Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120

04/18/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

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Audio Topic
01:02:55 PM Start
01:03:43 PM Presentation(s): Overview of the Department of Military & Veterans Affairs by Verdie Bowen, Director
01:34:27 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Presentation: Overview of the Department of TELECONFERENCED
Military & Veterans Affairs by Verdie Bowen,
Director
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
   HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS                                                                  
                         April 18, 2023                                                                                         
                           1:02 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stanley Wright, Chair                                                                                            
Representative Laddie Shaw                                                                                                      
Representative Cliff Groh                                                                                                       
Representative Andrew Gray                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Ben Carpenter                                                                                                    
Representative George Rauscher                                                                                                  
Representative Dan Saddler                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION(S):  OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY &                                                                      
VETERANS AFFAIRS BY VERDIE BOWEN~ DIRECTOR                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
VERDIE BOWEN, Director                                                                                                          
Office of Veterans Affairs                                                                                                      
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs                                                                                     
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Provided an overview of the Office of                                                                    
Veterans Affairs.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:02:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STANLEY  WRIGHT  called the  House  Special  Committee  on                                                             
Military  and Veterans'  Affairs meeting  to order  at 1:03  p.m.                                                               
Representatives Shaw, Groh, Gray, and  Wright were present at the                                                               
call to order.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION(S):    Overview of  the  Department  of Military  &                                                               
Veterans Affairs by Verdie Bowen, Director                                                                                      
   PRESENTATION(S):  Overview of the Department of Military &                                                               
           Veterans Affairs by Verdie Bowen, Director                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
1:03:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
an  overview  presentation  of the  Department  of  Military  and                                                               
Veterans Affairs.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:04:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VERDIE BOWEN,  Director, Office  of Veterans  Affairs, Department                                                               
of  Military and  Veterans Affairs  (DMVA), began  the PowerPoint                                                               
presentation  titled,  "Overview   Office  of  Veterans  Affairs"                                                               
[hardcopy included in committee packet] on  slide 1.  He moved to                                                               
slide 2, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Office of Veterans Affairs                                                                                                 
     Our Core Values                                                                                                            
     We   hold  ourselves   personally  and   professionally                                                                    
     accountable  to deliver  on  America's  promise to  all                                                                    
     eligible members we  serve through courage, conviction,                                                                    
     and  a   belief  in  our  core   values  of  Integrity,                                                                    
     Compassion, Commitment, Selflessness, and Teamwork.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Our Motto                                                                                                                  
     "Serving Alaska one Veteran at a Time"                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BOWEN moved  to slide  3,  which read  as follows  [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska Veteran Demographics                                                                                                
     64,388 veterans plus 141,653 dependents                                                                                    
     War Time Veterans: 57,010                                                                                                  
     Peace Time Veterans: 7,398                                                                                                 
     Gulf War Service: 39,027                                                                                                   
     Vietnam Era: 19,023                                                                                                        
     Korean Conflict: 1,711                                                                                                     
     World War II: 275                                                                                                          
     Male Veterans: 48,083                                                                                                      
     Female Veterans: 10,305                                                                                                    
     Under age 65: 48,999                                                                                                       
     Over Age 65: 15,389                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:08:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN advanced to slide 4, which read as follows [original                                                                  
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Office of Veteran Affairs Staffing                                                                                         
   • 4 full  time-state employee +  17 grant  funded Veteran                                                                    
     Service Officers (VSO's)                                                                                                   
   o Serve  Veterans, Active  Duty, Reserve  Components, and                                                                    
     all dependents/survivors                                                                                                   
   o Serve  as  a  conduit  to assist  in  navigating  every                                                                    
     aspect of the  State and Federal systems  to secure all                                                                    
     earned  benefits to  include discharge  upgrade reviews                                                                    
     and disability research and missing awards/lost medals                                                                     
   o Publish and distribute the Veterans Benefits booklet                                                                       
   o Staff and VSO's  serve over 60,000 clients  in 2023 and                                                                    
     traveled to over 100 communities                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN moved to slide 5, which read as follows [original                                                                     
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Major Accomplishments                                                                                                      
   • Renamed  the Alaska  VA Healthcare  campus the  Colonel                                                                    
     Mary Louise  Rasmuson Campus  1stVA Campus  named after                                                                    
     a noted female Veteran                                                                                                     
   • Held the  first connecting female Veterans  event  with                                                                    
     over 150 participants                                                                                                      
   • Traveled  to Gambell,  Alaska and  presented 16  Alaska                                                                    
                            st                                                                                                  
     Heroism Medals to the 1 Scouts who served in 1955                                                                          
   • Honored our Vietnam Helicopter Pilots  through a day of                                                                    
     events  that culminated  in the  naming of  the Vietnam                                                                    
     Helicopter Pilot bridges                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:15:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN transitioned to slide 6, which read as follows                                                                        
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Major Accomplishments                                                                                                      
