Evan Williams Bourbon recognizes Mount Pleasant woman for helping local female veterans (2024)

MOUNT PLEASANT— The founder of a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting female veterans has been named an American-Made Hero by a popular bourbon brand.

Brooke Jackson Kahn of Mount Pleasant is one of six U.S. veterans to be recognized by Evan Williams Bourbon for their dedication to making a difference in their local communities. Jackson Kahn is founder of She's the Veteran, a nonprofit that hosts events to support the mental health needs of female veterans.

Jackson Kahn spent eight years in the Army as a combat medic and currently serves as a captain in the Army Reserve.

She started the group after moving to Mount Pleasant in 2019. She became eager to connect with fellow female veterans but quickly found that there weren't many outlets for her to choose from. There were plenty of American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts and veteran support groups, though nothing was specific to women veterans.

"I was excited. I was going to meet all my female veteran friends and instantly have a community, and there just wasn't anything here specifically for us," Jackson Kahn said. "If I want to make a difference and see the change, I've just got to do it myself."

Angie Powers, a charter member of She's The Veteran, said it's easy for women veterans to fade into the background. She's not always asked about her story or her years of Army service.

"When we take our uniform off and we're at home, we're not always recognized, and there's not as much of a community for us. We're invisible, and we kind of blend into the community unless you're like me," Powers said, gesturing to the stars and stripes in the tattoo sleeve that covers her arms. "For the most part, people don't look at me, even like this, and think that I've served in the military. We don't fit the general stereotype."

Jackson Kahn found this invisibility has bled into many of the services and organizations offered to veterans. Very rarely was there anything specifically geared toward women, namely mental health services.

Jackson Kahn, who is a neurosurgical physician assistant at Roper St. Francis, wrote her thesis on the lack of diagnosis and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in female veterans. Suicide rates among female veterans are almost twice the rate for nonveteran women, according to data from the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs.

"(Mental health) is a big deal. It's a big deal. But no one's talking about the ladies," Jackson Kahn said.

She's The Veteran is a free, inclusive space for female veterans of all branches and is open to active duty, retired or those in the reserves. The group hosts events each month that allow members to try something new and connect with other women veterans, all with the goal in mind to support members' mental health.

Having the space to discuss their time in the service can be healing in itself, Powers said.

"I find that it is so beneficial to mental health to talk about what they've experienced and carried for a long time. Being able to speak about it in a safe environment, they're able to let their walls down," Powers said.

She's The Veteran has no requirement for how many events members must attend or any membership fees.

There is one thing Jackson Kahn does require, though.Often women veterans will downplay their time in the military, she said.

"Do not be dismissive of your service. You all count, and you all matter. I think that's important for them to change that internal dialogue. Serving your country is a big deal, but they don't act like that," Jackson Kahn said.

She's The Veteran and Jackson Kahn's work is commemorated by Evan Williams Bourbon in two limited-edition bottlings of Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch. The pink She's The Veteran logo will be featured on the star-spangled bottles of bourbon.

"With these unique editions, we aim to magnify our foundation's mission — providing a platform for veteran stories like Brooke’s, raising awareness for issues they face and directly supporting the nonprofits that offer crucial help. As an American-made and American-owned brand, these releases symbolize our unwavering commitment to celebrating and aiding our nation’s heroes,” said Molly Vincent, senior brand manager at Evan Williams Bourbon.

The bourbon is on the shelves of liquor stores now. Jackson Kahn said she will likely be signing bottles at the upcoming annualWomen Veterans Day Celebrationon June 8.

The ticketed event celebrates June 12, 1948, the day women could officially serve as members of the military. The celebration features a raffle, a keynote speaker and the crowning of the Woman Veteran of the Year.