2005 annual report

Georgia Department of Veterans Service 2005 Annual Report
Pete Wheeler, Commissioner
-'YourMilitary Service WillNever Be Forgotten"
Today's Heroes
Tomorrow's Veterans

....We are citizens of a narion made g r m by &q,>~c#ices and dedication of all who served, both at hume and ~btoad....
2 VETERANS DAY - .
November 11,2005
44Americais #I, ThankstoHer Veterans!"

PETER WHEELER
COMMISSIONER (404) 656-2300 FAX (404) 656-7008

January 3 1,2006

Governor Sonny Perdue Members of the General Assembly Members of the Veterans Service Board Citizens of the State of Georgia
Greetings:
Section 384- 11of the Code of Georga reads:
"The Commissioner of Veterans Service shall jkmish to the Governor, the members of the General Assembly, the Veterans Service Board, veterans' organizations and the public generally an annual report with reference to claims presenfed on behawof veterans of this state, concerning veterans aided underfederal, slate, or local legislation, and to otherwise report activities and accomplishments of the Department of Veterans Sewice. "
In compliance with the above section, I have the honor to present herewith the Annual
Report of the Department of Veterans Service for the year 2005.
Respectfully submitted,

Commissioner

- ... .. VDEWdeetpueocraaarnnttimso..nSe..An.d.tn..F.cd.m.W .e.c.B.t.oii.. .ol ia. .onrrdg,..D...i......v.....i.....s.....i.....o.....n...................................................................................................................................................................................................

5 6 7 8

InformationDivhion ............................................................................. 9

,. .. - FMSGTGSSGShutiteeenaaoeepooottanYeeir~rrnesrgeggVttcmciieaiaiaaiactam rraaeWWVeylirlRreknBeRaaaeteRenerereptrsenrpVVooaveeOorfSenfitrttVircsetteegoehsrMrw.ta..oaa...en...non.e..r...i.s.ml.zs.r.......a.aH..N....o...ts....oi...ru..o.....Bi.m..r..n.aw....es.e...ls...ni.H ...,.nC....-......Mg...e........mH.....r..........o.l...e.l...e.....mt......d...e...e....g..r........e,..y.....v.....,A......S*....M....~...H.u..*........g.*i..e....n.....u....*....*.e.....s......H.d..t..........a..g..............r..*.....~....v..............*.i........l...*.....l.......e*.............*...............................................*..................................................................................."...............................4.................................2.1..1......4...68...-..--2.12121111.5.64571320

F-VSbipeueteltedicorianaWnlSs~uLcveeaie@e.d.efe..UrV*sA.nh..iEi.tp*sx..p.....e......n......d......i..".t....u.....r....e....."s.........................................................................................................-....................................................................6...0...-.2.556.749.2

m Cemetery
a ClaimsDivkiun

The ComtiWm of the State of Georgia s&fieq that the

%ate Board of V&mtw $emba e o m p d of sevm members-

Each member must be r veteran Jtbg armed farmsof tqlR United

Staw and must haye s e d hanorably d n h g w d m

The Governor maminates members who are.subjmt to

oppmval By the Bate

Board members #ms are staggered

and are far sevenyears, From itsmembership, the Board annu*

k k t s a chairman, ~--,

a d wr&ty. Every four p r s

the B o d ekc& a Comuhsian~rtb~ougb whom it controls the

a d policy of te Department ofV&emm smke.

I 12005Board Members

Ray Hendrix Fred T. Fincher James BlayIock Barbara J. Aaron Kenneth Birdsong Richard "Buddy" Harris Pat Phillips

Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Member Member Member Member

Statesboro LaGTange Decatur Warner Robins GordodGray Cochran Blairsde

200%)residinginGeor& thdt.&mdem and smiwrs ~ ~ ~ p r o g r s r m ~ ~ t

iaallmtkrs ~

b

k g a l p ~ ~p l e t h r r t ~ ~ t s m~n o t

l % s ~ ~ ~ k ~ t hfowmhgo a~w dcd a~u t o:m W I ~ m u 9 t b e q p l i Q d k

t h e ~ a n d t h e i r h n i l i ~ a b m t ~ ~T,h e V ' A c p a y s a ~ m ~ y w W h e o r

and d i d y misting and advising vetexamandtheir

sheasksforwhrheyareenWed,andnamoxe.