   • Receipt  of a  $250,000  federal transportation  grant,                                                                    
     allowing   over  1,173   Veterans  funded   travel  for                                                                    
     healthcare   Alaska is  the only  state  in the  nation                                                                    
     selected for this program                                                                                                  
   • Veterans  Memorial Endowment  Grant provided  the funds                                                                    
     needed to  complete the Wasilla Veterans  Wall of Honor                                                                    
      Memorial  Day 2022  was enhanced  greatly by  this new                                                                    
     Honor facility                                                                                                             
   • Partnered  with  Fairbanks  and  Anchorage  Stand  Down                                                                    
     committees  services using  an  appointment system  for                                                                    
     Veterans in need during the COVID-19 crisis                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN moved to slide 7, which read as follows [original                                                                     
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Major Accomplishments                                                                                                      
   • Created & produced  informative and resourceful Veteran                                                                    
     Benefits   Book   -includes  important   contacts   and                                                                    
     extensive   veterans   benefit   guidance   -distribute                                                                    
     several thousand  copies annually  to veterans  & their                                                                    
     dependents                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:18:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN advanced to slide 8, which read as follows [original                                                                  
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Major Accomplishments                                                                                                      
   • Successfully  navigated  the  USDVA Appeal  boards  and                                                                    
     returned $113M in single one time payments                                                                                 
   • Partnered with  the Archivist  from the  VFW  completed                                                                    
     an additional 1300 Alaska Territorial Guard discharges                                                                     
   • Co-sponsors with the US  Department of Veterans Affairs                                                                    
     developing  our Tribal  Veterans Representatives  (TVR)                                                                    
     corps receiving VA 101  training -increasing the state-                                                                    
     wide volunteer pool to over  500 -the largest Veteran's                                                                    
     volunteer  corps in  the nation  plus awarded  the VA's                                                                    
     Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN moved to slide 9, which read as follows [original                                                                     
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Major Accomplishments                                                                                                      
   • Co-sponsored  moving Veterans  Museum to  a new  larger                                                                    
     location doubled their Honor display capacity                                                                              
   • Co-sponsored 12 virtual state  wide town halls directly                                                                    
     reaching over 11,000 veterans and their families                                                                           
   • Partnered  with State  Dept. of  Labor  to support  the                                                                    
     localized  job fairs  and recruitment  efforts directed                                                                    
     towards veterans  & their  families offering  support &                                                                    
     guidance  for veterans  in search  of stable  careers &                                                                    
     encouraging professional development                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:21:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN concluded the PowerPoint  presentation on slide 10.  He                                                               
added  that DMVA  receives many  requests to  investigate certain                                                               
matters.   He relayed  a story  about Private  First-Class George                                                               
Fox, who  was the  only Aleut  killed during World  War Two.   He                                                               
stated that  nobody knew that he  was buried by his  mother in an                                                               
unmarked grave  in Unalaska.   He said DMVA  was able to  place a                                                               
headstone on his grave in the last year.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:24:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY   stated  that  he  has   been  tracking  an                                                               
investigation regarding  an African  American veteran's  claim of                                                               
racism  concerning   a  disability  benefit.     He  offered  his                                                               
understanding that  these veterans  would be  less likely  to get                                                               
100 percent  service connection  than white  veterans.   He asked                                                               
for the status of the investigation.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BOWEN  answered that  DMVA  is  tracking the  investigation;                                                               
however,  any  comments  will  be   left  to  after  the  court's                                                               
decision.  He said that race is not marked on a DMVA claim.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY suggested  that when  a veteran  undergoes a                                                               
physical exam, his/her race may become known then.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BOWEN  responded that  there  have  been problems  with  the                                                               
physical  exams.   He continued  that issues  of military  sexual                                                               
trauma would be brought to the secretary.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:27:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:27:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT asked about the veteran's cemetery in Fairbanks.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN explained  that a plot of land was  purchased in Salcha                                                               
last year, which  has passed environmental checks  and was deemed                                                               
acceptable by  DMVA.  He  said $16  million is required  to build                                                               
the cemetery.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:30:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SHAW   asked  whether   the  cemetery   would  be                                                               
federally recognized.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN  answered yes.   In response  to how many  spaces there                                                               
would be, he said there will  be 500 column bearings, 500 crypts,                                                               
and 500 niches.   He noted that the crypts  have three placements                                                               
within them.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:31:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT asked about the Veterans Treatment Court program.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. BOWEN answered that the  program was opened in Fairbanks, and                                                               
currently  there   are  three   individuals  going   through  the                                                               
treatment.    He  said  once  a  person  completes  the  wellness                                                               
process, his/her records are expunged.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:32:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW  complemented Mr.  Bowen on  the work  he has                                                               
done for veterans of Alaska.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:33:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT thanked Mr. Bowen.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:33:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY thanked  Mr. Bowen, and he  commented that he                                                               
does not hear many complaints about the DMVA.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:34:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Military  and Veteran's  Affairs  Special  Committee meeting  was                                                               
adjourned at 1:34 p.m.                                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
OVA Slides for 2023 Legislative Session 4.18.23.pdf HMLV 4/18/2023 1:00:00 PM