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Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS)
Summer 2019 eNews, Volume 1
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Commissioner’s Corner

On June 6, we commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. World leaders, service members, veterans and our fellow citizens gathered in Normandy, France and closer to home, at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. This was an important anniversary as D-Day marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany’s domination of Europe and of World War II.

This month also marks the 75th anniversary of landmark legislation that also proved a major impact on the lives of millions of Americans and most especially, those who served in our armed forces during World War II. 

On June 22, 1944, while war still raged in Europe and the Pacific, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, which became better known as the “GI Bill.” The goal of this legislation was to make sure that veterans returning from the war would receive the benefits they needed to make the transition back to civilian life.

The GI Bill established veteran hospitals, made low-interest home mortgages available to veterans, and most notably, granted stipends covering tuition and expenses for veterans to attend college and trade schools. From 1944-49, nearly nine million veterans received almost $4 million in supportive benefits while they looked for work or went to school. The GI Bill opened the door to higher education to many Americans who may have never had this opportunity, as they could not have afforded it otherwise.

In the decades since, the GI Bill has been changed, updated and modified to include benefits for veterans who served in subsequent conflicts and in peacetime, and also for their spouses and dependents. The impact of the GI Bill is just as important today as it was in the post WWII years in helping transitioning service members and their families obtain the education and training they need for successful civilian careers.

In fact, nearly 50,000 Virginia veterans and their family members used their GI Bill benefits last year alone, totaling $890 million in benefits paid. Only three other states (California, Texas and Florida) received more in GI Bill benefits than Virginia.

You may not be aware that DVS is responsible for the execution of the federal GI Bill program in Virginia. Its responsibilities include approving and auditing approximately 1,000+ colleges and universities, vocational schools, licensure and apprenticeship programs throughout the state to assure they meet GI Bill regulations and guidelines.

DVS will host a 75th Anniversary of the GI Bill Program on Friday, June 21 at the Midlothian campus of John Tyler Community College. Speakers and attendees include representatives from our State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, colleges and universities, business and community leaders as well as and many recipients of GI Bill benefits – including many of our own DVS employees. This is an anniversary well worth celebrating and I welcome everyone to be a part of it.

If you are a veteran and would like to know more about GI Bill benefits available to you and your family, please contact us at saa@dvs.virginia.gov or at 804.225.2298.

As always, we appreciate your interest in DVS and welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you and have a pleasant summer.



John L. Newby II, Commissioner
Virginia Department of Veterans Services
The 75th Anniversary of the GI Bill Birthday Celebration
John Tyler Community College, Midlothian Campus
June 21, 2019

Mighty Pen Project Readings and Reception
Virginia War Memorial
July 10, 2019

VVFS Mission Healthy Relationships Workshop
Glen Allen
July 19-21, 2019

Commonwealth's Patriot Day Ceremony,
Virginia War Memorial
September 11, 2019


Click here to view upcoming V3 Veteran Employment Events.
 
Cynthia “Cheryl” Marin
United States Air Force
 


Please give an overview of your military service.
My United States Air Force assignments included Space Communications Engineer, Space Launch Vehicle Engineer, Acquisition Manager, Leadership-Management Instructor, Professional Military Education Instructor, Avionics Technician, Maintenance Analyst, and Flight Chief. I am a prior enlisted officer.
 
What was or were your most rewarding assignment or assignments while serving?
I loved all of my Air Force assignments. I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve with military and civilian trailblazers from the first cadre of F-15 Eagles to the Space Shuttle. Among my most rewarding and challenging assignments were performing project management, engineering, and operations for 26 successful DoD and NASA space launches – including the Space Shuttle, Atlas, Delta, Pegasus, and Titan.
 
What are you doing now?
Today, I serve with Dominion Energy. I’m proud to be part of a company that honors the contributions of both women and veterans. I perform supply chain optimization by applying innovative solutions and predictive analytics to solve tough inventory challenges. I also enjoy participating in the Dominion Energy Veterans Resource Group, Virginia Energy Workforce Consortium, Women in Nuclear, Women’s Resource Group, and outreach activities like the Get Into Energy Innovation Challenge, and the Virginia Women Veterans Summit.

