Chapter 68 members attended the annual National Convention of the Women’s Army Corps Veterans Association in Chester, VA from July 31 – August 2, 2026. The chapter was represented by our President Sheree Bigge and member/delegate Gabe Forsberg, as well as member Shirley Vega. During the convention, Shirley was also able to catch up with two other female Army buddies who had all served together 59 years ago at Fort Bragg, NC. (See Shirley’s story in the September E-News, which can be found on our NEWS page!) In addition to conducting association business and all the social activities, the convention included the opportunity to visit the Army Women’s Museum at Ft Lee which was greatly appreciated by all attendees.

Members of Chapter 68 were also recognized during the convention for their community service — of note, Chapter 68 was #1 in Community Service hours with a total of 15,155 hours reported, and #3 in Giving/Donations, with a total of $154,265 donated by our members to support Arizona veterans and communities. Kudos to everyone who contributed to this achievement!

The next two WACVA-AWU Conventions will be in Jacksonville, FL (2027) and French Lick, IN (2028).

A few photos can be found below: 1) Opening Ceremony of the Convention with National WACVA Honor Guard. 2) Chapter 68 and Chapter 95 members and friends. 3) President Sheree Bigge and Delegate Gabe Forsberg posing with the convention mascot, a garden goose, lovingly named “General Elizabeth Goosington” in homage to General Elizabeth Hoisington, who enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp in 1942, and served as the 7th Director of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), where she broke barriers and paved the way for women to serve.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook page, HERE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/87481036666

A convention recap and highlights can be found in the Sep/Oct edition of The Channel, the national WACVA newsletter HERE: The Channel, Post-Convention issue