by Max Marbut Staff Writer
The City’s Veterans Services Division is charged with a myriad of missions, but lately it has been booking some exclusive excursions that you won’t find flipping around to the Travel Channel.
Dan McCarthy, the City’s director of military affairs and chief of the Veterans Services Division, said some days he has felt a lot like a travel agent. His office coordinated overnight visits on the U.S.S. Jacksonville nuclear submarine in June and this month, he’s working on arrangements for two civilian trips on the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman. The Navy’s guests will find out what a cable-arrested flight deck landing is like on arrival then they’ll be launched off the catapult for the return trip to terra firma after spending the night in a stateroom on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
“The Navy offers the opportunity for business leaders and members of City government to become familiar with the Navy’s mission.
“Less than 1 percent of the population serves in the armed forces, so we have to educate the other 99 percent in terms of what the military is all about. The annual air shows and pier-side activities are great recruiting opportunities for the public, but these trips are a way to help make elected officials and community aware of what the military does on a day-to-day basis and why it’s so important,” said McCarthy.
He also said the last two months have been out of the ordinary.
“When the (aircraft carrier U.S.S.) Kennedy was here, we had a lot more opportunities. Now there aren’t that many chances to be able to get people on a carrier and it’s almost never for the submarine trips.” Arranging for people to experience some of what it’s like to serve on a submarine or aircraft carrier is only a small part of the Veterans Services Division’s role in the community.
More than 7,000 local veterans come to the Veterans Services office at City Hall each year and McCarthy and those in his command assist those personnel with everything from filing disability claims (and appeals when a claim is denied) to helping them secure home loans through the Veterans Administration.
“Some of our clients with service-related injuries served as far back as World War II. We help them navigate through the typically complicated government system,” said McCarthy, who added it’s up to every community in America to assist its Veterans.
“National security is the responsibility of all government entities. While the federal government provides the Department of Defense, it was never intended to be an exclusive responsibility. States and local governments have a responsibility to share in the common defense by assisting those who serve. The nation mans its military with citizens from local communities, so when Veterans return from war, the local communities have a shared responsibility for their wellbeing.”
Social Service Specialist Ed Palmer has worked in the division for five years. A retired Navy veteran himself, Palmer said he handles about 1,000 cases a year and can tell hundreds of stories of Veterans who have received life-changing assistance after they came to the office at City Hall.
One recent story about a Veteran he calls simply “Lt. John” stands out in particular.
“John just walked in off the street and said he needed some help. He was homeless and had been living in Hemming Plaza and some of the shelters. Someone at one of the shelters told him about our office.
“When he came in, we evaluated him and he told us his story,” said Palmer.
Lt. John’s story included enlisting in the Navy as an E-1 (the lowest enlisted grade) then advancing to E-9, then to Chief Warrant Officer before eventually moving to officer’s country and retiring as an O-3. He was eligible for military retirement pay, but due to a failed marriage and alcohol addiction, Lt. John was not left with enough money to survive anywhere but on the street.
“We got him off the street and into an alcohol rehabilitation program,” said Palmer.
Last week, the Veterans Services Office got an e-mail from Lt. John and an update on his progress.
It stated in part, “The reason I am sending you this e-mail is to thank you for your help. You treated me professionally, were non-judgemental and when I left your office I felt a burden was lifted off my shoulders.”
He added that he is living in a facility in Green Cove Springs, is going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings daily and is looking for employment.
“I also plan to check Worksource in Fleming Island for work referrals and help. I am clean and sober and I intend to stay that way one day at a time.”
“We got this Veteran ‘dusted off’ and moving in the right direction and it’s making a big difference in his life,” commented McCarthy.
McCarthy pointed out the budget for the Veterans Services Division is less than $900,000 per year and the office initiates and processes claims for local Veterans that result in $375 million each year in benefits that go back into the community’s economy.
”Our goal in this division is to spend a penny and get a dollar,” he said.
The Veterans - Military community by the numbers
• With more than 2 million veterans making it their home, Florida is second to only California in terms of number of veterans residing in the state. Within Florida, Jacksonville has one of the largest populations of veterans (200,000) and the largest number of wounded returning from the war on terrorism (1,000 being assisted at the Veterans Administration Clinic).
• In 2006, more than 100,000 veterans living in Jacksonville received disability checks from the Veterans Administration and/or Department of Defense totaling more than $375 million.
• The Military Affairs & Veterans Services (MAVS) office at City Hall serves more than 7,000 Veterans and active duty personnel per year. Services range from assistance with disability claims and pension entitlements to appeals and education benefits. MAVS also helped local Veterans secure VA home loans totaling $284 million in 2006.
• Jacksonville was the largest gaining Navy city during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure program (BRAC), with 2,700 new jobs including new ships, aircraft squadrons and shore commands at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport.
• The annual budget for the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast at NAS Jacksonville is $900 million, equal to the annual budget for the City of Jacksonville including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Fire & Rescue.