~ i n ~ r i n g t h e ~ b t o w h i c ; h t h e y s l r e ~ a Tdh. e a i m o f t b D e p a r t n t e n t o f v e ~

~gtlppoKit&ese~iontbsd, epslrtmenrt

Service is to obtainfor a w&rau or depmhts

~ a ~ ~ ~ o f f i a s , a~ ~n t~ ow w h i c h ~ m ~ t o

&don, and a oenEt4L2 office.

EbemwbmtheymentiW,mdmmlsttkomb

Ttxe dabs &is Imtd at thetheat.& regiregi.onaI

gatkingand prepariogwidencen~to

oflice ofthe U.S.hpm# of lhem!zAffairsa j u s W y a ~ ~ p r w e ~ ~ .

1700~~in~r.

The~ageofW~~ldWklIaud

&sTdb c l r~t i~m.s M m l s s i m L t o p c e 9 s ~ . &

~Wm~aUd~~u ~aenrrh~b~legis~on,wiU

The fieldaces, h a t e d ~ P ~ thQe staUte, pr~&& necessitatethe omtimaace: ufa v$ri&y of

direetf3ssimwt6-aftk$IPGalM,

The

~ ~ p r oy e a~r s d di. n ~

~ r e p m m t a t i m p r c w i d s ~ d ~ & p A~ S C ~ ~ ~ e 8 b ~ . a m y s 5 6

veteransingatberirt$badinfe

redu~$le~t,~~~contiwl

m i r e d todwmeaztWr claim.

bbeinastatedflux

The infomation&vbion*amissionistakm G a q h

Thif3~~~#~~

~ ~ ~ ~ t ~ e s ~ h c w v t t sases-in y -m ~ tthe o -dn

h.

~bwthey~~n~-personerl

~ c e m t r a l ~ c e i s f o r b ~ o n o Sf i k~d O n .
services. .
The umfmmd may be prone tousethe phrase

"dupljeatioa ofdfbrtnwhen r e h m gtothe fudiuns of

the l%pmnmtof V&raw

and th US.

~ofV~~,~couldbe~

wthebtlrth.

Toayctmm d&gbmefitsffmntheV.t$e role

played by the IDeptumt ofV- S&ce mightb

cbmpwredtotlmtofan~nmeyxep~enthga~in

mm.

+~ffmtu&aend cmy aut the laws of &a state

pemhhg to v m *

+Idbm*mthcirws, a n d ~ o x s

atotheirri&tsandb&unrlwfedd&state

l@zMon, or 1d

*As& veterans, M=didents,

and thdr

bmeliciaries in the p ~ e p m t h np, resmtatiaq

proof, and establishment of such claims, privi-

leges, rights ad other benefits accruingto them

under fedend, gate, and local 11'wrs.

bR- m y evidence of iri~ampetehcedj ishm-

estyXorne@mce on the part of any employw

de&g withveterm' f i r s tothe @tom authority.
*To do and pdom d-s forthe,wmohnd

+As *,Appr&gAuthor;ty, a l t w w c,~nWawith~feddgwmmmtfm~
qu@cation& a p p r o 4 dafbn,an4

~ d i n E t r e ~ ~ ~ r ~ p r o ~mprwinsio&nof~dmtionalins ti&^andmining

v~~ dfGeorgiam totheir $h@,ufid~dl

tr eatsapplyingfor or paMp&ing in

fedddstatelaw. *Apply for and accept &Is, grmi$ d othes

f&tdpr0-4~&~@da-
*Assist othessbm insewringevidexrcef ~draiw.

wntributionsh m the federal g o v m & or from my ather govemnentdunitsts
+Accept and use gifts, ganh, donation$ axid

+Promote ahgemat aid impmaneat 6fVA ha@ facilitiesinthe state.
4Spmwr&swarm of VetwamDq4the state.

d b u t i 0 1 1 o~f,realestateIboth vacant and improved fadities, monies3 services or other

~Cati@eligibitityfbrvmmm'd&xs~md ~ d r i v e c sIi-.'

property&om individuals,arms,wrgorati~ns,

o r g wad ~mmci~ationsand fiom county

and municipal corpuratiom md their mbdifi-

ions, in additi-ofito >anyi b d s appropfid by

he state.

