The following represents the year-end accomplishments achieved by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMVA). The Department’s Point of Contact is COL (Ret) Michael B. Smith, Joint Chief of Staff, (609) 530-6987

VETERANS AFFAIRS

The Department of Military & Veterans Affairs initiated a Comprehensive Nursing Shortage Task Force, comprised of public and private sector experts, to address the shortage and make recommendations to attain and retain quality health care professionals for our three Veterans Nursing Homes. The Task Force submitted its report to the Governor on 1 September 2002. Implementation of the Task Force’s recommendations began in November 2002. $250,000 was appropriated in this Fiscal Year to support some of these recommendations. Detailed planning for continuation of the Task Force’s initiatives is ongoing.

In September 2002, Governor James E. McGreevey participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new veterans long-term care nursing home in Vineland, New Jersey. This $52.6 million project will consist of 300 long-term care beds and includes a 28 bed assisted living unit and 32 bed Alzheimer’s Wing. The new building will meet Medicare standards thereby increasing the Medicare reimbursements to the State. It is scheduled for completion and occupancy in May 2005.

NJDMVA’s Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery has completed the Phase I installation of grave liners in Section O. Phase 1 includes more than 2,500 crypts. Phase II construction began in the summer of 2002 and, when completed, Section O will contain approximately 10,000 preinstalled grave liners. This is a $5.5 million project that is 100% funded by the United States Veterans Administration.

The NJDMVA competed for a 2002 McKinney-Veto Homeless Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and has been awarded $354,313 to help homeless veterans move to self-sufficiency and permanent housing. This grant will be applied to our Veterans Transitional Housing Program, Veterans Haven in Winslow, New Jersey.

NJDMVA’s Division of Veterans Programs reported that during the first six months of FY 2003, its Veteran Service Officers (VSO) assisted 6,564 veterans and their families during in-office visits. Their hard work resulted in our State’s veteran community receiving $18,696,240 from Washington, DC. Hearty and well-deserved congratulations go to our VSOs for the outstanding job they do assisting New Jersey’s veteran community.

The NJDMVA awarded 5,960 New Jersey military service medals to veterans and their families during 2002. The Division of Veterans Programs was responsible for planning, organizing, hosting the ceremonies, and presenting or mailing the following New Jersey medals: 3,563 Distinguished Service Medals, 388 Meritorious Service Medals, and 2,009 Vietnam Service Medals.

The design phase to build a 300-seat capacity, multi-purpose room at the Veterans Memorial Home at Paramus is underway. The American Legion Post 170 of Rochelle Park, New Jersey has raised $140,000 for this project. The Department is working with other veterans organizations within the state to build this room.

Since 1 July 2002, the NJDMVA has taken an aggressive approach, using existing resources, to provide greater outreach to the hundreds of thousands of veterans in this state that are not aware of their benefits and entitlements. With no additional funding, and by partnering with veterans’ organizations and civic/social groups, information dissemination and service provision will be enhanced to New Jersey’s veteran population.

The Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs, the Director of Veterans Services, and the Director of Veterans Programs will be attending and conducting a presentation to the New Jersey Military Law Institute, January 25, 2003 at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick with approximately 100 or more of New Jersey Attorneys, who serve or who have served in the Judge Advocate Corp in our Nation’s Active, Guard, and Reserve Forces

HOMELAND SECURITY      [Return to Top]

On Saturday, January 4, 2003, Governor James E. McGreevey dedicated NJDMVA’s Homeland Security Center of Excellence. The facility, to be used by this department as a command and control center for emergency operations, was funded entirely from existing appropriations and constructed through a team effort of in-house maintenance force, New Jersey Air National Guard civil engineering units and civilian contractors. This project was initiated and completed in less than seven months and provides this department with a state of the art command center that will enhance its operational and communications capability. It will support the Governor’s Homeland Security endeavor to insure the protection of New Jersey’s citizens against terrorism and natural disasters.

The New Jersey Army National Guard’s Counter Drug Task Force, in partnership with US Customs, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Jersey State Police, County and local municipalities continues to reduce the illegal drug supply in the State and nearby New York City and Philadelphia. They accomplish their missions by using specially equipped helicopters, trained linguists, dock cargo inspectors, and leaders/planners.

The New Jersey Army National Guard continues to provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week Security Task Forces at all of the State’s nuclear power plants in support of Governor James E. McGreevey’s pledge to protect New Jersey’s citizens.

Virtually all New Jersey Air National Guard (NJANG) personnel, in one status or another, answered the call to support Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Almost 95% of our more than 2,400 personnel in the NJANG were directly involved with providing either OEF or ONE Combat Air Patrol mission support. Airman have deployed within the United States and overseas including Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. Additionally, the NJANG continues to participate in Operation Deny Flight in the Iraqi no fly zone.

New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG) soldiers returned from a nine-month rotation in Bosnia and more are currently mobilizing for additional assignment to active forces missions.

The New Jersey Army National Guard maintained extensive presence at Newark/Liberty, Trenton-Mercer and Atlantic City airports through May 2002. During the same period, the NJARNG manned checkpoints and guard posts, bridges and tunnels in support of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The NJDMA developed and designed a State authorized, Homeland Security Medal for National Guard soldiers and airmen performing State Active Duty security missions in the War on Terrorism since September 11, 2001.

YOUTH      [Return to Top]

The New Jersey Army National Guard ChalleNGe Youth Program graduated over 170, formerly at risk, high school students. Eighty-five completed the program receiving their GED diplomas. With 150 students enrolled, Class #17 began in September 2002 with a scheduled graduation in February 2003.

The NJDMVA actively partners with various governmental and community-based organizations to enable joint use of our National Guard Armories for youth development and recreation programs. In July 2002, the Jersey City Department of Recreation, in partnership with the New Jersey National Guard, launched a summer and after school hours youth recreation program at the Jersey City Armory. During the past six months, over 5,000 young men and women have participated in various activities to include indoor track, soccer, basketball and computer training. This program is part of New Jersey National Guard’s Drug Demand Reduction Program that specifically targets at risk inner city youth and provides them with constructive activities and positive alternatives to youth idleness and substance abuse.

BUDGET     [Return to Top]

Beginning in January 2002, the Department performed a staffing review and analysis, and deemed it necessary to reduce staffing levels by a combination of terminations, demotions, and/or retirements (Early Retirement Incentive). This effort and initiative resulted in cost savings of $1.1 million. This action enabled the Department to operate within its means for FY 2003, and permitted this Department to submit a Requested Budget for FY 2004 within the parameters and funding level target of the State Treasurer and the Office of Management and Budget. The total savings from the staff reductions represent 10.2% of NJDMVA’s FY 2003 non-institutional salaries.

The NJDMVA converted 15 state funded full-time employees to a Federally funded status at an additional cost savings of almost $600,000.

The department was directed to review its vehicle fleet and reduce it by 20%. This was accomplished in the first six months of this administration and resulted in savings of $26,000 annually and there will be further savings by not having to replace those vehicles in the future.

NJDMVA has reduced its pagers, cell phones and credit card usage by an aggregate of 20%. This coupled with a renegotiation of phone charges to this department resulted in a $70,000 annual savings.
 

MULTI PURPOSE INITIATIVES     [Return to Top]

A joint venture between the New Jersey’s departments of Law and Public Safety and Military and Veterans Affairs resulted in the dedication of Joint Use Training & Dormitory Building at the National Guard Training Center at Sea Girt, New Jersey. This new combined training and dormitory facility is an 18,343 square foot building consisting of two 1,488 square foot multi-purpose classrooms that can accommodate 75 students each and 12 dormitory rooms that can house up to 60 students. In addition, there is a 1,500 square foot teaching courtroom and various administrative offices and conference rooms. The classrooms, offices and conference rooms are networked for computer access and interactive distance learning and the courtroom has audiovisual capability for recording and reviewing all training sessions. The complex will be utilized by the National Guard and Law Enforcement agencies including Juvenile Justice Commission, Divisions of State Police and Criminal Justice, as well as various municipal police departments as part of their Academy and in-service programs.

On November 3, 2002 the department dedicated a 65,000 square foot addition to it’s Training and Training Technology’s Battle Lab (T3BL) located in Fort Dix, New Jersey. This addition, constructed at a cost of $9.5 million, was 100% federally funded and will serve as a testing and fielding center for training aid devices, simulations and programs. This facility supports numerous government and municipal agencies that train in homeland security and emergency operations and enables them to establish and conduct training programs using the most current technology and training devices available. The lab will also be the NJDMVA’s distance learning hub and center for the conduct of battle staff training under various simulated and virtual environments.

The Department is the lead agency for coordinating with the State’s consultant on the Federal Base Realignment and Closure – Efficient Facilities Initiative (BRAC-EFI) strategy. The unique institutional knowledge within DMVA, in concert with other State, County, and local leaders maximizes our total effort to retain Department of Defense infrastructure in New Jersey.