State spreads message on veterans' benefits
Veterans' benefits conference in southern New Mexico on Saturday
In a recent interview with Secretary of Health Alfredo Vigil, he noted that "the biggest issue we face with our returning veterans is making them aware of all the services that are available to them when they come home, wherever they live in New Mexico."
This Saturday, veterans and their spouses in the Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Deming and Silver City areas will have a chance to learn more about the benefits and services available to them at the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Welcome Home Conference in Las Cruces. The conference is being held at the Ramada Palms de Las Cruces on 201 E. University Ave. and will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with registration beginning at 7 a.m.
John M. Garcia, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Veteran's Services, states in the Las Cruces Sun today, "Together with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, we are bringing a high level agenda to Las Cruces and are calling on the veteran community to spread the word, attend and encourage attendance."
A variety of topics will be covered during the conference as noted in The Sun:
• Representatives of the VA Regional Office will discuss special processing and issues specific to veterans, including an overview of the application processing for compensation and other VA benefits; • The New Mexico Department of Veteran Services will discuss the advantages of using state veteran service officers as ombudsmen, and how the state office helps process claims in conjunction with the federal government. Veteran Services representatives will also inform veterans of all state benefits available, who qualifies, and how to apply. • Members of the El Paso VA Medical Center will discuss Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and explain the differences between signs of suicide, TBI and PTSD. • The Las Cruces Vet Center will tell participants what types of counseling and readjustment services are available at the city's community-based outpatient clinic and discuss the differences between its operations and those of the Vet Center and the Albuquerque and El Paso VA medical centers. • Lloyd Calderon, veteran business development coordinator with the state Department of Veteran Services, will discuss how veterans can conduct business with the federal government and the registration processes involved on the Internet, and provide a brief overview of public laws that created a veterans' preference for service-disabled business owners, and the VA's Veterans First program. • Agnes Oakeley, education and training director for the state Department of Veteran Services, will talk about her agency's role in ensuring that all veterans and eligible persons have access to education and training programs.
The cost for the conference is free to military veterans and their spouses. Pre-registration is required either in the morning or today by contacting Josetta Rodriguez at (866) 433-8387, or e-mail your name, address, branch and dates of service to: josetta.rodriguez@state.nm.us.
If you know a veteran in southern New Mexico please make them aware of the conference and encourage them to attend.
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