I hope everyone is enjoying summer and finding time to regroup, relax, and be with family and friends. Here at DVS, it’s an important season, as we too see our great employees and service professionals balancing family time, summer sports and long planned vacations. But it is also a preparation period for the busy fall, which means important events, veterans and military holidays, memorials and celebrations, and a re-focusing on our ever-advancing veteran and family needs and priorities.

Change seems to be a growing concern as well. This past year has brought plenty of political concern about reported and potential changes that may affect our veteran community. We at DVS are watching and listening. We hear your concerns and aren’t sitting idly by. Over the last several months, we have accelerated our efforts to boost our outreach to Virginia veterans and families:

• We’re visiting you where you are in all regions and districts. We’re also meeting one-on-one with delegates and state senators to reinforce our understanding of community issues and needs. And I, along with other DVS leaders, are participating in numerous veteran group conversations around the state.
• We’re increasing our employment and transition efforts. Virginia Works has been holding virtual job fairs around the Commonwealth, and we're planning upcoming job fairs specifically for veterans and family members this fall. We are also meeting with employers and our state and regional Chambers of Commerce to increase focus on hiring veterans and families. Virginia today has 250,000 open positions. Contact us to see if we can help find the right one for you!
• Our DVS benefits and claims team continues to deliver nation-leading support to transitioning service members and veterans. This fiscal year we performed over 130,000 benefits actions in support of you.
• With healthcare on everyone’s mind, and concerns over changing policies on Medicare, Tricare, etc., our regional program coordinators are standing by to assist you to get the medical help you may need.
• Virginia Veterans and Family Services (VVFS), our directorate that supports all with homelessness, food insufficiency, financial concerns, despair, post traumatic stress, behavioral health, and justice involved challenges, has increased its outreach programs and partnerships to address your needs. One call is all it takes to reach our assistance.
• Year 2 of development of the Virginia Veterans Network (VVN) online resource is accelerating. This fall, look for new landing pages that deliver to you community, state and national programs, plus direct contacts to counseling and mentoring for transition, job placement, education programs, and more. If you haven’t signed up for VVN, visit https://vvn.dvs.virginia.gov/ and sign up today. It takes less than 60 seconds!

Please give us your feedback. Tell us your concerns and your needs. We will continue to answer with our best efforts. You have an amazing resource here, and the benefits you and your family have earned through your service are significant and have real financial value. It is our mission and purpose to help you understand and access these benefits. However, without your efforts to learn about them, you become part of the large number of veterans that never know and never access them. You can always contact your local DVS team members or email me directly at Commissioner@dvs.virginia.gov.

Until next time, have a great rest of your summer! Please travel safely and know that all of us at DVS wish you every blessing, health, and joy.  

Chuck Zingler (USN, Ret.)
Commissioner

Commissioner Chuck Zingler and other Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) team members were proud to be invited to attend and participate in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Department of Virginia’s 103^rd Annual Convention held June 19-22 in Harrisonburg.

Commissioner Zingler served as keynote speaker for the convention’s opening session and met one-on-one with many VFW Post Commanders and members from across the Commonwealth to answer their questions regarding the programs and services offered to Virginia veterans and their family members by DVS.

During the event, DVS Benefits Director Guy Dinkins, Deputy Director Thomas Holley, and DVS Virginia Veterans and Family Support (VVFS) team members Brandon Csady (pictured above) and Andre Miller also met with many of the attendees to tell them about all DVS offers and to answer their individual questions regarding benefits available. Team members promoted the Virginia Veterans Network (VVN) online portal and how it is a “one-stop shop” to answer almost any question a veteran or family member may have and demonstrated how quick and easy it is to register as a user.

The VFW convention included several breakout presentations and workshops, including a Women Veterans’ Forum. DVS Benefits Appeal Attorney Joseph Harrington served as keynote speaker at this forum. The response to his speech was so outstanding from Virginia District and Post Commanders and members that he was asked to return to next year’s state convention to provide updates. Other topics discussed during the workshops included the PACT Act, the Elizabeth Dole Act, How to Successfully File Your VA Claim and more.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH)- Department of Virginia will host a ceremony honoring all recipients of the Purple Heart at 11 a.m. ET, Thursday, August 7 at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. Keynote speaker will be Ben King, Commander, MOPH-Virginia and Virginia War Memorial Operations Director.

The Purple Heart is America’s oldest military award dating back to General George Washington and the Continental Army. General Washington’s profile is featured on the medal which has been awarded to hundreds of thousands of service members killed or wounded serving in the U.S. armed forces since that time.

All Purple Heart recipients and their family members, veterans and members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend this ceremony. Admission and parking are free.

Governor Glenn Youngkin proclaimed July 25, 2025 as National Hire A Veteran Day in Virginia to remind and encourage employers throughout the Commonwealth to continue to recruit and hire military veterans for positions in their businesses and organizations.

“National Hire A Veteran Day is especially meaningful here in Virginia. We are blessed to be home to over 670,000 veterans – the fifth highest in the Nation. Almost 120,000 active-duty service members are stationed at more than 30 military installations across Virginia, with over 20,000 making the transition from active duty to civilian life each year,” said Governor Youngkin.

