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Women, Peace and Security
Brigadier General Lisa Hou was the keynote speaker at the “Together Towards Sustainable Peace” forum in Tirana, Albania, which brought together local and international partners for a discussion about Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). The forum took place on International Women's Day and highlighted the achievements made by Albania in WPS issues. |
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Women's History Month
| Team,
As you know, March is Women's History Month. It is a time to commemorate and encourage the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
March 8th specifically is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day emerged from women’s rights movements in the U.S. and other industrializing countries during the early 1900’s, born from the actions of women workers who were fighting not only for their rights but also for their safety in the workplace. Since 1914, March 8th has been the fixed date for International Women’s Day. This day is observed annually to celebrate the global historical, social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is celebrated around the world as a way to remember the past achievements of women and look toward the next step towards gender equality.
This year’s theme is “Embrace Equity,” which draws a distinction between equity and equality. The campaign asks that people show their support for this year’s theme by striking the embracing pose with their arms hugging their shoulders. Through this motion, one can show solidarity with women across the world.
Women have been serving in the military in one form or another for more than 200 years. During the American Revolution and Civil Wars they served in combat, disguised as men. They have had to overcome decades of obstacles to get to where they are today: serving in greater numbers, in combat roles and in leadership positions all around the world.
In 2023, the VA celebrates the 100th Anniversary of providing health care for women Veterans. Today, more than 1.9 million women Veterans live in America, and more than 600,000 women Veterans receive health care at VA each year. At VA, women Veterans now have access to a full spectrum of comprehensive health and gender-specific care, including fertility services, mental health care, and maternity care and more.
The NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs honors the contributions of women serving in the military and celebrates the richness and diversity of their achievements not only in March but throughout the entire year.
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Thanks to each of you for all you do to make the Department and the State a better place.
We encourage you to share ideas, events and feedback. Please email our team at outreach@dmava.nj.gov.
Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou, D.O. The Adjutant General & Commissioner |
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DMAVA will have a Veterans Service Officer present |
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March 19, 20231:00pm - 4:00pm
DMAVA VETERANS OUTREACH CAMPAIGN
Woodcliff Lake CommunityDay
Tice Senior Center
411 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
DMAVA will have a Veterans Service Officer present to help and assist any Veteran or family member.
For more information contact the Veterans Benefits Bureau at vbb@dmava.nj.gov. |
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DMAVA will have a Veterans Service Officer present |
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March 29, 2023 9:00am – 1:00pm
RETIREMENT / TRANSITION SEMINAR
Joint Military & Family Assistance Center
1048 US Rt 206 South Bordentown, NJ 08505
DMAVA will have a Veterans Service Officer present to help and assist any Veteran or family member.
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DMAVA will have a Veterans Service Officer present |
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DMAVA & Community Calendar |
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We add new events to our calendar on a daily basis so please bookmark and check back often.
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| View Full Calendar |
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Operation Winged Devil |
More than 350 U.S. Army Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, participated in an air assault and a field training exercise at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Feb. 9-12, 2023. This was on preparation for the unit’s rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, later this year.
Read Full Story
View Video
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177th Fighter Wing Opens Mental Health and Wellness Center |
U.S. Air Force Airmen of the 177th Medical Group Mental Health and Wellness Center (MHAWC) pose for a group photo Mar. 5, 2023, at the 177th Fighter Wing, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The MHAWC opened Mar. 4, 2023, and provides pre-deployment preparation, coping skills and stress management unit members.
Read Full Story |
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Join Our Team |
100% Free College Tuition
Bonuses up to $20,000
Student Loan Repayment |
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VSO Edward Puzio | Edward Puzio is a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) based out of the Newark Regional Office. He finds working at DMAVA very rewarding and enjoys assisting New Jersey Veterans.
Edward grew up in Northern New Jersey and attended Richard Stockton College and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Prior to becoming a VSO, Edward worked in higher education.
Outside of work, Edward likes spending time with family and friends, bicycling and working in the garden. He resides with his wife inNorthernNew Jersey.
Veterans and family members can contact Edward or any of his colleagues around the state by visiting the DMAVA website at Veterans Service Offices.
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Medal Ceremony | The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs held a New Jersey State Medals Ceremony at the Clearbrook Community Association, Monroe, New Jersey, Feb. 24, 2023.
View Images |
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Medal Awarded |
Acting Director of Veterans Services Esther Chucaralao presented the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal to 105 year-old World War II Veteran Navy Yeoman 1st Class Leo Eisenhoff at his residence in Monroe Township on March 6, 2023.
Navy Yeoman 1st Class Eisenhoff served on the U.S.S. Curtiss when it survived the June 21, 1945 Kamikakaze attack off of Okinawa, Japan. |
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Interfaith Suicide Awareness SeminarThe New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs participated in the Interfaith Suicide Awareness Seminar at the Good Neighbor Baptist Church in Newark, N.J. Feb. 22, 2023.
New Jersey Army National Guard Chaplain 1st Lt. Marquis Strickland spoke in a panel and discussed his experiences and what resources are available to Veterans in emotional distress.
The seminar was hosted by Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, Newark Councilwoman at Large, Reverend Louise Scott-Rountree with the NJ SOS Veteran Stakeholders group and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson.
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NJ State Police Graduation |
Governor Phil Murphy, Attorney General Matthew Platkin, and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan attended the New Jersey State Police Training Academy 164th State Police Class Graduation at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, N.J. on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
The NJ State Police are one of the tenants at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, NJ.
View more images on NJSP Flickr.
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VA increases maximum life insurance coverage for Veterans and service members by $100,000
WASHINGTON - Beginning March 1, VA is increasing the maximum amount of life insurance coverage available to Veterans and service members from $400,000 to $500,000 for Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) and Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI). This increase in coverage reflects the current cost of living and helps ensure that the families of Veterans and service members will have the financial support they deserve after their loved ones pass away.
Veterans who are under age 60 and currently enrolled in VGLI will be able to purchase additional coverage in $25,000 increments up to $500,000. All active duty, guard, and reserve service members eligible for SGLI will automatically receive the increased coverage on March 1.
Read Full News Release |
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Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Proposed Open Season
Congress provided for a Survivor Benefit Plan Open Season in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The SBP Open Season began on December 23, 2022 and ends on January 1, 2024.
The SBP Open Season allows for retirees receiving retired pay, eligible members, or former members awaiting retired pay who are currently NOT enrolled in SBP or RCSBP (Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan) to enroll.
The SBP Open Season also allows eligible members and former members who are currently enrolled in either SBP or RCSBP to permanently discontinue their SBP coverage.
Learn More |
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New National Parks PassA new lifetime pass for National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands, called America the Beautiful.
This new lifetime pass for Gold Star Families & Veterans is being offered to demonstrate the country's immense gratitude and respect for those who have served and defended our country.
The Interagency Military Pass has been part of the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series since 2012. On December 27, 2021, President Biden signed into law S. 1605 “The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022” (NDAA). Section 641 of the NDAA makes Gold Star families and Veterans eligible for lifetime passes to federal recreational lands.
Learn More at VA News |
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 | VA Life
Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) provides guaranteed acceptance whole life coverage of up to $40,000 to Veterans with service-connected disabilities. Lesser amounts are available in increments of $10,000. Under this plan, the elected coverage takes effect two years after enrollment as long as premiums are paid during the two-year period.
All Veterans age 80 or under with a VA disability rating of 0 to 100% are eligible for the VALife program and have no time limit to apply.
Learn More |
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#VetResources
| Subscribe to #VetResources to receive a weekly newsletter from the VA for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. |
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Goodwill Connects Vets
Robert Sauerwein, a US army veteran, unfortunately found himself homeless and living in a shelter before working with Goodwill and the services of our Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
Thanks to the intervention of our HVRP team, Robert was admitted to the Alfred J. Thomas Veteran’s Home in Garfield, NJ while he finds permanent housing. Goodwill helped Robert apply to receive his Housing Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing certificate that will provide him a Section 8 rental voucher for permanent housing, case management, and supportive services from the VA starting this April.
Robert is now a full-time employee at Stew Leonard’s, where Goodwill helped to provide him with his required uniform.
Hear from Robert directly how our HVRP is improving the lives of veterans in the 10 Northern counties of NJ. Watch Video
To request information on how homeless Veterans can join Goodwill’s HVRP, please call 973-474-2021 x3221 or email services@goodwillny.org.
Story and image courtesy Goodwill of NY/NJ
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Seton Hall Army ROTCCadets from the Seton Hall University Army ROTC teamed up with Soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard to conduct weapons training during the February 25th weekend. |
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In Honor of all those from New Jersey who gave their lives in the fight against terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In humble gratitude, we remember their sacrifice. |
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March 16, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
CPL Carlos GonzalezU.S. Army Passaic, New Jersey |
March 17, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom SFC Benjamin SebbanU.S. Army
South Amboy, New Jersey | March 21, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom SSG Jeremy R. Horton
U.S. Army Carneys Point, New Jersey |
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March 22, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
PFC Bruce Miller Jr.U.S. Army Orange, New Jersey |
March 22, 2008
Operation Enduring Freedom SSG William R. Neil Jr.U.S. Army
Holmdel, New Jersey |
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"But on the battlefield their feet stood fast, and in an instant at the height of their fortune, they passed away from the scene, not of their fear, but of their glory."
~ Pericles |
| NJ Fallen Heroes Memorial |
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Christine GoetzDesert Storm |
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Helene CattaniWorld War II |
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March 6, 1962
On this day in New Jersey National Guard history...New Jersey and much of the Mid-Atlantic was hit with the "Ash Wednesday" storm of 1962. According to the annual New Jersey Dept. of Defense report of 1962,
"...agencies of the Department became very deeply involved in rescue and relief operations in our shore and other tidal areas during the storm which commenced on 6 March and dealt such tremendous havoc to our coastal areas.
Our State, County, and Local Civil Defense Agencies conducted rescue and relief operations to the extent of their capability and they were immediately reinforced as required by elements of the New Jersey Army National Guard, the Active Coast Guard, Navy, and the 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron, New Jersey Air National Guard.
In all, 351 National Guard personnel using 174 vehicles evacuated approximately 3000 citizens from the shore area on Long Beach Island, Atlantic City and Cape May County. Approximately 200 others were evacuated from the Port Norris - Fortescue area and Keansburg."
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Charles Earnest Hosking Jr. |
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March 7, 1843
| Alfred Bellard was born in Hull, England. Bellard emigrated to Hudson City (now part of Jersey City), New Jersey with his family in the 1850s and enlisted in the Fifth New Jersey regiment in 1861. Wounded at Chancellorsville in 1863, Bellard served in the Veteran Reserve Corps until discharged in 1864. He died on September 20, 1891 and was buried in Newark’s Fairmount Cemetery. Bellard is remembered today for his 1880s unpublished illustrated memoir, purchased in an antique shop in 1962 and published in 1975 as Gone for a Soldier: The Civil War Memoirs of Alfred Bellard. It is a classic of the genre. |
March 12, 1822 |
Timothy Webster was born in Newhaven, England. Webster emigrated with his family to Princeton, New Jersey, at the age of eight and lived there until he became a Pinkerton agency detective in 1853. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he served as a Union spy but was discovered, tried, convicted and hanged in Richmond in 1862, the first American executed as a spy since Nathan Hale. |
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March 20, 1874 |
The Washington Association of New Jersey was formed to oversee the preservation and maintenance of the Ford Mansion, George Washington’s Morristown headquarters, recently purchased at auction by a group of prominent local citizens. | March 21, 1778 |
Loyalist raiders under Colonel John Simcoe massacred New Jersey militiamen, inadvertently killing a Loyalist judge in the process, in a night bayonet attack at Hancock’s Bridge. | March 21, 1967 |
Ramsey-born U.S. Army Master Sergeant Charles Ernest Hosking Jr. of the Fifth Special Forces Group was mortally wounded attempting to capture a Viet Cong sniper. The enemy soldier pulled the pin on a hand grenade, and Hosking grabbed him, taking the full force of the blast and saving his comrades. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. Hosking is buried in Ridgewood. |
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New Jersey Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal is a project of the New Jersey Historical Commission, Rutgers University Libraries, and Monmouth University.
The Journal publishes original scholarship on all aspects of NJ studies, including military history.
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| Journal Archives |
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Visit Our Friends at JTJ |
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New Jersey man walks across US to raise nearly $100K for homeless veteransAngelica Stabile | Foxnews | February 27, 2023
A patriotic New Jersey man just completed what he's calling the journey of a lifetime.
Tommy Pasquale of Randolph, New Jersey, successfully walked from the Atlantic to the Pacific – nearly 3,000 miles – in 143 days.
Pasquale gave himself the goal of trekking from Manasquan, New Jersey, to Venice Beach, California, to raise money and awareness for America’s homeless veterans. Read Full Story |
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The Veteran Career & Coffee ConnectionJoseph Grisanzio | NJ Business Magazine | January 25, 2023
Bridging the Gap for Veterans, a 501(c)(3) that helps veterans establish careers, was created by retired USAF – Command Chief Master Sergeant, Mike Ferraro. During his 32 years of service, Ferraro was able to identify the challenges facing transitioning military personnel.
“Veterans rejoining civilian culture, and particularly seeking work in it, was an open wound that I wished to dress,” Ferraro said.
Nearly 200 companies and 1,000 honorably discharged soldiers have “Bridged the Gap” through the organization’s efforts.
Real Full Story |
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'Moving Wall' Replica Of Vietnam Memorial Coming To Long ValleyVianella Burns | Patch Staff | February 21, 2023
LONG VALLEY, NJ — Residents from Washington Township will have the opportunity to remember those who were lost in the Vietnam War at a special traveling memorial wall this fall.
The Traveling Wall is "a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC," according to the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall’s website.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, John Devitt felt the power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when he saw it dedicated in Washington, D.C., in 1982, and he vowed to share that feeling with people who might not be able to visit it.
The Moving Wall was built by Devitt, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver and other Vietnam veteran volunteers. It has now been traveling across the United States for more than 30 years.
According to township officials, Washington Township will host the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, 2023. The ceremony will take place in Palmer Park on Sept. 29, 2023, at 10 a.m. Real Full Story
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COL Christine Haycock |
In 1952, COL Christine Haycock became the first woman officer to serve as a physician in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Following the Korean War, she became the first woman to hold a major command in New Jersey, with responsibility for the Army’s 322nd General Hospital.
The image above is from her display case at the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey in Lawrenceville.
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Veterans Service Offices |
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Request Military Records |
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Family Programs Office |
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Veterans Memorial Homes |
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NJ State Medals |
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Military Funeral Honors |
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Doyle Veterans Cemetery |
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We Are Hiring!
At the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs we take our work in support of Veterans, Servicemembers and their families very seriously. Whether supporting our Veterans with nursing care, transitional housing, or assisting them in navigating access to their Veteran benefits, the Department provides valuable services and can offer rewarding career opportunities to members of the public.
We also have opportunities in facilities management and program management. In addition, we have job openings for members of our military to serve in AGR and Federal Technician roles.
Stay updated on job openings by subscribing to our Jobs Bulletin.
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We hope you enjoy receiving our newsletter and find it both educational and engaging. If you have questions about our department, our programs or your benefits, please visit our website at nj.gov/military to get contact information.
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| Contact DMAVA |
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We welcome feedback and comments from the public regarding the newsletter. If you would like to contribute with an item of interest to our subscribers, please email us your proposal. Contact the newsletter team at outreach@dmava.nj.gov.
To view previous editions of our newsletter, please visit the DMAVA archives.
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nj.gov/military NJ Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
101 Eggert Crossing Road Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Privacy Notice |
Disclaimer: The appearance of any non-DMAVA information or hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement of the products or services on the part of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. |
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