By Kim J. Clark
Aka Expanding Love
To celebrate Women History Month, we are showcasing an incredibly strong military woman.
Carmencita (Carmen) Pinkney served in the United States Navy as a Religious Program
Specialist. Her exemplary career span over a 20-year period. Carmencita served in two branches
of the military. Being a “daddy’s girls she followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the Navy.
She was in active duty and was stationed in Norfolk VA for two years. She then spent 4 years in
the Marine Corps reserve in San Diego, CA and San Antonio, TX. Then transitions back to the
Navy side and served 14 years in the Navy Reserves in California, Texas and Michigan.
This amazing woman is a rape survivor and suffers with military sexual trauma (MST). On a
daily basis, Carmen is plagued with debilitating migraine headaches. Yet, she does not allow her
personal challenges to get in the way of helping her sister and brother veterans. When asked how
she does it, she responded, “In the military, you suck it up and keep going.” She also said, “I do
what God wants me to do. We all need help and I believe in helping if I can. That is the way I
was taught. So that is what I do. You just don’t leave anybody behind.”
For many years she avoided dealing with the MST. However, in 2013, she made a life changing
commitment to herself. She decided that she needed and wanted to heal. Carmen sought help at
the Vet Center in Detroit. In an effort to help herself, she found an avenue to help other veterans.
That same year, she became a Peer Support Specialist. In this role, she is able to assist veterans
living with the experience of mental health challenges, provide support, guide and provide
resources to other veterans thereby, creating positive outcomes. This work has given her
life/struggles meaning and purpose.
Currently, Carmencita works for the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefit Administration
(VA). Working for the VA affords her the opportunity to help fellow veterans obtain service-
connected benefits.
To this writer, she is great source of strength, while at the same time is very compassionate.
Carmencita is very supportive when I am having difficulty dealing with the loss of my son. She
has helped me understand that my son just wanted peace. She has shared many “healing” stories
with me. Carmencita gives me great advise and continually supports The DeMarco Project any
way she can. She is a dedicated volunteer and a pleasure to work with. She understands the
vision and does what she can to help our goals come to fruition.
It is an honor to celebrate Carmencita (Carmen) Pinkney for her dedication to her sister and
brother veterans, and the family members of fallen veterans such as myself
Kim is the mother of a veteran who loved his country and was willing to lay his life down for the
freedoms he believed in. She is the Founder and CEO of The DeMarco Project, Non-profit
organization. Her life’s mission it to save veteran lives and improve the quality of life for
traumatized military service persons. If you would like to support her in the work, donations are
welcome. Visit the website: www.TheDeMarcoProject.org.
The articles featured here are published in the Detroit Native Sun http://www.detroitnativesunonline.com.
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