Imagine you’re a patriotic woman committed to serving your country, a mother, and single. Now imagine you’re deployed to a foreign country, stationed at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) and away from your children.

The number of women on active duty in the U.S. military has risen dramatically since September 11, 2001. The Pentagon reports that more than 200,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan in various roles that take them to the front lines. Among their ranks are more than 30,000 single mothers, a number that military experts say is unprecedented. According to the U.S. Defense Department, there are more than 70,500 single parents on active duty in the U.S. military—about 5% of all service members.