What advice would you give to a service member who is in the process of transitioning from active duty to the civilian world?
Embrace the change.  Prepare for your next great mission – civilian life.  Your diverse leadership and life experiences enable you to accomplish any assignment, and make you a valuable candidate for employers.  Take advantage of the vast education and employment services available to transitioning military and veterans, like DVS programs. As you explore new challenges, apply the same discipline, drive, and determination that guided you to succeed in the military.
;
ITA International LLC - Newport News
Interview with Michael E. “Mike” Melo, Chief Executive Officer

 
Please tell us about your business. 
Founded in 2005, ITA International LLC is a provider of integrated support services to include analysis, planning, training, acquisition management, cyber/intelligence, engineering, logistics, and maritime support ­services to government customers worldwide.  Our largest customers are the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security as well as the US Navy and Coast Guard.
 
We have over 380 employees who work in twenty states and four foreign countries.  I started ITA International with my wife Kathy in 2005 after a twenty-three year career as a Navy officer and serving on the faculty of Old Dominion University. We started with just the two of us. I remain CEO and Kathy serves as the CGO (Chief Governance Officer).  We recently moved our headquarters from Yorktown to Newport News to better serve our client base.

Why is your business committed to hiring veterans?
As a veteran myself, I know that all veterans share a common bond. When I transitioned from active duty in the early 2000s, other veterans helped me in determining what path I should take in the civilian world.  For a defense contractor like ITA, hiring veterans makes especially good business sense. Veterans already have the skill sets we look for, believe in our corporate core values, and for many; working for us is almost like continuing their military service.  This is why the majority of our hires continue to be veterans.

What advantages has your company experienced in hiring veterans?
We believe that veterans have the skill sets we need and can be depended on. They understand goals and the need to accomplish projects accurately, efficiently, and on time. As our customer base resides largely within the Department of Defense military, veteran employees fit in and know how to communicate with and work as a team with our customers.

Tell us why and when ITA became a V3 Certified Employer?
I am proud to say that ITA was one of the first employers to become a V3 Certified employer back in 2012.  When I heard about the program and its goal to keep qualified veterans in Virginia, after they leave active duty as part of our civilian workforce, we got involved. In fact, ITA received the first $1,000 V3 grant for hiring and retaining veterans that was ever presented.

What advice would you give to other employers seeking to hire and retain veterans?Obviously hiring veterans makes great sense for a defense contractor like ITA, but today many other companies in all types of businesses have recognized that it makes sense to hire veterans. With their skills, training and commitment to duty they learned in the military, they simply make great employees. Look at all the other employers who have become V3 partners like Dominion Energy, Altria, CVS, Smithfield Foods, Amazon, Micron and so many more. We have more employers committed to hiring veterans and keeping them in Virginia than ever before.
 
I would advise every Virginian – whatever their size or business- to become V3 Certified. I would also encourage them to get involved in their local Chamber of Commerce. I am very involved in the Peninsula Chamber and I am proud to serve as Chair of the Virginia Chamber’s Military & Veterans Affairs Council.  Over the past year or so, the Virginia Chamber and DVS have partnered in another successful program called HIRE VETS NOW. This program holds events on military installations around the state to help service members find civilian employment before their leave active duty.
Large Crowds Attend Memorial Day Ceremonies at DVS Facilities Across the State

Lt. Gen. Joseph R. Inge, USA (Ret.), Virginia War Memorial Foundation director, and John L. Newby II, DVS Commissioner, presenting the Virginia War Memorial wreath in the Shrine of Memory.
 

More than 2,500 men, women and children participated in one of the four Memorial Day ceremonies hosted by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services across the Commonwealth on Monday, May 27.  Ceremonies were held in Amelia, Dublin, Richmond, and Suffolk.
 
At the 63rd Annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam noted that “every day is Memorial Day at the Virginia War Memorial.”  He reminded the crowd of over 1,200 attendees and participants that it was the duty of every Virginian to honor and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our precious freedoms. The Governor then joined representatives of more than 40 government agencies, veteran service and civic organizations, and military service and ROTC chapters that presented memorial wreaths in the Shrine of Memory.
 
American flags were placed on every grave at the Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia, the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin, and the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk. Keynote speaker in Amelia was Virginia State Senator Amanda, Chase; at Dublin, Virginia Delegate Nick Rush; and at Suffolk, Col. Dale E. Hruby, USA (Ret.).
 
Co-sponsor of the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony was American Legion, Department of Virginia, 11th District. Co-sponsor of the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Horton Memorial Cemetery in Suffolk was American Legion Post 88.
 
In his address in Richmond, Governor Northam concluded by saying, “As we pay tribute to our fallen heroes, I ask that you remember their courage, their devotion, and above all, their sacrifice. Draw from them the knowledge that when brave men and women are needed to defend our freedom, Virginians will always be first in line.”
 
Command Chief Warrant Officer Phillip Brashear recites the Pledge of Allegiance joined by Virginia War Memorial Director Dr. Clay Mountcastle and Tom Queck, Commander, American Legion Dept. of Virginia.
 
Memorial Day Wreaths, Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk.
 
Bagpiper from St. Andrews Legion Pipes & Drums leads wreath laying ceremony in Shrine of Memory.
Four Women Veteran-Owned Businesses Recognized at 2019 Virginia Women Veterans Summit


A highlight of the 2019 Virginia Women Veterans Summit was the Entrepreneurial Pitch Contest. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam presented grants, provided by the PenFed Foundation and First Data Corporation, to the four finalists. 
 
Honest Soul Yoga of Alexandria, Virginia was the first place winner in the Entrepreneurial Pitch Contest at the 6th Annual Virginia Women Veterans Summit in Hampton on May 16.
 
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam presented a check for $5,000 to Honest Soul Yoga owner and United States Air Force veteran Suzie Mills to help her expand her business, which she founded in 2013 to provide classes and workshops throughout Northern Virginia to promote mental and physical wellness.
 
Honest Soul Yoga was one of four finalists in the pitch competition for businesses owned by a woman veteran or military spouse.  Each finalist also received a grant as noted. Funds for the grants were provided by The PenFed Foundation and First Data Corporation.  The other three finalists were:
 
2nd Place and $2,500 grant: Drive Rehab Center of Excellence (DRCE) of Chantilly. Founded in 2008 by U.S. Navy veteran Tammy Phipps, DRCE provides driving training and auto-adaptive equipment to veterans and others with disabilities and injuries to help them regain mobility through driving.
 
3rd Place and $1,500 grant: Troopster of Norfolk. Founded in 2015 by U.S. Navy veteran Chelsea Mandello, Troopster is a non-profit that packs and ships “care packages” to thousands of deployed service members throughout the world.
 
4th Place and $1,000 grant: Aesop Technologies of Norfolk. Founded in 2017 by U.S. Navy veteran Nisha Witt, Aesop Technologies utilizes a unique solar-based system to generate electricity. It works with organizations to provide these systems to persons in developing nations without access to electricity.
 
Seventeen companies entered this first-ever women veteran entrepreneurial competition sponsored and hosted by DVS. The four finalists were chosen to compete in a live “pitch competition” based on the format of the popular “Shark Tank” television program.  
 
“I join Governor Northam in congratulating these four veteran-owned business that were finalists in our pitch contest competition. I know it was extremely difficult for the judges to choose the rank of the winning pitches as all were outstanding,” said John L. Newby II, DVS Commissioner. “We have already decided to continue this competition on an annual basis as it is part of our mission to encourage veteran entrepreneurship throughout the Commonwealth.”
DVS Honors Ms. Nakisha King, Dr. Francoise Bonnell and V3 Employers for Commitment to Women Veterans at Annual Summit in Hampton
 
Ms. Nakisha King and Dr. Francoise Bonnell display their awards.
 

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) honored two women veterans and four employers with special awards at the 2019 Virginia Women Veterans Summit May 16 and 17 in Hampton.
 
More than 800 attended the Summit, which brought together women veterans, employers, community leaders and federal, state and local government agencies to raise awareness about the services and benefits available specifically for women veterans. This was largest attendance in the annual Summit’s six-year history.
 
The 2019 Change Maker Award was presented to Ms. Nakisha King, marketing director for “Active Veterans With Answers,” a North Carolina-based non-profit organization.  A U.S. Navy veteran, Ms. King was recognized for her “creativity, vision, courage, and tenacity in advocating for and creating change to improve the quality of life for Virginia’s women veterans.”
 
The 2019 Trailblazer Award was presented to Dr. Francoise Bonnell, Director of the U.S. Army Women’s Museum at Fort Lee. A U.S. Army veteran, Dr. Bonnell was cited for her “exceptional commitment to the advancement of Virginia’s women veterans through the establishment of innovative programs and nurturing networks.”
 
