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April 2, 2025 |  | Ready To Serve ★ Proud To Have Served |
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Leadership of the New Jersey National Guard convened for a professional development seminar led by Brig. Gen. Yvonne L. Mays on March 8, 2025. |
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My Priorities for DMAVA | Last month, I held a series of professional development sessions to present my priorities as The Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
In a broad sense, my vision is that we will be ready, relevant, and engaged in our communities, focusing on people, readiness, partnerships, modernization, and transformation.
My first priority is people. The individuals who animate our great organization always come first. We will foster an environment that develops subordinates into active leaders whose actions, regardless of branch of service or civilian status, reflect our values.
Whether in a veterans facility, a field training exercise, or on a flightline, we will continue to focus on readiness. This means engaging in continuous individual and organizational improvement. We will continue to incorporate lessons learned from state and federal responses to address vulnerabilities and threats, both known and unknown.
We will maintain and enhance our partnerships at every level. Given today’s complex strategic environment, our formal relationships with the Republic of Albania and Republic of Cyprus are critical to advancing the national security interests of the United States. At home, our team will leverage the impressive constellation of public, private, and non-profit organizations that support Garden State Service Members, Veterans, and their families to create a stronger tomorrow.
Modernization encompasses the efforts of those in uniform and our civilian workforce. From ambitious capital improvements at our Veterans Memorial Homes to modernizing the New Jersey National Guard, our organization will lean forward and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
When it comes to transformation, we will develop warfighters and elevate Veterans. Today, New Jersey is investing more, doing more and achieving more for Service Members, Veterans, and their families than at any time in our history. Tomorrow and in the future, our focus will be on constant and never-ending improvement. Local to Global. Always Ready, Always There.
Please take a moment to read my priorities in full here.
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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 Yvonne L. Mays
Adjutant General & Commissioner |
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DMAVA Calendar | 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. |
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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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 | Microsoft Flight Simulator F-16C Audio Recordings Captured at the 177th Fighter Wing
A1C Connor Taggart | 177th FW | March 28, 2025
ATLANTIC CITY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, New Jersey - Mr. Tyler Bolhuis, CEO and founder of Echo 19 Audio Production, visited the 177th Fighter Wing, home of the “Jersey Devils,” to capture audio of multiple F-16C Fighting Falcon fighter jets, Feb. 24, 2025. The recordings will be integrated into a future version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, giving virtual pilots an authentic in-cockpit experience.
The experience of being inside of an F-16A / F-16C fighter jet has the potential of sounding more realistic than ever in the popular flight simulation platform.
“People are going to be able to hop in the cockpit on their Xbox or computer and actually hear one of these F-16’s inside their living room,” said Bolhuis.
Echo 19 specializes in creating immersive audio for flight simulators and video games. Using an integrated schematic of the proposed sound design, Bolhuis’ objective was to capture every detail possible of the F-16C fighter jet.
Read Full Story |
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 | The April 2025 edition of the NJ Veterans Journal is now available. |
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State Medal CeremonyThe New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs held a State Medal Ceremony at the Albert Lawson Memorial VFW Post #10117 in Passaic, NJ on March 21, 2025.
View Images |
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 | Andre Daigle, Cumberland County VSOAndre Daigle is the DMAVA Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for Cumberland County.
If you know anyone in need of assistance regarding Veteran’s benefits, please contact Andre or one of his colleagues by visiting our website at Veterans Service Offices. |
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Get Connected to Resources & Services | The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has partnered with Unite Us to connect individuals and families to a wide variety of services and resources.
Unite Us is a coordinated care referral network of health and social service providers. Unite Us can connect our New Jersey military and veteran community to resources to obtain benefits, food assistance, housing, education, transportation, behavioral health services, peer support and more. |
| Learn More / Request Assistance |
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Veteran Homelessness | The mission of Bringing Veterans Home (BVH) is to effectively end veteran homelessness in New Jersey by enhancing existing systems, creating rapid access to housing, and ensuring homelessness becomes rare, brief, and non-recurring.
