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This qualitative, exploratory study examines the combat experiences of female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and explores differences and similarities between male and female veterans’ descriptions of their combat experiences. Semi-structured interviews with 12 female and 5 male veterans provided data on definitions of combat and combat veteran, descriptors of and types of combat experiences, and the thoughts, feelings, bodily response and actions of the veterans during their combat experiences, as well as their coping behaviors immediately following the combat experience. These themes were then analyzed separately by gender and compared. Findings from the female veterans’ interviews included heterogeneous definitions of combat and combat veteran, as well as a wide variety of types of experiences they considered to be combat. Female veterans reported combat experiences in three themes – experiencing combat or post-battle events, witnessing combat or post-battle events, and feeling threatened. Male and female veterans primarily differed in two areas – definition of combat and combat veteran and types of experiences they considered to be combat. Male and female veterans described similar responses to combat in thoughts, feelings, physical response, behavior, and coping immediately post-combat. This study has implications for social work practice and theory as well as important implications for the changing policies governing women in combat roles in the military.