Four Virginia companies were recognized for their commitment to hiring women veterans. Each of the companies is certified as a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) employer.  Each was honored for the number of women veterans hired between January and December 2018. 
  • Enterprise (1000+ Total Employees) -  Sentara Healthcare, Inc. , Norfolk
  • Large (300-1000 Total Employees)  - Virginia Premier Health Plan, Richmond
  • Medium (51-300 Total Employees) -  National Technologies Associates, Inc., Alexandria
  • Small (1-51 Total Employees) – IntellecTechs, Virginia Beach
“Virginia is home to more than 104,000 women veterans and the number is growing,” said John L. Newby II, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Veterans Services. “We are dedicated to assuring our women veterans receive the information and support they deserve for their service. It is very gratifying to honor these two women veterans who share our goals and the four V3 employers who are committed to hiring women veterans as they transition from active duty to the civilian workforce. Congratulations to all.”
Newest Virginia War Memorial Video Documentary Wins International Award
 


“Battle of the Bulge,” the latest addition to the Virginia War Memorial’s video documentary series, Virginians at War, has been recognized with a 2019 Hermes Creative Award in the historical documentary category. The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media.
 
The video features firsthand accounts by Virginia veterans and includes archival footage, period photographs, maps and graphics to describe the last major battle in Europe during World War II.
It was produced by Tom Kennedy of Kennetic, LLC and Hal McArthur of McArthur Productions with funding from the nonprofit Virginia War Memorial Foundation.
 
The Virginia War Memorial hosted a special premiere showing of “Battle of the Bulge” on April 11.  The documentary, along with the 23 additional Virginians at War videos, are distributed at no charge to public and private secondary schools and colleges throughout the state for classroom use and shown daily in the Memorial’s Reynolds Theater.
 
The Virginians at War documentary series has been honored with 13 regional, national and international awards since its inception over twenty years ago.
World War II Veterans Recall Combat Experiences at Virginia War Memorial


 
Over 150 attendees packed VMI Alumni Hall of Honor on Saturday, April 27 to hear first-hand accounts of their wartime experiences of four combat veterans as the Virginia War Memorial presented “The Greatest Generation Speaks: The Voices of World War II.”
 
The panel members, all of whom are in their 90s, consisted of Domenick D’Adamo, who flew 22 missions over North Africa and occupied Europe as bombardier in a B-24; Leonard Gardner, a Navy veteran and survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor; Dr. Guy DeGenaro, who served as a glider pilot and crashed six miles behind energy lines on D-Day; and Russell Scott, who served as a tail gunner on a B-25, was shot down, captured and held in a German P.O.W. camp for nearly a year.
Military Sealift Command is First Federal Agency to be V3 Certified Employer

 
(From left to right) Steve Cade, RADM Mewbourne, Randy Shabro, Commissioner Newby, Mark Buehlman.


Military Sealift Command earned the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certification in May. It is the first Federal Agency to be certified as a V3 employer.
 
Based in Norfolk, Military Sealift Command (MSC) is the leading provider of ocean transportation services for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense. It operates approximately 125 ships daily around the world.  MSC ships sustain warfighting forces and deliver specialized maritime services in support of national security objectives in peace and war.
 
Of MSC’s over 1,000 personnel, at least 40% are military veterans.
 
DVS Commissioner John L. Newby II and Mark Buehlman, V3 Hampton Roads Regional Program Manager, presented the V3 Certification to  MSC Executive Director Steve Cade, MSC Commander Rear Admiral Dee L. Mewbourne, and  MSC Human Resource Specialist Randy Shabro at MCS headquarters.
 
“It is especially gratifying to welcome Military Sealift Command as our first V3 Certified Federal Agency,” said Commissioner Newby. “MSC has already shown its commitment to hiring Virginia veterans and joins with the more than 1,600 other V3 partner employers across the Commonwealth who has hired more than 47,000 veterans in the past seven years.”
Governor Congratulates Virginia War Memorial Scholarship Recipients

 
(From left to right) Katie Lloyd, Governor Northam, Alan Clark.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam congratulates Katie Lloyd and Alan Clark, the recipients of the 2019 Virginia War Memorial Admiral Marocchi Memorial college scholarships.
 
Katie, a senior at Caroline High School in Milford, will attend Virginia Military Institute this fall and enroll in the Navy/Marine ROTC branch. Alan, a senior at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, will attend Christopher Newport University and enroll in the Army ROTC program. The recipients were honored at the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony in Richmond.
 
The $2,500 scholarships were established in the memory of the late Rear Admiral John Marocchi, whose Navy career spanned World War II, Korea and Vietnam and who served on the Virginia War Memorial Board of Trustees for more than fifteen years.
 
