Vets Help Vets: How One VA Office Is Changing Lives

A stark contrast to the near-inhospitable deserts of central and southern Arizona, the northern portion of the state is a mountainous, wooded stretch of land.

The communities in this area of the state are usually incredibly rural, and as such, less connected. Because of this, many veterans in this area are unable to claim benefits.

One VA office is changing that.

The Issue With Native Veteran Benefits

As a veterans of the United States military, you are entitled to certain benefits that make your life back home a little easier. These may include health care, disability assistance, education, and more.

Unfortunately, many native veterans live in incredibly remote areas of the state, many without cell service a internet. Because of this, any are unable to collect or even learn about the benefit's they're eligible for.

These men and women fought for our country, and their inability to be rewarded for it is heartbreaking.

Some Arizona Vets won't stand for that.

Veterans Help Veterans

Joshua Wear is a Rural Health Coordinator in northern Arizona. He works with the Northern AZ VA Health Care system, bringing benefits to vets in hard-to-reach communities.

Alongside him are VA personnel who travel across the northern reaches of the state. Together, they provide benefits and VA education to communities that need it. One of their more recent outings saw them setting up stations where vets could meet with representatives from the VA, file disability claims, enroll in health care, and more.

This is exactly what the VA should be: Vets helping Vets. In a world where veteran benefits are harder and harder to get, these men and women up north give me hope for the future.

[Arizona Daily Sun]