Each state affects the quality of life for its veterans, National Guard and Reserve. VFW magazine takes a look at four states that are leading the charge in providing benefits for their veterans, as well as one state that falls short.
by Kelly Lanigan
States are increasingly taking on responsibilities for caring for resident veterans and members of their respective National Guards. Availability and quality of these benefits vary widely across the country, as each state treats education, health and financial benefits differently.
Illinois, New York, Minnesota and Maine have recently passed legislation and announced programs to benefit returning veterans and their families. While Illinois leads the country in innovative programs for veterans, California has passed a number of small bills but remains the only state without any tuition benefits for National Guard members.
Veterans groups and outside organizations also have helped jump-start legislation and bring new programs in to action. The most successful states demonstrate how lawmakers, veterans and other groups work together to give returning service members benefits to help them succeed in civilian life.
Illinois Launches Three Programs
Illinois has initiated several programs designed to benefit veterans. Among these are traumatic brain injury (TBI) screening for Guard members, home loans for veterans and active-duty members, and a legal support center trained in veterans issues.
In July 2007, the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) announced that it would screen all Illinois National Guard members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan for TBI as part of its Illinois Warrior Assistance Program. Illinois is the first state to implement such a program, which launched on Feb. 15.
Because states have no control over military services, the screenings cannot be required for regular military members. While this screening is mandatory for all Guard members, it also is available to all Illinois veterans, especially those of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Dr. Elliot Roth and Dr. Felise Zollman of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) designed a 20- to 30-minute TBI screening tool, which includes a written questionnaire and medical assessment. Veterans who are believed to show symptoms of TBI are referred for further testing and care.
“Traumatic brain injury is one of the most complicated injuries to treat,” said Zollman, medical director for RIC’s Brain Injury Medicine and Rehabilitation Program. “The brain is the human body’s most complex organ. Its injuries can manifest in ways that are not readily apparent, and the process of detecting and determining the extent of injury can be highly complex.”
The Warrior Assistance Program also offers a 24-hour, toll-free psychological assistance phone line, which is available for Illinois veterans with PTSD. All call center staff members working the lines are trained in combat-related PTSD and other veterans psychological issues, and at least one psychiatrist is on call at all times.
The PTSD hotline is designed to give veterans who are not able to travel to VA facilities access to initial help. It can be contacted at 1-866-554-IWAP (4927).
In May 2007, Illinois debuted its G-I Loan for Heroes program designed to help veterans and active-duty service members buy homes. In the first 16 months, 115 Illinois veterans benefited from the program. In September 2007, the state provided an additional $15 million in funds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), which administers the program.
Of the first 115 homebuyers, some 85% were veterans. The average first mortgage loans were $103,000 and the average second mortgage loan was $25,300. Illinois claims to be the first state to offer a comprehensive homeownership package to former and current service members.
Bradley Schwermin served in the Marines until 2005. In July 2007, he bought his first home with the help of the G-I Loan. Before this program was initiated, Illinois veterans and active-duty service members could only apply for the federal VA home loan guaranty.
“Illinois has some of the best benefits in the country for veterans,” Schwermin said. “But after coming home from Iraq, the most frustrating part was seeing other young people in their mid-20s like me being able to afford a new home. If it were not for the G-I Loan, I would never have been able to become a homeowner before I turned 30 because of the time I spent in the Marines.”
Illinois veterans interested in the G-I Loan can contact IDHA at www.idha. org or 1-800-942-8439.
All proceeds from the Illinois Lottery’s Veterans Cash tickets support Illinois veterans. $100,000 from IDVA’s Veterans Cash Fund was used to establish the John Marshall Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic, the first law school clinic dedicated to veterans issues, according to IDVA.
Four John Marshall Law School students came up with the idea and worked to organize the project. One of the student founders, Nicholas Henry, completed two tours of duty in Iraq with the Marine Corps.
“This great group of students identified a problem and figured out a way to solve it,” said Brian Clauss, executive director of the center and clinic. “They figured out a plan of attack, went to the right people, organized it and are getting it off the ground.”
New York Supports Vet Businesses
New York offers assistance to state veterans through its Veteran’s Loan Program, which provides $5 million in below-market, fixed-rate, small-business loans for veterans returning from deployments.
“For many New York small-business owners serving in the Guard or Reserve, being called to active duty means shutting down their businesses,” said New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “These loans for returning veterans will help ease the financial burden [that] deployment has on so many of our citizen-soldiers and on our economy.”
Loans up to $150,000 are available through the New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC). These loans can be used for start-up costs for new businesses, but Patrick J. MacKrell, NYBDC president and CEO, anticipates that most will be used for existing businesses.
“If you happen to be a plumber and you joined the Guard or Reserve, your plumbing business is going to suffer if you’re activated for more than a month,” MacKrell said. “There’s no reason veterans couldn’t use it to expand their business, but my real goal is to provide a program to help people get back on track.”
NYBDC loans can be used to buy new machines, materials or buildings, as well as hire new employees or provide training for current employees. MacKrell expects many veterans to use the money to consolidate their credit card bills. Interest rates are based on the U.S. Treasury and change weekly, but the rate is fixed for the term of the loan.
To qualify for the program, applicants must be New York business owners who serve in the Guard or Reserve, or be honorably discharged former active-duty military members. Veterans interested in applying for a small-business loan from the Veteran’s Loan Program should contact NYBDC at 1-800-923-2504.
Minnesota Citizens Step Up
Minnesota’s Warrior to Citizen campaign demonstrates how a coalition of citizens and organizations can work for veterans together with state VA programs. The University of Minnesota’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship (CDC) helps returning veterans reintegrate into communities as part of its Minnesota Works Together campaign. The program claims to be the first statewide initiative of its kind.
“This is citizen-led rather than government- or social service-led,” said Dennis Donovan, research fellow with the CDC. “This is grass-roots. This particular strategy has come from citizens.”
Donovan said the program actively works to enlist participation of vet groups like VFW. According to Ellen Tveit, communications and partnership coordinator for the CDC, VFW Posts in Minnesota are working to attract veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. However, these young vets have a new set of interests.
“They say they’re interested in a VFW-like place where they can meet up with other veterans,” Tveit said, “but they’re looking for an environment that’s more like a coffee shop, with Wi-Fi, Red Bull, large-screen TVs and video games.”
When organizers first started working on the Warrior to Citizen campaign in May 2007, they were in communication with the Minnesota National Guard. “They let us know that they were getting ready for a big return of soldiers,” Tveit said. “From their experience, paper with information about resources was not helpful. A lot of them were ending up in the trash.”
So in December 2007, Imation Corp., an Oakdale, Minn.-based company, donated 2,000 USB flash drives so the Minnesota National Guard could distribute electronic reintegration materials to returning soldiers.
Plans for future projects include a family financial planning program and job fairs. “If you’re over working on a water system in Baghdad for two years and you have that expertise and you come back … our hope is that [the county] will have an opening that will tap into your new skills and knowledge,” Donovan said.
For more information on Warrior to Citizen, visit www.publicwork.org.
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) also has been busy addressing mental health concerns of its citizen-soldiers. Mental health professionals are stationed at 22 Minnesota Army National Guard armories around the state. Free for soldiers, TriWest Healthcare Alliance provides on-site mental health consultations, education and referral. The program includes monthly unit-level training.
In October 2007 in Minneapolis, MDVA held a “Combat Stress Conference” for members of the Minnesota National Guard. Some 350 health care providers attended to provide information on the transition from the battlefield to civilian life. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), TriWest Healthcare Alliance and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center hosted the event.
In August 2007, MDVA launched LinkVet, a toll-free customer service line for Minnesota veterans and family members. Developed by the Yellow Ribbon Task Force Crisis Line Workgroup, the program claims to be the first-of-its kind. Since its launch in August 2007, LinkVet has been contacted more than 1,700 times via calls, mail and online chats.
Trained staff at the MDVA and Crisis Connection (a non-profit mental health telephone counseling service) answer calls and provide information, referrals, immediate crisis intervention and psychological counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers who need to be transferred are connected via a three-way call. The LinkVet staff member remains on the line until the issue has been resolved.
To access LinkVet, call 1-888-LINK-VET (546-5838) or www.minnesotaveteran.org/linkvet.htm.
Maine Responds to Family Concerns
Maine’s “Commission to Protect the Lives and Health of Members of the Maine National Guard” is intended to improve health screenings for deploying guardsmen.
The mother of guardsman Capt. Patrick Damon, who died in 2006 in Afghanistan, prompted the legislation. Barbara Damon-Day says her son’s death was caused by vaccinations he received before deployment. Damon-Day is now the chairwoman for the commission.
Commission responsibilities include reviewing preventative health treatment practices, vaccinations and medications given to Maine National Guard members. It looks at how the military conducts medical screenings and proposes recommendations. Meetings began in September 2007, and annual reports will be submitted to the Maine Legislature.
During meetings, the commission—which includes veterans and health professionals—listens to veterans’ testimonies to understand what needs to be changed.
“They can’t sue the state, and they can’t sue the military,” Damon-Day said. “We can’t change what happened to them, but we can change things for someone else. I can’t bring my son back by doing this, but I can help someone else’s son or daughter.”
While this issue has the support of lawmakers in Maine, Damon-Day says veterans groups have not participated in public hearings.
