A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to improve medical care for women veterans. The proposed Women Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008 seeks to prepare the Department of Veterans Affairs for an unprecedented influx of female veterans in the coming years.

The legislation would authorize programs to treat military sexual trauma (a full description is available online at www.military.com/benefits/veterans-health-care/sexual-trauma), increase research on barriers to female veterans’ care and expand women veterans’ staff positions at the VA.

Read the full article at Military.com’s Web site, www.military.com/news/article/bill-to-improve-care-for-women-veterans.html.

Coming events

•Saturday: Golf tournament at Lindhbrook Golf Course, 299 Woodville Alton Rd., Hopkinton, sponsored by the Family Readiness Group of the Rhode Island National Guard 143rd SFS, with 1 p.m. registration and a shotgun start at 2 p.m. Proceeds will finance homecoming celebrations for Rhode Island troops serving in Iraq. E-mail Nancy Pirnie at Nanpir3@cox.net to reserve a spot or for more information.

•Sunday: May “fly-in or drive-in” Breakfast, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Quonset Air Museum, Quonset State Airport, 488 Eccleston Ave., North Kingstown; tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12, and include museum tours. For more information, call (401) 294-9540 or visit online at www.theQAM.org.

•Sunday: The World War II Commission of Rhode Island presents a “Salute to World War II Veterans,” honoring Staff Sgt. John Tessitore, at the West Valley Inn, 4 Blossom St., West Warwick, at noon. Proceeds will pay for maintenance of the recently completed World War II monument in downtown Providence. Tickets for the Italian-style family dinner are $30, and reserved seating for eight or more is available. Entertainment will be provided by the Nite Life Orchestra, students of the Judi T. Dance Studio, and For Sentimental Reasons, an Andrews Sisters tribute group. For more information or for tickets, call (401) 823-8630, (401) 827-5086 or (401) 821-4845.

•June 2: Operation Stand Down of Rhode Island will hold a golf tournament at Potowomut Country Club, 439 Ives Rd., Warwick, to benefit disabled veterans needing housing. Registration costs $150 and various sponsorships are available as well as lunch and dinner-only tickets. For more information call Al Signorelli at (401) 383-4730 or register online at www.osdri.com.

•June 16: Golf tournament at Exeter Country Club, in Exeter, sponsored by the state chapter of the Association of the United States Army in honor of Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Mancini, with 7 a.m. registration and a shotgun start at 8:30. The cost is $100, which covers breakfast, greens fees, golf with cart, prizes and a steak fry. For reservations or more information, call John Mancini at (401) 334-2508, or e-mail him at csmjmancini@cox.net.

Meetings

• House Advisory Council

The Permanent Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs to the state House of Representatives meets at 10 a.m. today in hearing room 135 of the State House.

• American Legion

Fairlawn Post 42’s executive committee will hold a noon luncheon meeting today at Faial’s restaurant, 970 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, to choose delegates for the state convention and the Pawtucket Veterans Council. Post 18 will meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. at 3064 East Main Rd., Portsmouth. Post 18 members will flag graves on May 24 at St. Mary’s, Trinity and Portsmouth cemeteries starting at 8:30 a.m., and volunteers are welcome to attend. Post 39 will host a bingo at 1958 Kingstown Rd., Peace Dale, on Friday starting at 6:30 p.m.; bingos will also held May 30, June 13 and 27, July 13 and 27 and Aug. 8 and 22.

•Gulf War Commission

The Persian Gulf War Information and Relief Commission will meet at 1 p.m. today in the Pasteur Building 57, at 600 New London Ave., Cranston. For more information, call (401) 245-0372.

• Disabled American Veterans

Lawson-Raiola Chapter 15 Post will meet tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Bisbano Building North, Rhode Island Veterans Home, Metacom Avenue, Bristol.

The DAV Department officers for 2008-09 include: James Robbins, commander; Brenda Gomez, senior vice commander and legislative officer; Fred Adams, junior vice commander; Oscar Tassone, 2nd junior vice commander; Michael Moriarty, treasurer; Albert Leclerc, adjutant; Anthony Rodrigues, judge advocate; Raymond Sanchas, UVC delegate; Joseph Cooke, chaplain; Richard Schatz, chief of staff; Henry Wright, department inspector; Stephen Moffitt, deputy inspector; Joseph Jerozal, HSC; John Beadle, 3rd district representative; Richard Vaccari and Justin Hart, NSO; Beth Greenwood and Stephen Moffitt, department NSO; and Joseph Corrente, Rhode Island Disability Commission.

DAV Department Auxiliary officers for 2008-09 are Ann Schatz, commander; Dorothy Lubera, senior vice commander; Dorothy Calise, junior vice commander; Grace Boland, treasurer; Helen Folcarelli, chaplain; and Donna Folcarelli, judge advocate.

• Veterans of Foreign Wars

Washington County Post 916, 155 High St., Wakefield, will install post and auxiliary officers at 7 p.m. tomorrow; it will host a ham-and-bean supper Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m., with $10 tickets sold at the door. Department president Emily Berndt will preside at a council of administration dinner meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in Gilbert Post, 52 Underwood Lane, Middletown. Kelley-Gazzerro Post 2812, 1418 Plainfield St., Cranston, will meet Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Gilbert Auxiliary Unit 4487 will host an inside cookout at the post home, in Middletown, on Sunday at 2 p.m. to benefit the cancer fund; for $10 tickets call (401) 683-2692.

• Korean War Veterans

Northern Rhode Island Chapter 3 will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Chepachet Senior Center, 1210 Putnam Pike, Chepachet; Lt. Col. Jeannie Vachon will speak on military personal-assault victims. West Bay Chapter 2 will meet on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in VFW Post 449, 197 Providence St., West Warwick.

• Submarine veterans

SUBVETS-R.I. will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in American Legion Post 27, Thelma Drive, Hope Valley. The group welcomes all those qualified in submarines, both prior service and active duty, and those with an interest in the submarine force. For more information, e-mail Charlie Mueller, base commander, at cmueller5@cox.net or call (401) 377-9089.

• Vietnam veterans

Chapter 273 will meet Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in VFW Post 4651, at 7 Haven Ave. in Cranston. The group needs volunteer readers for the names of war dead to be called on Memorial Day at the Vietnam Veterans Monument in Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter; to volunteer, call Jim Tourgee Jr. at (401) 677-5070.

• Military Officers’ Association

The Narragansett Bay Chapter will hold a dinner meeting at 6 p.m. Friday at the Quonset O Club, in North Kingstown, featuring a speaker and the installation of officers. Reservations must by made by today; call (401) 364-8969.

• Seabees

Island X-1 Davisville will meet at the Seabee Park and Museum, 21 Iafrate Way, North Kingstown, on Saturday at 9 a.m. All Seabees, active and retired, are welcome.

• Battle of the Bulge vets

Rhode Island Chapter 24 will meet Saturday at noon in American Legion Post 8, on Legion Way in Barrington.

• WAVES

Ocean State Unit 118 will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Powers Building, 1 Capitol Hill, Providence.

George W. Reilly can be reached at VeteransColumn@verizon.net or by writing to The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, R.I. 02902.