RD441 - Virginia Department of Veterans Services Commissioner’s Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report - December 1, 2014


Executive Summary:
I am proud to report on the accomplishments of the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) as we continue to execute the Governor’s vision of making Virginia the most veteran-friendly state in the nation. The agency is dedicated and committed to providing timely and needed support to the more than 781,000 veterans who call the Commonwealth home.

DVS provides a broad range of services to Virginia’s veterans and their families– from assisting with the benefits claims process, to assisting transitioning service members find a path to employability, to facilitating the attainment of educational benefits, to ensuring veterans have access to health care and behavioral health care to providing long-term care for our aging veteran population. In FY14, the Department of Veterans Services:

• Filed 23,241 disability compensation claims on behalf of Virginia veterans and families, directly enabling the recoupment of $2.3 billion in federal compensation and disability payments to our veterans in FFY13.

• Delivered 5,606 discrete supportive services to veterans and their families through the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program.

• Approved 1,122 educational program offerings for the G.I. Bill program, thus expanding educational opportunities for veterans using their G.I. Bill benefits. Virginia veterans received more than $872 million in G.I. Bill benefits in FFY13.

• Facilitated the employment of 3,225 Virginia veterans through the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program.

• Provided 130,670 patient days of care at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond and the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Roanoke.

• Performed 1,464 burials at Virginia’s three state veterans cemeteries.

• Honored Virginia’s fallen by hosting 65,692 visitors at the Virginia War Memorial, a new single-year record.

Even with all we have accomplished, we will not rest on our laurels in Fiscal Year 2015. For instance, design work is underway for the expansion of the Virginia War Memorial, with construction expected to start in 2015. Additionally, our Sitter and Barfoot Veterans Care Center is currently scheduled to complete construction of a 40-bed addition to the in the spring of 2015.

DVS continues to enjoy the strong support of the Governor, the members of the Virginia General Assembly, and the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs. We are honored that you have made our veterans a high priority and we look forward to continuing our work in 2015 as we continue to make Virginia the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.

John L. Newby II
Commissioner