+Construct d operatehospitals, mmbg hornP

and personalcare homes fordze b&&t df eligible

m vetmans.

fAdvise the Bvemor, the Board ~f=&ms

S M q andthe Generalhemb'fyasto n e d d

vetam' legislation.

f~*onall~~ha~fled~

-*--'-rof

+Canduct e d u d o d programs by personal
~~ appwmCBSb e f r n ~ mc~e ~ ~ 0 ~
dubs,f m t d groups anduther such

soastoaq~thepublir:gen~~.the;wark

afthe d q a r b m ~

+MakerepmWwaafthe deparbnmta-fe

hay ~ l ~ ~ a s , a n d m o f t h e ~ t e t o

asdan-fbeir

depdents+d&

ing~aringmd~~~~rb~s&to

~th~dl@ri$htsixadp~eges.

+Cooperate withdl n a t j d , dlocal

correspondenceand apprenticeshiptrainingfor

reservistsand fight trainingfor bothres&sts and

veterans. One of the most recent innovations was
,Departmentof PublicLaw 106-419 which would allow DVAto

-,iV e t e m

pay forcertainlicensing and certificationtests

Service is

required for entry or advancement into a vocation

, designated as or profession.

, the State

In 2005, the approval of educational institutions

!Approving

and trainingestablishmentsfortheeducationof

i Agency,

Georgaveterans resultedinthe processingof nearly

responsiblefor 9,444individualactionsinthe approval,reapproval,

approvingand withdrawal and compliancesurveyprocess. The

Isupervisingall State ApprovingAgency also conductedregular .iinstitutionsand inspectionvisitsto ensurethat approvalcriteria and

establishmentsin Georgia, which offer education and training under the provisions oftheVeteransEduca-

schools' standardsofprogress are being followed as prescribed by law.
During 2005, personnel assigned to the

tional Assistance Program. The StateApprovingAgency has the function of

Educational and Training Division conducted about 620 visits for the purposes of approval, reapproval,

emuringthat institutionsand establishmentsmeet
and maintain acceptabiestandardsso that eligible personswho attend may receiveeducational
assistancefromthe U.S.DepartmentofVeterans

inspectionand compliancesurveys.Currently,the department monitors more than 1,250 educational institutions and training establishments.
Laws recently enacted require stringent

AEirs. Thisincludes all public and private schools and
allestablishmentsofferingapprenticeshipand other

regulatorycompliancein orderto maintaincontrols on all approved types of educational establishments.
Theresponsibilitiesof administrativeapproval,

on-the-jobtraining. The satisfactoryperformanceof these dutiesrequires extensive knowledgein educationadministrationand understandiithe laws andreguiationsthatgovernand controltheVeterans

annual inspections, and ensuring corrective action wherenecessary, constituteavital fbnctionofthe GeorgiaDepartment ofVeterans Service.

Educational Assistance Program.

Georgia veterans enrolled in college degree and

professional. programs, technical career programs,

vocational programs, to include fight training and

on-the-job training programs exceeded 15,000

during 2005

Increases in enrollmentsare expected to

continue as more veterans participate in the

Monkgomery GI Bill education program. Initiated in

1985, the Montgomery GI BilI program has proven

to be a great success. Tht veterans' response to this

program was suchthat it subsequentlywas made a

permanentbenefitforthemilitary and nowenjoysa

hugeparticipation,which continuestogrow.

The U.S.Department ofVeteransAffairs @VA)

has expanded the veterans education benefits

program to include vocational, technical,