State Assures Senator Morahan That Returning Veterans Will Be Alerted To County Services & Entitlements

New York State Senator Thomas P. Morahan announced today that the Director of the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs has responded favorably to his request that New York State veterans who have been discharged from active military service be mailed a comprehensive listing of appropriate/available county services. Morahan indicated that the State would be mailing discharged veterans information and linkages regarding all applicable benefits and entitlements available to them through their local county veterans affairs offices. County veterans groups have expressed concern that returning veterans are unaware of services available to them in their home counties, or how to access local entitlements and benefits.

"I am pleased today to have received assurance from NYS Division of Veterans Affairs Director George Basher, that as part of a cooperative outreach with all county veterans agencies in the state, his agency will develop and initiate a comprehensive mailing to all recently discharged Veterans, for the purpose of apprising them of all available state and county services to which they are entitled," said Morahan, a former chairman of the NYS Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. "As Veterans Day approaches, it is important that we renew our commitment to the men and women in uniform who have defended and served our nation."

Morahan's efforts resulted from a discussion with Jerry Donnellan, Director of Rockland County's Veterans Service Agency, who expressed concern that the State had not been collaborating with his agency with respect to providing information to ensure that local veterans were made aware of the multitude of services that Rockland County offers its veterans.

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