Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

General Billy Mitchell's words, spoken in 1935, "I think Alaska is the most important strategic place in the world," continue to ring true today. The spirit of patriotism and national service has long infected Alaskans. During World War II more than 6,000 Alaskans answered the call to defend our homeland from the threat of Japanese invasion by volunteering to serve in the Alaska Territorial Guard. Since the Territorial Days Alaska has been home to tens of thousands of active duty military personnel who came from across America and decided to stay after their service concluded. It's no wonder; the people of Alaska revere those who serve and those who have served.

Alaska is home to more than 77,000 veterans. We proudly claim that Alaska is home to more veterans as a percentage of our total population than any State in the Nation. However, Alaska's geography makes it difficult for the Veterans Administration to effectively deliver services to all of the veterans in our State. In the Senate, Senator Murkowski fights to ensure that all of Alaska's veterans, wherever they choose to live, have access to their earned veterans' benefits. As a member of the Veterans Appropriations Subcommittee she works to ensure that the VA is adequately funded to address the needs of returning veterans of the Global War on Terror, belatedly address unfulfilled promises to our Vietnam era veterans, and fully support the veterans of our greatest generation who defended America's interests during World War II and the Korean War.

Over the past few years Congress has made great strides in updating veterans benefit programs and placing the VA on a stable financial footing. Senator Murkowski was involved in the successful campaigns to enact the Post 9/11 GI Bill and advance appropriations for VA health services. 8,000 of Alaska's veterans are women, yet the VA has been slow to recognize that women have unique needs. Senator Murkowski was a lead cosponsor of the Women Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act, signed into law in 2010. In 2011, she is a lead co-sponsor of legislation that requires the Department of Defense to retain evidence of Military Sexual Trauma incidents to ensure that service members can get treatment for the effects of this condition that can last years after discharge. The VA is moving to improve services to Alaska's veterans through the new VA outpatient clinic which recently opened in Anchorage, the new Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Mat-Su, smaller community based outreach clinics in Juneau and Homer. Yet we still have a long way to go in ensuring that all of Alaska's veterans can take advantage of their benefits in or near their home communities.

Source