Tuesday, February 28, 2023

February Edition of Forward March Veterans' Newsletter

Forward March
 

February 2023

Hammer

Welcome to the February edition of the Forward March Veterans’ Newsletter. ‎We ‎‎appreciate you and the more than 45,000 subscribers who look to us for the latest ‎in news ‎impacting our State’s 1.5 million Veterans, their families and survivors.‎

Operating as the premier point of entry for Florida’s 1.5 million Veterans, the ‎Florida ‎Department of Veterans’ Affairs ‎‎operates a ‎‎network of nine State Veterans’ ‎Homes and ‎provides statewide outreach to connect ‎‎Veterans ‎‎with their earned ‎services, benefits and ‎support. ‎

We’re highlighting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Framework for Freedom Budget in this month’s lead ‎article. There’s great news for our department in his budget proposal as we begin ‎the 2023 Florida Legislative Session on March 7. You can follow the week-to-‎week ‎deliberations of the legislature as it relates to Veterans issues by visiting our website at ‎www.FloridaVets.org and clicking on ‎‎“Veteran Legislation.”‎

I had the honor of meeting again with VA Secretary Denis McDonough in ‎Washington, D.C. ‎last week while serving as President of the National Association of State Directors of ‎Veterans Affairs. The Secretary is a frequent visitor to Florida with its ‎large ‎Veteran population and I appreciate his continued support and interest in our ‎‎Veteran community. As you can see in this month’s issue, the VA footprint in our ‎State is ‎expanding to provide additional services to our eligible Veterans. ‎

You’ll see we’re also continuing our campaign to inform Veterans about the recently ‎signed PACT Act, which expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn ‎pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. Expanded outreach to our Veterans was a ‎key topic of discussion when I met with VA Secretary McDonough last week. Reach out to ‎us if you need additional information on this expansion of VA services to our Nation’s ‎Veterans.‎

‎If you need advice or counsel regarding earned services, benefits and support, ‎please ‎‎contact us ‎at (727) ‎‎‎319-‎‎7440 or via e-mail at VSO@fdva.state.fl.us. ‎One of our dedicated ‎‎Veterans’ Claims ‎Examiners will get ‎with you.‎ ‎All services are at no charge to our ‎Veterans, their family members and survivors.‎

Don’t forget you can also follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. ‎Please share this ‎newsletter with others and thanks for your support.‎

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Framework for Freedom Budget Strongly Supports Florida’s Veteran ‎Community

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Framework for Freedom Budget provides timely and essential services and support to the ‎state’s 1.5 million Veterans, their families and survivors through the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA). ‎

“As a Navy ‎Veteran,‎ Governor DeSantis is a true patriot who appreciates and understands our Veterans’ community,” said FDVA Executive Director James S. “Hammer’ Hartsell. “Since 2019, he and his administration have committed hundreds of millions of ‎dollars to our department, helping to ‎ensure a ‎positive future for our nation’s heroes and their families. Because of his leadership and administration’s collaborative focus on enhanced Veterans’ Advocacy, Florida is the most Veteran sought-after and Veteran-friendly state in the ‎nation.”‎

‎To read more, click here.


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National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs President James S. “Hammer” Hartsell signs a Memorandum of Agreement on Feb. 21 with VA Secretary Denis McDonough at the NASDVA Mid-Winter Conference in Arlington, Va. NASDVA was established in 1946 to unite and connect the leaders of state veterans’ affairs ‎‎agencies created in the aftermath of World War II. ‎Hartsell, a retired Marine Corps Major General, also serves as Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.


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TALLAHASSEE - Participants gathered outside the Florida Capitol during the early morning hours of Feb. 10 for the third annual Florida Run for the Fallen. The annual 176-mile run to Jacksonville was organized by Honor and Remember, Inc. to pay tribute to Florida servicemembers who died during the War on Terror.


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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The new Primary Care Clinic in Gainesville began providing care to area Veterans on Feb. 7. Services include Primary Care, Telehealth, Mental Health, Specimen Collection, Prosthetics, Radiology, Women's Health, Computerized tomography (CT Scan), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The clinic is located at 5469 SW 34th Street in Gainesville.


Veterans, Servicemembers Now Have Expanded Entrepreneurial Support in Florida

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TALLAHASSEE - Building on a successful program that has helped more than 500 Veterans open their own businesses in Florida, three more partners have joined the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program. Beachworx, LLC, SWFL Inc., and the University of North Florida join a growing roster of partners providing Florida Veterans with a variety of entrepreneur resources at no cost, including startup and growth cohorts, exclusive workshop admission and Veteran networking events. To read more, click here.


Veterans Florida Expands SkillBridge Internship Opportunities in Construction

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TALLAHASSEE - Veterans Florida, a non-profit organization created by the State of Florida to help military members transition to civilian life, announced a new SkillBridge partnership Feb. 16 with one of the State’s leading providers of building solutions for local governments. C.A.P. Government, Inc. provides full and supplemental outsourced Building Department services in support for construction projects in more than 70 local government and educational entities. To read more on this new internship, click here.


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs Chief of Staff Al Carter, center, and fellow FDVA Cruisers pose following the 2023 Florida Honor Ride at Tropicana Field on Feb 4. The Honor Ride raises crucial, life-changing funds in support of the non-profit Project Hero’s local programs, supporting wounded, ill and healing Veterans. 

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THE VILLAGES, Fla. - The Florida Women Veterans’ Advisory Council, established by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, met again on Feb. 10 in The Villages. The council discussed earned veterans’ benefits, best practices and planning of the statewide Women Veterans' Conference for June 2023. To read more on Florida’s 164,000 Women Veterans, click here.


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Marianna VA Outpatient Clinic Changing Hours

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MARIANNA, Fla. – The Marianna VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic will be changing its hours beginning March 27, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The change will offer Veterans extended hours access to health care services with earlier morning and later afternoon appointments not previously available. The clinic, located at 4970 Highway 90, will change hours of operation to Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The clinic will be closed on Fridays. For more information, please call (850) 718-5620.


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The countdown is on to get your nominations in for the Class of 2023 Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame. For more information on guidelines and nomination forms, click here.



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Serve our nation’s heroes by joining our team today. With a recent 5.38 percent pay raise for all state employees and a new competitive pay structure with sign-on bonuses for our direct care staff, working in one of Florida’s nine state veterans’ homes can be rewarding. Click on the graphic above to visit our position openings or visit https://bit.ly/3AuWCED.


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If you served in the Vietnam, Gulf War, or Post-9/11 eras, you may be eligible for expanded VA benefits under a new law, known as The PACT Act. Visit http://va.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MY-VA-411 to learn more. For claims assistance, you may contact one of our Florida-based Veterans' Claims Examiners at (727) 319-7440 or via email at VSO@fdva.state.fl.us.


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