“They have not been as actively involved as I’d like them to be.”
California Lags on Education
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed eight bills into law in October 2007 to help California service members, veterans and their families. Bills cover:
• Waiving some fees on vehicles owned by surviving spouse of former POW or MOH recipients.
• Protecting military families from predatory or deceptive lending practices.
• Expanding absentee voting for active-duty service members.
• Compelling employers to let workers take up to 10 days of unpaid leave when their spouses are on leave from the military.
• Allowing Guard members to qualify for membership in the state’s Public Employees Retirement System and “buy” credit toward retirement.
• Making it a crime for anyone to falsely claim to have been awarded a medal for military service in order to defraud someone else.
• Giving military personnel priority in enrolling at state colleges.
• Extending the period of time that non-Californians in the armed forces who are stationed in the state can pay lower resident fees at California State University and the University of California.
However, the state of California failed to approve college tuition assistance for its National Guard members. A 2007-08 bill that would have provided $1.7 million in such assistance was rejected in legislative budget negotiations. Schwarzenegger is now asking for $1.8 million in his 2008-09 budget.
“All military and veterans groups supported the proposal last year and will do so again this year,” said Pete Conaty, a lobbyist for the National Guard Association of California.
“We were very active in support of the bill, and of the governor's proposed funding,” said Bill Manes, California legislative chairman. “Regretfully, it was not sufficient to overcome the perceived financial problems the state legislature saw.”
While some states waive 50% to 100% of in-state college tuition for Guard members, California is the only state that does not provide any tuition assistance.
“[This] makes us think, well, they want us to deploy, they want us to serve any type of disaster the state of California has … but yet they don’t want to help us with small things like education,” Sgt. Yvette Benitez told the Los Angeles Times.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Guard officials say only $3 million of the state’s $130-billion budget would be necessary, and that help with education costs would be the top incentive encouraging Guard members to reenlist.
They also say that soldiers would have to commit to as many as six more years of service, depending on how much aid is required, but that at least 1,000 soldiers could be retained.
According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 15,000 members of the California Army and Air National Guard have been deployed since 2001.
In 2003, one California National Guard education aid law did pass. However, it took three years to get money for the program. In 2006, Schwarzenegger allocated $200,000 in one-time funding for the National Guard Assumption Program of Loans for Education. It gives 100 California National Guard members up to $11,000 to cover outstanding student loans.
Another big-ticket issue in 2007-08: the California legislature killed a proposed $2.4 million increase in state funding to the California Association of Veterans Service Officers.
“The major legislative issue for the VFW in California for the past few years has been an attempt to fund a program for the state Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with veterans service organizations, such as the VFW, to provide additional services to veterans and their families in pursuing claims for federal veterans benefits,” Manes said. “We do this already through our service officers. However, California is a very large state and we need more staffing.”
E-mail klanigan@vfw.org
Editor’s Note: If you know of a unique initiative to benefit veterans in your state, please let us know.
SIDEBAR: VFW Departments Get Involved
VFW magazine contacted via e-mail each Department’s adjutant and legislative chairs to ascertain what they are doing on the state level. Some 52% responded. What follows is a small sampling of the responses.
The VFW Department of Florida has been involved in seeking tuition benefits for veterans. A law signed in the summer of 2006 gave Florida veterans with Purple Hearts (or medals for valor of higher precedence) 50% tuition waivers at Florida public colleges and universities. The law took effect in the 2006-07 school year.
Lee Kichen, legislative director in Florida, wants all veterans to receive tuition waivers from the state. But so far VFW has only been able to persuade legislators to include Purple Heart recipients and those with higher medals for valor. According to John Gebhardt, veterans advocate in the Office of Veterans Affairs at Santa Fe Community College, only a handful of students qualify for the current benefit.
“The original version of the bill limited the waiver to Purple Heart recipients,” Kichen said. “Through the concerted efforts of Florida’s VFW, we were able to see both the House and Senate bills amended to expand the eligibility.”
The Department of Florida has helped introduce a new bill that would grant a 50% tuition exemption to veterans who received the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal or Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and another bill that would grant a full tuition exemption to all Florida veterans.
Vet Groups Unite
Of the Departments responding to the survey, those that are most active and effective are often part of coalitions with other
veterans organizations.
In Alaska, VFW, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) get together and decide jointly what their legislative priorities are for the coming legislative session. All three groups go together to the capital in Juneau for a day.
“We visit every state representative and senator on the hill,” said Mike Higdon, Department of Alaska legislative chairman. “This has proved to be much more effective than the three organizations going separately.”
Higdon says the group’s top priority every year is funding for service officers. “The legislators see the dollars brought into the state by the service officers and do a pretty good job of funding the salaries and expenses of our service officers and assistants.”
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