The scholarships are open to any student enrolled in the senior class of an accredited public or private high school or home school program in the Commonwealth. The applicants must be planning to pursue a program of study in a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at a Virginia public or private university that will lead to a U.S. military career.  For more information, visit www.vawarmemorial.org/scholarships.
Veterans with Hearing Loss Can Receive Special Communications Equipment at No Charge from Virginia Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing


 
Honorably discharged veterans in Virginia who suffer from loss of hearing or speech that prevents them from using a standard telephone may be eligible to receive to receive special telecommunications equipment at no charge from Virginia Relay and the Virginia Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH).
 
This special equipment includes captioned and amplified telephones compatible with Virginia Relay services; personal amplification devices; and signalers, which provide additional methods of notifications for telephones, doorbells and alarm clocks.
 
To qualify for the program, a person must be:
  1.  A veteran with a hearing of speech loss and proof of an Honorable Discharge and/or documentation of a service-related disability from the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA); or
  2. A surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who was killed in the line of duty and has a hearing of speech loss; or
  3. An active member of the Virginia National Guard who completed required initial active-duty service.
Qualified Virginia veterans interested in learning more about the Virginia Relay service and the communications equipment available should contact Virginia Relay by telephone at (800) 552-7917 or online at www.varelay.org.  Once an application is received, the hearing impaired veteran, or eligible family member, will be contacted by a specialist from the VDDHH’s Technology Assistance Program to determine the extent of the disability and the specific equipment the applicant may be eligible to receive.
Pardon our Dust (and Our Dirt, and Our Gravel):
Horton Memorial Cemetery in Suffolk Remains Open Even During Major Expansion Construction


 
Major construction is underway at the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk that will allow the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) to continue to meet the needs of Virginia’s veterans and eligible family members for years to come.
 
In October 2018, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded DVS a $10.2 million grant to add 7,000 additional sites for in-ground casketed burials. These funds – the largest grant ever awarded by the VA to a state veterans cemetery expansion project- also allows DVS to enlarge the administrative building, install an emergency generator, and construct a new entrance and decorative fence along Milners Road.
 
Click here to view footage shot from a drone flying over the project provided by the construction team, Paxton Contractors Corp. and their partners, of the ongoing construction activity. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The cemetery remains fully operational during this construction.
“They Gave All” 5K - May 25

 
 
More than 466 runners participated in the Virginia War Memorial Foundation’s TGA (“They Gave All”) 5K on Saturday, May 25 during Memorial Day Weekend.  This was the largest number of participants in the eight-year history of the event.  More than $40,000 was raised for the nonprofit Foundation which helps fund educational and patriotic events, programs and exhibits at the Virginia War Memorial.
Flag Day - June 15

 
 
U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger was the keynote speaker at the National Flag Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial on June 15. The event included an American flag retirement ceremony conducted by veterans.
Hill of Heroes at the Virginia War Memorial

 
 
Over 100 volunteers helped plant 12,000 American flag on the grounds of the Virginia War Memorial to create the “Hill of Heroes” to commemorate Flag Day. The flags were placed on the hillside on June 8 and will remain through June 23 to honor the 12,000 Virginia heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and who are remembered at the Memorial.
 
Chief Deputy Commissioner Steven Combs helps honor WWII veterans at the 75th Anniversary Ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial In Bedford, Virginia; Virginia War Memorial hosts live broadcast of ceremony

Chief Deputy Commissioner Steven Combs (left) and Mr. Bernard Marie at the D-Day ceremony in Bedford. Mr. Marie, who now lives in Roanoke, was five years old in 1944. His village in Normandy, France was one of the first to be liberated by the Americans. He hosts an annual dinner to honor the veterans who helped to liberate his home country. 
Click here to download the DVS Virginia Veterans Resource Guide
Click here to download the Virginia OAG Military & Veteran Legal Resource Guide
Click here to read the Re-entry Roadmap for Veterans Incarcerated in Virginia. 
Click here to download the DVS Agency brochure
Click here to evaluate your military experience for college credits and see how they apply to Virginia Community College System programs that support your career goals
Click here to learn how to obtain a veteran indicator on your Virginia license.
Click here to learn about the Veteran Employment Grant for V3 companies
Click here to learn about DMV 2 Go Mobile Military and Veteran Site Visits.
Click here to download a Virginia Resident Disabled Veteran’s Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License Application (DGIF)
Click here for a free service that can help you find the local resources you need. 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

www.dvs.virginia.gov
Governor of Virginia
Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs 
Virginia General Assembly
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