Massachusetts Veterans Budget increases by $9 Million

Budget initiatives passed for state soldiers and veterans
Wakefield Observer - Beverly,MA,USA
Thu Jul 10, 2008, 05:05 PM EDT
Wakefield -
Rep. Mark Falzone announced the successful passage of numerous budget initiatives in support of Massachusetts soldiers and veterans. This budget for fiscal 2009 provides more than $117 million for veterans, service members and their families, an increase of more than $9 million from the fiscal 2008 budget. Each of these budget items will assist the growing number individuals and families who have made major personal sacrifices for the security of our nation.
Falzone, the vice chairman of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, said, “The commonwealth of Massachusetts has shown immense appreciation and gratitude as never before to honor the sacrifices and needs of these service members as they go through the often difficult transition back to civilian life. I am pleased that in this budget our concern for their needs has been turned into productive and effective action to assist them with their very real and pressing concerns.”

· $47 million was awarded to Soldiers’ Homes, a veteran center offering quality health care and full-time residential accommodations.

· $18.5 million for annuity benefits were granted; $420,000 more than the previous fiscal year, in order to reach the increasing population of veterans.

· $20.9 million was awarded to help veterans in need and to ensure local veteran’s agents have the training needed to provide the best assistance possible, an increase from last year of $5.7 million.

· A new Special Commission to Study the Hidden Wounds of War was created to examine the establishment of a mandatory mental health treatment program for national guard members; a state military family leave policy for primary caregivers of returning service members; and a statewide education training program to assist law enforcement, corrections officers and other first responders in recognizing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

· $5 million will be split among 15 organizations who are dedicated to helping homeless veterans as well as $2.2 million for the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans.

· In addition, $2.3 million will be shared by 17 veteran outreach centers who give struggling veterans needed educational and career opportunities.

· The budget provides $2.3 million to ensure that the Department of Veterans’ Services continues to provide various services, such as increased outreach to veterans.

· $3.4 million will be used for National Guard Tuition and Fee Waivers for those members who attend state colleges.

· The budget also allows for the extension of the pay differential law for National Guard and Reserve by three years making up income for state workers who are National Guard or Reserve members and are called to duty.

· The Massachusetts National Guard has been provided with $9.2 million for their budget, an increase of $1.8 million from last year.

· $1.7 million has been provided for the Massachusetts National Guard Life Insurance Reimbursement Program, to provide partial reimbursements of policies worth up to $400,000.
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There have been several post on this blog addressing the necessity of local law enforcement agencies to become aware of the unique needs of combat veterans. There has been a deplorable history of our veterans being treated other than honorably when they have been wounded by PTSD simply because the authorities were unaware of the far reaching changes PTSD causes. These changes not only affect the lives of citizen soldiers in the National Guard and Reservists, but also the older veterans and yes, even their own fellow officers.

We tend to forget that many in the National Guard are also law enforcement officers. They have adjustment issues needing to be addressed as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but return to more traumatic situations as law enforcement officers in the line of duty back home.

Being a law enforcement officer is traumatic as it is but when you add in combat experiences, these officers face a greater need than those who come home to relatively peaceful lives. Firefighters also face PTSD in their occupation and yet again, we see some who are also in the National Guard returning from combat.

There is much we do not consider when deploying the citizen soldiers into combat. We tend to ignore the unique problems they face. The citizen soldier is expected to return to their normal lives, but when they have been deployed into combat zones, their "normal" lives are anything but normal. As we try to do the right thing for the regular military, the citizen soldiers are the last to be served. This budget will help to address what the rest of the nation needs to do in their own communities.


Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington