RD365 - Virginia Department of Veterans Services Commissioner’s Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Report - November 25, 2013


Executive Summary:
I am proud to report again on the accomplishments of the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) as we work towards achieving the goal, set by the Governor and General Assembly, of making Virginia the most veteran-friendly state in the nation. The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to over 840,000 veterans. The 750 full and part-time employees of the Department of Veterans Services are dedicated to serving those who served us.

DVS provides a broad range of services – from assisting veterans and their families with the benefits claims process, helping wounded warriors, and supporting educational benefits for veterans, to caring for injured, ill, and elderly veterans and meeting their final needs through our cemetery services. Additionally, DVS is honoring the story of Virginia’s fallen at the Virginia War Memorial. In FY13, the Department of Veterans Services:

• Filed 25,120 disability compensation claims. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) adjudicated 14,354 claims submitted by DVS, and approved 10,978 or approximately 75 percent. Virginia veterans received $1.9 billion in retroactive claim awards during FY13.

• Served 5,431 veterans and their families through the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program.

• Certified that more than 1,000 educational facilities met G.I. Bill requirements. Virginia veterans received more than $571M G.I. Bill benefits in FFY12.

• Provided 131,989 patient days of care at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond and the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Roanoke.

• Performed 1,346 burials at Virginia’s three state veterans cemeteries.

• Honored Virginia’s fallen by hosting 60,004 visitors at the Virginia War Memorial.

Even with all we’ve accomplished in the past year, we will not stop to rest on our laurels in Fiscal Year 2014. DVS is wrapping up the projects to add 4,000 pre-installed outer burial containers at the Albert G. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery (Suffolk) and 1,600 at the Virginia Veterans Cemetery (Amelia); design work is underway for the expansion of the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond with construction expected to start in late Spring of 2014 and development is underway on a new application and approval system for the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependent Education Program. DVS has had the outstanding support of Governor McDonnell, his team, the Virginia General Assembly, and our key partners. We look forward to continuing this outstanding work in 2014 with Governor-elect McAuliffe and his team as we strive towards making Virginia the nation’s most veteran friendly state.

Paul E. Galanti
Commissioner