of the Peace Corps' mission is to help promote a better understanding of other cultures here in the United States.