Kayla Brown became the first woman appointed to the Lawrence County Veterans Service Commission when she was sworn in by Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Christen Finley on Thursday morning.

She said it felt “very good” to be the first woman to serve on the board although, “that should have happened sooner maybe.”

Brown is a U.S. Army veteran who served 2004-2007 and served in Iraq. She was originally supposed to be a cook, “but I actually ended up being a machine gunner the whole time. I got to shoot anything and everything I wanted, but the SAW was the weapon I carried. It was fun, I like blowing up things.”

She left the service after she got pregnant, “but I wanted to stay in. It was wonderful.”

She returned to Ironton to raise her kids. 

“It’s a better place for that,” Brown said. She has served on a number of boards, before joining the Lawrence County Veterans Service Commission.

“I have known (Lawrence County Veterans Service officer) Tim Carpenter and the rest of the office for six or seven years now,” Brown said. “I thought I could put my efforts into helping veterans any way I can.”

She said helping veterans after she got back from Iraq helped her as well.

“Helping others makes me feel better,” Brown said.

Teresa Brown, county veterans service officer and U.S. Army veteran, said Brown joining the board was “a wonderful move in the right direction for change” since female veterans is the largest growing demographic in the military.

“I’ve known Kayla for a lot of years, I know her love of veterans and caring for people,” she said. “I know she will make a difference.”