Message from Secretary Anthony Woods:

Dear Friends, Last week, we marked the 23rd anniversary of the attacks of September 11th, 2001. As we paused to remember those that we lost on that fateful day, we also remembered the service, sacrifice, and resilience shown by many members of our community in the years that followed. This is one of the reasons why Governor Moore established the Global War on Terror Memorial Commission and tasked the Department of Veterans and Military Families to convene stakeholders and ensure that the stories of those who served and those we lost in the years since September 11th are never forgotten.  Governor Moore and I also marked the anniversary by leading a ruck march with cadets from Johns Hopkins’ ROTC Battalion. As we marched across the Severn River in Annapolis, it struck me that these cadets were not yet born on September 11th, 2001. For many of them, the events of 9/11 are historical and abstract. However, in talking with these cadets, it was clear they are just as motivated to serve our nation and protect the very freedoms we hold dear. Sincerely, Tony

Governor Wes Moore and Secretary Tony Woods joined Johns Hopkins ROTC Blue Jay Battalion, Members of the Maryland National Guard and Maryland Veterans for a ruck march on the 9/11 Day of Remembrance.  The march began at Government House in Annapolis and concluded at the Gold Star Families Monument.

Photos courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor

Secretary Woods spoke at the Veterans Memorial dedication at the Robert H. Smith School of Business in College Park.  The Smith School at UMD Memorial recognizes 27 Smith Veterans who gave their lives in service to our country.  The first alum on the Honor Role attended the Class of 1939 and was lost during World War II. The three individuals most recently added to the Honor Role perished at the Pentagon on 9/11.

Did you know there is a Maryland Women in Military Service Monument?  Secretary Woods stopped by the monument recently to view the monument and reflect on the contributions of  Women Veterans in Maryland.  The Monument is located at the Chesapeake Travel Plaza on Interstate 95 in Cecil County and was dedicated on November 11, 2014. Stop by and visit the Maryland Women in Military Service Monument the next time you are traveling in Cecil County.

Our Military Kids, a national non-profit held a special event last week in Washington, D.C.  In this photo are: LTG Timothy Kadavy, Chairman, Board of Directors, Our Military Kids, Major General Janeen Birchhead, Adjutant, Maryland National Guard, Kara Dallman, USN (RET), Executive Director, Our Military Kids, Dana Burl, DVMF Deputy Secretary for Military Family Policy and Programs and Major General Joseph R. Baldwin, Deputy Director, Army National Guard.

Heather Geraldes (center), DVMF Veterans Trust Fund Executive Director, met with the Officers of American Legion Post 218 in Sharptown to thank them for a $500 donation to the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund.

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COL J. Brian Becker (RET), 1SG Jordan Laubach, LTC Alexi Franklin of the HHC 1-175th Infantry, and CPT Joe Guterriez (RET), met with Heather Geraldes (center), Executive Director of the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund. They discussed potential partnership opportunities between the Maryland National Guard and the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund.

Since this photo was taken, COL Becker passed away.  We here at DVMF send our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

DVMF Website

Blue Star Families is proud to announce the launch of the “Do Your Part: State Leadership to Support Military Families” initiative in partnership with the National Governors Association (NGA). Governor Wes Moore (Maryland) is the first governor to be announced as an honorary chair of this work. 

Blue Star Families and the NGA have joined forces to create a roadmap for states and territories, recognizing that community support for military families is crucial to military recruiting and readiness. Together with the NGA Center for Best Practices, they will develop a toolkit designed to help states identify, prioritize, and implement the most effective policies and programs, providing a clear path to enhancing the well-being of military communities across the country.

Read full Blue Star Families Press Release here.

Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor. Shown with Governor Wes Moore is Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO and Board President, Blue Star Families.

Governor Moore Increases Procurement Goal for Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise Program Participants

Governor Wes Moore announced that the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs has increased the Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise Program’s participation goal from 1% to 3%, effective immediately.

"The military teaches you not just how to serve, but also how to lead. Our veteran entrepreneurs are mission-driven, hard-charging, and deeply committed to making Maryland better. We have an obligation to answer their service with our support," said Gov. Moore. "Today, we take a critical step forward in our ongoing mission to build new pathways to wealth creation for Maryland veterans and military families."

