Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joined leaders and lawmakers — including state Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit; Lolita Tucker, Michigan’s Disabled American Veterans state commander; and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud — for the Nov. 10 unveiling of the new Michigan woman veteran license plate. (Contributed photo)

LANSING – A new specialty license plate that aims to acknowledge the service, sacrifice and contributions of Michigan’s women veterans is officially available for purchase.

Eligible woman veterans can now order the woman veteran specialty plate online at the Michigan Department of State website or by scheduling a visit to a branch office.

The specialty license plate features a vignette of a woman veteran preceding the vehicle’s characters and has “Her Service Our Freedom” inscribed. The plate also has “Woman Veteran” below the registration configuration.

The new design is among 33 license plate designs in Michigan honoring past and present military members and their families.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson unveiled the new license plate Nov. 10, the day before Veterans Day, during an unveiling ceremony in Dearborn. Benson joined State Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit, and Lolita Tucker, Michigan’s Disabled American Veterans state commander, at the ceremony.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently unveiled a new license plate acknowledging Michigan’s women veterans. Eligible Michigan veterans may order the specialty plate online at the Michigan Department of State website or by scheduling a visit to their nearest branch office. (Contributed photo)

Santana was the sponsor of Senate Bill 788, which authorized production of the new Michigan woman veteran plate.

“This license plate isn’t going to guarantee women veterans in Michigan get all the support and resources they deserve, but we know that the visibility it promotes is a daily reminder to Michiganders everywhere of the role of women who serve,” Benson said. “May we continue to celebrate our veterans, not just this week and not just these days but every day as they serve and protect all of us.”

Benson announced the first Michigan woman veteran plate would be produced for Lolita Tucker, State Commander of Michigan’s Disabled American Veterans, who championed the bill. Tucker spoke in front of the Michigan Senate Committee on Veterans & Emergency Services in its support.

Tucker served from 1996 to 2003, including deployments to Japan, Kuwait and Iraq. She continues her service by advocating for Michigan’s disabled veterans.

In 2000, women made up only 4% of veterans nationally. By 2040, they’re expected to reach 18%, making them the fastest-growing veteran group. As of September, Michigan had more than 44,000 woman veterans, accounting for 9% of the state’s veteran population, according to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics.