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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on October 18, 2023. |
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New Passaic County Veterans Service Office |
Last week marked an important step forward in the State of New Jersey’s efforts to expand access to state and federal services and programs for Garden State Service Members, Veterans, and families.
Together with our local and state partners, and joined by leaders from Veterans Service Organizations, we cut the ribbon at our new Passaic County Veterans Service Office. Located at 401 Grand Avenue in Paterson, this achievement reflects Governor Murphy and the Legislature’s commitment to opening a physical Veterans Service Office in each of New Jersey’s twenty-one counties.
Meeting New Jerseyans where they are is central to our efforts. In the months ahead, we will continue to open new offices in Camden, Cape May, Middlesex, Salem, Union and Warren Counties. These new locations will complement existing Veterans Service Offices in Atlantic, Burlington, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset, and Sussex Counties. I am so grateful for every person involved with this extensive project.
For me, this is all about putting people first. Through their service to the United States, Garden State Veterans stepped forward to answer a call to military service. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid.
State of New Jersey Veterans Service Offices are staffed by trained subject-matter-experts capable of providing outstanding support. Our team can answer questions, concerns, assist with claims, and foster a better understanding of state and federal benefits.
Increasing access to Veterans services, specifically in our state’s urban centers and rural areas, is one more step New Jersey is taking to expand services to the communities that we serve.
You can view images of the ribbon cutting ceremony at DMAVA Flickr. |
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| As always, thank you for staying connected to DMAVA.
We invite 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 is sponsoring or will participate in the events below. A DMAVA Veterans Service Officer will be present at many of these events. Please check details to confirm. |
- October 26, 2023 | Columbus
Outreach Campaign
- October 26, 2023 | Kenilworth
Union County Suicide Awareness Seminar
- October 27, 2023 | Moorestown Mall
Outreach Campaign & Medal Ceremony
- October 28, 2023 | Fort Dix
99th Readiness Division Pre-Retirement Seminar
- October 29, 2023 | Sea Girt
Annual Governor’s Military Review
- November 1, 2023 | Stockton University
Community & Veteran Wellness and Resource Fair
- November 3, 2023 | Camden
Veterans Service Office Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
- November 4, 2023 | Rochelle Park
Bergen County Regional Veteran Resource Fair
- November 8&9, 2023 | County College of Morris
Veterans Resource Fair
- November 9, 2023 | Ewing
Mercer County Veteran Services Resource Expo
- November 9, 2023 | South Brunswick
Veterans Day Celebration
- November 9, 2023 | Hillside Twp.
Veterans Day Resource Fair
- November 10, 2023 | Sea Girt
The War to End All Wars - The Movie
- November 11, 2023 | Jackson
Outreach Campaign
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We add new events to our calendar on a daily basis so please bookmark and check back often. |
| View Full Calendar |
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Elena Garcia | The dedicated DMAVA workforce at our network of Veterans Homes are our Heroes on the Homefront!
At the Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park, we sat down with Elena Garcia, a Senior Certified Nursing Assistant and an 18-year veteran of the Home. With patience and love, she explains how those two traits help her serve those who've served.
Watch Video |
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 | Employee Recognition |
On October 16, 2023, Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Vincent Solomeno recognized four staff members of the Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park for exceptional service to residents.
(Pictured l-to-r) DCVA Solomeno, Karen McKernan, Weedemarck Lindor, Lizet Valentin, Zana Smajlaj, and Lisa Kranis, CEO. |
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 | Employee Recognition |
Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Vincent Solomeno visited the Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland and recognized three staff members for their exceptional service to residents on October 17, 2023.
(Pictured l-to-r) Alyson Bailey, CEO, Maureen Rodriguez and DCVA Solomeno. In addition, Felicito Leyva and Josefina Santiago were recognized for their efforts. |
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119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron | As part of a pre-announced Department of Defense deployment, the 177th Fighter Wing
sent a portion of the Wing’s U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility early on October 18, 2023.
While deployed in support of Air Forces Central missions, the 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron will help defend interests, promote regional security, and safeguard freedom of navigation in the region.
The 177FW will continue to fly at home station to maintain operational readiness and to support the no-fail homeland defense mission. |
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New F-16 Squadron arrives, bolstering U.S. defense posture in the Middle East | 9th Air Force Public Affairs | October 24, 2023
SOUTHWEST ASIA - The New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility with an additional F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron, bolstering U.S. posture to deter further aggression in the region.
The Atlantic City-based fighters, also known as the “Jersey Devils,” now aligned under 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central), provide flexible options to coalition leaders directing air operations throughout the Middle East, including contingency response capabilities and deterrence missions, while maintaining Operation INHERENT RESOLVE’s Defeat-ISIS mission.
“We are fortunate to have the 119th EFS join us in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. Air National Guard Airmen bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our mission in the Middle East,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) and Combined Forces Air Component Command Commander. “The arrival of these Airmen strengthens our ability to support our allied, coalition, and regional partners as we work together to enhance regional stability and security.”
Read Full Story |
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 | 254th Regional Training Institute |
Medics from the the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and across the Army hone their trauma assessment and treatment skills as part of the Comprehensive Medical Training (CMT) Course at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, NJ on October 16, 2023.
Medic Instructors from the 254th Regional Training Institute host several iterations of the 15-day CMT each year, along with 68W Healthcare Specialist Military Occupational Specialty Transition Course. |
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1-102nd Cavalry | NJ Army National Guard Soldiers with the 1-102nd Cavalry conducted heavy weapons qualifications at the Fort Dix Ranges on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ, October 12, 2023.
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Stand Down of North JerseyNew Jersey National Guard Soldiers from the 42nd Regional Support Group
and Airmen from the 108th Wing joined forces with state and federal agencies, GI Go Fund and other non-government organizations to provide much needed assistance to more than 100 homeless Veterans at the Stand Down of North Jersey conducted at John F. Kennedy Recreational Center in Newark, NJ on October 14, 2023.
Soldiers from the 117th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 42nd RSG, assisted the participants by guiding them through the many social service kiosks available to them. Additionally, culinary specialist Soldiers from 902nd Quartermaster Company, also with the 42nd RSG, prepared hot meals. Medical technician Airmen from the 108th Medical Group provided medical screenings.
With the motto of “Always Ready, Always There!” the New Jersey National Guard has been supporting New Jersey’s Stand Down events for more than a decade. View Images |
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Join Our Team |
100% Free College Tuition
Bonuses up to $20,000
Student Loan Repayment |
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 | Passaic County Veterans Service Office
On October 18, 2023, dignitaries including Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou, D.O., The Adjutant General and Commissioner of Military and Veterans Affairs, cut the ribbon on the new Veterans Service Office in Paterson, NJ.
Yahaira Padilla (pictured above) is the Veterans Service Officer supporting the Veterans and family members of Passaic County.
To reach Yahaira or one of her collegues around the state, please use the contact information on our website at Veterans Service Offices. |
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State Medals CeremonyThe New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs held a State Medals Ceremony at the Westlake Golf and Country Club in Jackson, NJ on October 19, 2023.
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 | NJ Distinguished Service Medal
The New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal is one of only six of the State's military decorations authorized by legislative statutes. It is the second oldest military award that the State provides; the oldest being the New Jersey Ribbon (formerly Medal) of Honor.
The New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal is the State's highest military decoration. Currently, the Department’s Veterans Benefits Bureau awards the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal to eligible Veterans at their many Veterans Outreach ceremonies throughout the State.
Learn more on our website at NJ Service Medals. |
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 | Center for U.S. War Veterans’ Oral Histories
The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey is the home of the Center for U.S. War Veterans’ Oral Histories. It is the Center’s mission to collect and preserve the memories of Veterans and Gold Star family members through recorded oral history interviews.
To date, the Center’s collection contains over 600 interviews of Veterans of all branches of service from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and other American military campaigns. Over 400 interviews are available online in the Oral History Archives. |
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Mental Health Association in New Jersey | Jaime Angelini and Neal Stephens from the Mental Health Association in New Jersey were pleased to teach Mental Health First Aid for Military, Veterans and their Families at the SpectraCare Foundation and the Carlton R. Rouh Veterans Center in Lindenwold, NJ on October 6, 2023.
We are glad to be doing this important work in collaboration with the New Jersey Hospital Association.
This project is an initiative of the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Image and caption courtesy of MHANJ
and Spectracare. |
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Survivor Benefit Plan Open Season
Congress provided for a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Open Season in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. 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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Help VA serve you better
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is interested in the thoughts of Veterans, their family, friends, caregivers and survivors about burial options, concerns, or desires. By answering this survey, you will help us understand awareness of burial options and benefits, end-of-life, and survivor benefits.
Link to Burial Survey
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Readjustment Counseling Service, is conducting a survey to gauge awareness and understanding of the agency’s services provided at Vet Centers. Responses to this survey will be anonymous and used to assess levels of awareness of Vet Centers and understand what barriers—if any—there are in seeking services.
Link to Vet Center Survey |
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Focus on your mental health with VA virtual toolsOffice of Connected Care Communications| October 10, 2023
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it should be a focus in your care.
VA offers Veterans several ways to connect with mental health professionals virtually, outside of a traditional office visit. Here are some VA virtual care tools that can help make your mental health a priority. Read More at VA News |
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National Parks Pass
There is a new lifetime pass for National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands, called America the Beautiful.
This 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.
Learn More at VA News |
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VALife Insurance
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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VA Disability - with Mike Figlioli, VFW Director of National Veterans Services In this episode, theSITREP asks Mike Figlioli, VFW Director of National Veterans Services, about VA disability: what is it, how to apply, and more.
theSITREP Podcast |
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#VetResources |
Subscribe to #VetResources to receive a weekly newsletter from the VA for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. |
| Subscribe |
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 | Donor Appreciation Day
At Veterans Haven South in Winslow, NJ, donors from across the Garden State visited the heroes they support and were recognized for their kindness on October 15, 2023.
On behalf of Veterans Haven South, thank you for helping us continue to provide stable housing and support programs for our Veterans year-round. We appreciate all of our donors and your generosity!
View Images View Video |
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 | Just Us Girls
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Just Us Girls had their 29th Annual 5k Run at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, NJ on October 7, 2023. The event began around 9:30am to the sound of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
Just Us Girls is a non-profit organization formed in 1995 to fight breast cancer. Each year the organization raises money through entry fees to the race as well as from sponsors.
The National Guard Training Center is proud of the partnership with Just Us Girls and looks forward to many more years of hosting the run on the installation. |
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Family Child Care Program is back, and growing!The Department of the Air Force is reviving a special Family Child Care program (FCC).
Military families, or other families in our communities, can open their homes as a small business to military families in need of childcare. This includes drill weekends for Guard and Reserve members seeking childcare!
Oversight and restrictions apply, please contact Alicia Stasiulis at alicia.stasiulis.1@us.af.mil and (609) 562-2192 for details. |
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 | 40th Anniversary of the Beirut Bombing
Marine Corps veterans held a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the Beirut bombing at the Trenton War Memorial, Trenton, NJ on October 23, 2023.
Montford Point Marine Association Chapter 45 and the Department of New Jersey-Marine Corps League were joined by veteran service organizations, along with state legislators and New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs officials at the ceremony.
On October 23, 1983, two truck bombs, detonated by suicide bombers, struck a U.S. Marines Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, that housed U.S. and French military members of a multinational peacekeeping force, killing a total of 299 service personnel (241 American, 58 French), along with six civilians during the Lebanese Civil War.
Among the dead were 220 Marines; 18 Sailors, and three Soldiers. It was the deadliest single-day attack against U.S. Marines since the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. View Images |
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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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| October 26, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
SGT John A. LyonsU.S. Army
Seaside Park, New Jersey | October 27, 2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom
SGT Michael D. Kirspel, Jr.U.S. Army Hopatcong, New Jersey |
November 1, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom PO2 Matthew G. KantorU.S. Navy
Gillette, New Jersey | November 2, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom SGT Joel Perez
U.S. Army Newark, New Jersey |
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November 3, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom SFC Daniel Pratt
U.S. Army Williamstown, New Jersey | November 4, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
CPT James M. GurbiszU.S. Army
Eatontown, New Jersey | November 5, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
SSG John D. LindeU.S. Army
Union, New Jersey | November 8, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
SGT Bryan L. Freeman, Jr.U.S. Army Lumberton, 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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 | Superstorm Sandy October 2012. |
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October 26, 2000 | The New Jersey State Museum’s Civil War flag exhibit opened in Trenton. The standing exhibit displays surviving flags of New Jersey regiments on a rotating basis, supplemented with explanatory narrative and supplemental artifacts. |
October 29, 2012 |
When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, 346,000 homes in New Jersey were damaged or destroyed. 2.7 million people were without power. New Jersey National Guard troops rescued more than 7,000 residents and their pets in the days following Sandy’s landfall, remaining on duty following the storm by assisting civil authorities with security, transportation, logistics, and reconstructing efforts. The troops also delivered more than 10,000 meals and hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel. |
November 2, 1783 | General George Washington delivered his farewell address to the Continental Army from his headquarters at Rockingham, near Princeton. |
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November 3, 1791 |
General Arthur St. Clair’s army, including a battalion recruited in New Jersey, met disastrous defeat by Indians under the command of Chief Little Turtle near the Wabash River in Ohio. Over the course of its service, from May through November, 1791, 328 officers and men served in the New Jersey battalion. Of these, 34 deserted, 5 died of undisclosed causes, 51 were killed or went missing (presumed dead) on November 4, and 8 were wounded but escaped. |
November 9, 1812 |
Marcus Ward was born in Newark. Ward became a leading businessman and philanthropist and a director of the National State Bank. During the Civil War his efforts on behalf of soldier welfare earned him the title of “the soldier’s friend.” Newark’s Ward General Hospital, established to care for wounded soldiers, was named for him and he established the Soldiers Home in the city to care for injured veterans. |
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 | Vietnam vet added to N.J. Memorial Wall after he was accidentally excluded |
NJ.com | October 22, 2023 The name of fallen Vietnam War veteran James E. Gosselin, from Atlantic County, was added to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall during a ceremony, after it was discovered a clerical error had mistakenly listed him as being from another state.
More than 1,500 of the state’s Vietnam veterans’ names were inscribed on the memorial wall in Holmdel in 1995 when it was first created.
Story with Images |
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PFC Tetyana Labovka | What makes The New Jersey Army National Guard different is its diversity.
The 194th Armored Brigade had the opportunity to interview one of our very own new soldiers, Private First Class Tetyana Labovka.
PFC Labovka is Ukrainian by birth but a New Jersey Army National Guard soldier by choice. She is a shining example of what it means to exemplify the motivation to become a soldier no matter one’s background.
Hear at bit of her inspiring story in her own words.
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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.
Subscribe to our Jobs Bulletin
to stay updated on job openings. | | Vacancies |
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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. |
| Contact DMAVA |
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Please email us at outreach@dmava.nj.gov
with feedback and comments regarding the newsletter. If you would like to contribute with an item of interest to our subscribers, please email us your proposal.
Visit the DMAVA archives to view previous editions of our newsletter. |
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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 & Veterans Affairs. |
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