Maryland’s Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise Program was enacted in 2010 to enhance opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses to participate in state-funded contractors. The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs administers the program across 51 participating agencies and departments. 

Over the past fiscal year, the program has experienced a 41% increase in certified vendors. Today, more than 900 veteran-owned companies are certified in the program.

Read More Here

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Governor Moore Launches Second Maryland Corps and Service Year Option Cohort During 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance

Governor Wes Moore attended the launch of the second Maryland Corps and Service Year Option cohort during the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance at the University of Maryland, College Park.  “This year will change you, and it will challenge you. There will be moments when the work gets hard — and may even feel like it’s too much. But the work you do will make our state better,” said Gov. Moore.” At a time when the world needs healing, you will offer healing hands. At a time when the world can feel dark, you will offer light. And together, we will make Maryland the best place in the world to change the world.”  The 2024-2025 cohort includes more than 600 members—more than double the size of the inaugural cohort—including 500 Service Year Option members and 100 Maryland Corps members. Participants represent all 24 Maryland jurisdictions. Read More Here

Maryland Department of Emergency Management reminds Marylanders the September is National and Maryland Preparedness Month

September marks National and Maryland Preparedness Month, and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) is urging all Marylanders and visitors in the State to be prepared for all emergencies, to know where to go for information during an emergency, and to have multiple ways to receive emergency alerts.  "Preparedness Month is a time to make sure you and your family are ready for any emergency,” said Russ Strickland, MDEM’s Secretary. “Whether it's power outages, tropical storms, floods, cyber attacks, or winter storms, it's vital to stay vigilant, prepared, and MdReady for whatever comes our way.” Preparing in advance of an emergency is one of the best ways to protect your family from the financial and emotional impacts of a disaster. Flooding is the most common hazard in Maryland, and tornadoes, severe storms, dangerous heat, and severe winter weather are also potential threats. The best financial protection is to be properly insured, whether you own or rent your home. Remember, flood damage is typically not covered by standard property insurance policies. MDEM also reminds everyone how crucial it is for those who live near coastal areas, the Chesapeake Bay, or its tributaries, to understand Maryland’s Know Your Zone hurricane evacuation program. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity typically occurring between mid-August and late October. To learn more about it and hurricane preparedness in Maryland, visit KnowYourZoneMD.com. Throughout September, MDEM will share preparedness tips, emergency information, and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) across its digital and social media platforms. These resources are designed to help Marylanders stay informed and prepare for emergencies. Make sure to follow MDEM on its social media channels (MDEM Facebook, MDEM X [formerly Twitter], MDEM LinkedIn, MDEM YouTube, and MDEM NextDoor), and visit the MDEM website regularly for the latest updates and guidance on how to keep you and your loved ones safe. For more information on how to be prepared for any hazard, you can also visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service, or the American Red Cross. To receive alerts, tips, and resources related to threats and hazards that may affect Maryland, text MdReady to 211-631 or text MdListo for Spanish.

The Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families will also participate in the Ft. Meade PX Fall Festival.

Federal News

Be prepared for an emergency

VA to send Gulf War-era survey

VA leads the way in exposure-informed care

Ask the Doc: What are ways to protect my mental health? Health.mil article

PTSD Bytes 42: PTSD Later in Life

Live Whole Health #238: Compassion is good for you, and it's only a breath away

Support for Veterans experiencing fraud and other monetary challenges

American Corporate Partners launches groundbreaking Veteran Entrepreneurship Program

Creating community during Blue Star Welcome Week, September 21-29

Elizabeth Dole Foundation hosts 9th Annual National Convening, September 24, 2024

September 30th: Deadline for nominating Women Veteran Trailblazers

In September 2024, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers will be reaching out to Gulf War Era Veterans for the fourth time since the 1990-1991 Gulf War. This is a part of a long-term health study called the Gulf War Era Cohort Study.  VA will send invitations to pre-selected Veterans for this study.