BVH creates a clear path to stable housing for veterans experiencing homelessness through a coordinated network of services and support. |
| Learn More / Refer a Veteran |
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NJ Youth ChalleNGe Academy
On March 25, 2025, Cadets from the NJ Youth ChalleNGe Academy were invited to Brookdale Community College. Cadets were given a tour of some of the wonderful things Brookdale has to offer. Our Cadets were even allowed to spend some time in Brookdale's exports Arena where they played modern and arcade style games. |
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Tax season guidance for VeteransVA News | February 6, 2025
As tax season approaches, many Veterans begin gathering their necessary financial documents and consulting with tax professionals. VA wants Veterans to know they may qualify for special tax breaks and free assistance programs to help them navigate the filing process and maximize their returns.
Whether a Veteran files their taxes independently or uses a tax professional, VA encourages Veterans and their loved ones to review the following tips and resources to both help them navigate the tax season with confidence and to avoid tax season scams.
Learn More |
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 | Civil Air Patrol
In March, the Atlantic County Institute of Technology Air Force JROTC Det. NJ-20131 took a tour of the 177th Fighter Wing, gaining valuable insights into what guard life is like.
During the tour, the students received a mission brief and spoke to fighter jet engine maintainers, F-16C fighter pilots, base firefighters, and a NJ Air National Guard recruiter about joining the NJANG. Many students expressed their ambitions of answering their nation's call to serve their communities and the nation.
Thanks, cadets. It was a pleasure to have you visit!
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Janelle Atwell: Raising Leaders, Serving CountryWashington Township Neighbors | Matthew Rappa | April 2025
On a cold winter day in 1995, a young Janelle Atwell arrived in the U.S. from Trinidad during one of the biggest snowstorms in recent history. The stark contrast between the warmth of her home country and the icy embrace of New York was just the first of many challenges she would face and overcome with determination.
Now, three decades later, Janelle has built a life defined by service, resilience, and a deep commitment to family in Washington Township. Read Full Story |
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1st Lieutenant Francis X. BurkeFrancis X. Burke earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions on April 17, 1945.
He started and ended his military career as a member of the New Jersey National Guard, though his service in World War II and during those actions in Nuremburg were under the 3rd Infantry Division.
After his death in 1988, he was buried at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ.
Learn More |
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New Jersey Fallen Heroes Memorial | In Honor of all those from New Jersey who gave their lives in the fight against terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom & Iraqi Freedom.
In humble gratitude, we remember their sacrifice. | Memorial Inscription"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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Officers of the 1st Separate Battalion in 1935. |
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| April 3, 1782 |
Loyalist raider and “Pine Robber” John Bacon was discovered by local militia in a tavern near Tuckerton and was killed in the subsequent fight. | April 3, 1865 |
The Twenty-second United States Colored Infantry, an African-American unit mostly composed of men from New Jersey, was one of the first Union army regiments to enter Richmond, as the Civil War began to draw to a close. | April 6, 1917 |
The United States declared war on Germany. In the ensuing weeks New Jersey National Guardsmen were mobilized at Sea Girt and sent to Camp McClellan, Alabama, where they became part of the Twenty-ninth Division before shipping out to France. |
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April 12, 1782 |
Loyalists took Patriot Captain Joshua Huddy, a prisoner in New York since his capture at Toms River, to Highlands, where they hanged him in retribution for the death of Loyalist Philip White, killed allegedly attempting to escape on his way to Freehold as a prisoner. Huddy’s lynching led to an international incident when George Washington ordered a British prisoner selected to hang in retribution. The retaliation execution never occurred. |
April 16, 1930 |
The New Jersey legislature passed Chapter 149, laws of 1930, authorizing the “authorization and equipment of a battalion of Negro infantry” at state expense, in response to the refusal of the federal government to establish an African American National Guard unit in the state within the context of an overall segregated military. The unit, the “First Separate Battalion,” began organizing in Newark and Atlantic City the following year. |
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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 DMAVA Jobs Bulletin to stay updated on job openings.
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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 Eggerts Crossing Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
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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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