“Now, more than 30 years since the 1990-1991 Gulf War, we want to learn about how the health of Gulf War Era Veterans has changed over time, and about chronic conditions such as Gulf War Illness, neurological issues, cancers, and long COVID,” said Dr. Erin K. Dursa, Director of Surveillance Military Environmental Exposures within VA’s Health Outcomes Military Exposures, and principal investigator on this study. “This current survey will help VA better understand the health of Veterans who did and did not deploy to the 1990-1991 Gulf War theatre of operations.”

Like survey efforts in 1995, 2005, and 2012, this latest survey measures the current health and well-being of Veterans who served in the U.S. military between 1990-1991. This study includes 15,000 pre-selected Veterans who went to the Gulf War and 15,000 who were in the military at that time but did not go to the Gulf region.

If you were invited to participate in a past survey, researchers encourage you to respond in 2024, even if you have not responded before. Participants can choose to complete the survey on paper, online, or over the phone. This study does not take volunteers; only pre-selected Veterans will be contacted.

More than two dozen scientific articles discussing research findings have come from the earlier surveys in the Gulf War Era Cohort Study. Researchers have studied multi-symptom illnesses, chronic diseases, and environmental exposures linked to military service in this group of Veterans.

For example, a 2021 study showed that Gulf War Veterans’ health declined earlier than the health of Gulf War Era Veterans who did not serve in the Gulf War. Veterans who served during the 1990-1991 Gulf War reported higher rates of chronic fatigue syndrome, PTSD, gastrointestinal illness, and skin conditions at a younger age compared to Veterans who did not serve in the Gulf War. These findings, along with ongoing and future research will help VA understand the long-term health effects of deployment and improve VA health care.

A team from VA’s Health Outcomes and Military Exposures (HOME) Epidemiology Program is conducting this study. More information about this study, including information on research findings, can be found at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/epidemiology/studies/gulf-war-longitudinal-study.asp

The 2024 issue of the Agent Orange Newsletter, an annual newsletter for Vietnam Veterans and their families, is now online at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/publications/agent-orange/agent-orange-2024/index.asp. The articles in this issue are:

• Your Military History: What to Tell Your Health Care Provider
• Diagnostic Testing and Military Environmental Exposures
• PACT Act introduces two new presumptions for Vietnam Veterans
• Resources on va.gov: A Guide for Vietnam Veterans
• The Agent Orange Newsletter: A Retrospective

Later this year, Vietnam Veterans will receive a copy of this newsletter by mail.

For Your Information

The Maryland Department of Veterans & Military Families does not endorse the organizations sponsoring these events, and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.  The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document do not necessarily state or reflect those of DVMF.  The information provided is intended for your general knowledge only, and serves solely as a DVMF community outreach effort.

Community Calendar

September 20, 2024

Ft. Meade Post Garden Club meeting

September 21, 2024

Easterseals DC MD VA Walk with Me fundraiser, National Harbor

"We All Served" Hike, Street

Veterans Day at Melwood Recreational Center, Nanjemoy, Register

DAV & ServingTogether Claims Clinic, Rockville

Blue Jeans & BBQ Fundraiser to Benefit Unstoppable Joy, Kent Island

September 22, 2024

Veterans Cookout sponsored by Camp Springs Elks Lodge #2332, Camp Springs

Women Veterans Craft: Resin Poured Faux Stained Glass, Leonardtown

September 23, 2024

Community Suicide Prevention Training, Annapolis

Deadline for Dog Tag Fellowship Program Applications

September 25, 2024

Welcome to the Workforce - Resume Writing, Baltimore - sponsored by Blue Star Families

Prince George's County Offices of Veterans Affairs Base Camp, monthly informational session, Virtual

September 26, 2024

Raise the Roof Celebration, sponsored by Valor Home, Windsor Mill, Operation Raise the Roof

September 27, 2024

Coffee Social for Service Members, Veterans and their families, Frederick

Serving Together in Calvert County, Lusby

September 28, 2024

Veteran Pride Suicide Prevention Coalition 2nd Annual Military Drag Show, Baltimore, Flier

Combat Women Veterans Cooking Class, Solomons, Operation Second Chance

Partners in Care Fall Prevention Fair, Pasadena

Volunteer Opportunity at the National Arboretum to celebrate National Public Lands Day, Washington, DC

September 30, 2024

Yoga Class for Veterans and their friends and families, Berlin

Deadline to submit nominations for Women Veteran Trailblazers Initiative - Center for Women Veterans

October 1, 2024

Military Spouse Appreciation Job & Resource Expo, Ft. Meade

October 2, 2024

36th Annual Suicide Prevention Conference, Virtual

Veterans Job and Resource Fair, Prince Georges Community College

Walk Maryland Day, Ft. Smallwood Park, Pasadena

October 4 - 6, 2024 

Weekend Warrior including multiple events: Poker Run, Warrior Bike Ride, Happy Hour & Live Music and Crab Feast, Perry Point & Cecil County, More Information & Registration

October 5, 2024 

The Mission Continues, Baltimore Platoon Volunteer Opportunity, Baltimore

Glass Soldier Workshop, Reveille Grounds, Baltimore, Registration

October 7 - 11, 2024

Tour de Maryland Adaptive Cycling event, Five Counties

October 9, 2024 

Serving Together in Calvert County, Lusby

October 10, 2024

VA Claims Clinic & Resource Fair, Baltimore

Chili Cook-off, Baltimore

October 11 & 12, 2024 

3rd Annual Veteran Owned Small Business Conference sponsored by the Maryland Department of Labor, Linthicum

October 12, 2024

DAV Department of Maryland Veterans Claims Clinic, Dundalk

Lifeline Horse Rescue and LETS Program 2024 Fall Open House, Gaithersburg

Women Veteran Spooky Craft Fun, Leonardtown

October 16, 2024

State Highway Administration Engineering and College Career Fair, Baltimore

Women Veteran Wednesdays sponsored by Easterseals

October 19, 2024

Ft. Meade Fall Fest, Ft. Meade PX, additional information

Community News

Baltimore City is inviting participants for the Veterans Day Parade on November 9th. Read More Here

Veterans New Shoe Drive in DC, Flier

Listen to the Veterans SITREP podcast. Every Thursday at 6:30 PM, host Colonel Bill Montgomery (U.S. Army, Retired) will interview featured guests. The program will be broadcast live on WHFC 91.1 FM, live streamed, and become available on the WHFC Podcast webpage and available on Spotify.

Future Events: Save the Date

October 24, 2024: Salute to Heroes Gala, Greenbelt

October 25, 2024: Ft. Meade Retiree Appreciation Day, Ft. Meade, Retiree Newsletter

October 25, 2024: Serving Together in Calvert County, Lusby

October 26, 2024: A Day at Ease, Union Bridge, Register

October 29, 2024: Veteran Job and Resource Fair, LaPlata, Flier

October 30, 2024: Welcome to the Workforce - LinkedIn Learning, Cover Letter and AI Use, Baltimore, sponsored by Blue Star Families

November 2, 2024: The Baltimore Station - Stars, Stripes and Chow Chili Cookoff, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Tickets

November 8, 2024: Veterans Resource Day, California

November 8, 2024: 2024 Prince George's Senior Veterans Celebration, Greenbelt

November 9, 2024: 2nd Annual Baltimore County Veterans Day hosted by the Baltimore County Commission on Veterans Affairs and the Towson University Military & Veterans Center

November 9, 2024: Veterans Resource Day hosted by the Harford County Commission on Veterans Affairs, Bel Air

November 9, 2024: Baltimore City Veterans Day Parade

November 10, 2024: Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training (MCVET) 27th Annual Veteran's Day Salute and 5K & 1 Mile Run/Walk/Role, Baltimore

November 10, 2024: Women Veterans Meet & Greet, Leonardtown, Register

November 13, 2024: Community & Veterans Job Fair, Ft. George G. Meade

November 26, 2024: Welcome to the Workforce - Making the Most of Your Family and Friends During the Holidays, Virtual, sponsored by Blue Star Families

Message for New Subscribers:

Is this your first edition of the DVMF newsletter?  If so, welcome!  You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up to receive it from our website or you gave permission to an DVMF program, the MD Motor Vehicle Administration or MD Department of Labor to receive information on VA benefits and resources.  We at DVMF respect your privacy and DO NOT share your email address.  We hope you enjoy receiving our bi-weekly newsletter and find it both educational and engaging.  If you have questions about our Department, our Programs, or your VA benefits, please visit veterans.maryland.gov or call 410-260-3838.