"These men and women are a vital addition to every part of our state workforce. This is why we do everything possible to encourage them to make the Commonwealth their permanent home. These veterans are highly trained and disciplined and have the skills employers need in virtually every business, industry and profession," the Governor said. "Employers and especially companies considering moving to or expanding in Virginia recognize this valuable resource available to them. Simply put, hiring veterans just makes great business sense for every employer in the Commonwealth – small, large or in-between. In Virginia, we celebrate every day as Hire A Veteran Day."

"Our motto is Virginia is for Veterans. We demonstrate our commitment to them every day as the Commonwealth continues to lead the Nation in creating and providing innovative programs such as our Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program that result in our veterans and their family members finding gainful and fulfilling careers in the civilian workforce when they transition from active duty," said Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw.

"The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) has one basic mission: to serve those who served and make their lives the best they can be," said DVS Commissioner Chuck Zingler. "Working one-on-one with veterans and transitioning service members and connecting them to employment opportunities in the civilian workforce is critical to our mission and it’s vitally important to our state economy. We are proud of our V3 program and its proven success. We are pleased to join Governor Youngkin, Secretary Crenshaw, the members of our General Assembly and our V3 partner employers and organizations in proclaiming National Hire A Veteran Day in Virginia."

National Hire a Veteran Day was created in 2017 by Marine Corps veteran and Hire Our Heroes founder Dan Caporale as a call to action for employers across America to encourage the hiring of the men and women who have served in our Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Guard and Reserves and to encourage veterans to apply for civilian positions upon transition to civilian life. 

Photo caption: Amazon Corporate LLC Senior Manager, Amazon Global Military Affairs, Ian McDuffie accepts the V3 Governor's Award in 2024 at the V3 Awards Luncheon.

The Virginia War Memorial (VWM) hosted three Summer Teacher Institutes during June and July. Teachers from throughout the Commonwealth traveled to Richmond to attend the seminars on topics ranging from the Holocaust to the Fall of Saigon and a special three-day event focused on the lessons learned from World War II.

Speakers included noted authors, historians and veterans and were led by VWM Director of Education Jim Triesler, Assistant Director of Education Kyndall Drumheller, and Archivist Sylvia Marshall.

The Memorial presents Teacher Institutes every summer. There is no charge for Virginia teachers to attend. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.

Photo caption: VWM Director of Education Jim Triesler speaking to Summer Teacher Institute attendees.

David Gravely
Pulaski, Virginia

Please give an overview of your military service and the branch in which you served.

I joined the Army before the start of my senior year of high school and left for Basic Training right after graduation in 1987. I trained as a 12B, Combat Engineer at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

My first duty station was Fort Richardson, Alaska, where I spent just over five years. After that, I spent just over five years at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During my time in service, my units deployed several times, and I was also able to graduate from several schools including Air Assault, Airborne, the Sapper Leader Course, and a host of others. I spent most of my time in light Airborne units.

What was or were your most rewarding assignments while serving? 

I truly enjoyed my time in Alaska. My first unit was the 562nd Engineer Company, but when they changed to the 6th Infantry Division, we became the 6th Engineer Battalion. I was fortunate to be a part of the first Airborne platoon we established, supporting the Infantry units there. 

At Fort Bragg, I had the unique experience of joining up with B Co, 27th Engineer Battalion (C)(A). Brava Company was the only unit in the military that conducted what is known as Rough Terrain Airborne operations. Basically, you jump into an area that doesn't have a drop zone and you make one. We used smoke jumper suits and helmets, but instead of jumping with fire fighting equipment, we jumped with chainsaws and explosives to cut down trees. Eventually, we cleared and prepped an area large enough to land a C141, allowing follow on forces to come in. I also served with other units at Fort Bragg, including the 82nd Airborne Division 307th Engineers. 

Two of my biggest thrills outside of the Army include being able to attend the graduations of both of my children when they graduated Army Basic Training and AIT, and pinning my Airborne wings on my son when he graduated from Airborne School.

What are you doing now? 

After the Army, I was involved in a terrible accident at a local foundry. I was crushed in a core machine, breaking my back in several places and leaving me partially paralyzed. I was forced to learn to walk again, and the rehab took me away from what I thought was my future. I had taken up photography as a hobby while recovering, taking pictures of my kids in rec league sports. I eventually became a photography stringer for the local newspaper, then became a regular writer and photographer for them. I was eventually named the sports editor, then editor. 

After almost 25 years, I was lured away from that by the school system to serve as their Public Relations Specialist. After a few years, I was asked to continue in that role, but to also take on the challenge of teaching. I just wrapped up my first full year teaching TV and Media Production at Pulaski County High School, which I have found to be very rewarding. One of the bonus features of this position is that it has allowed me to work with our local community leaders in the county to help promote our community and schools. One big bonus is having the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery right here in Dublin. We've been assisting them with the annual Wreaths Across America program for a few years now, and have been working to help them with more programs. The goal is to have our students invested in the community, while also learning valuable life lessons about the sacrifices our active duty military and veterans have and continue to make. Many of our students have family members laid to rest there, so it's a labor of love for us all. Outside of that, I enjoy hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking, photography, and spending time with my four kids and five (currently) grandchildren. Two of my children joined the Army, eventually serving together at Fort Bragg, where they were both born while I was in. My son, Tyler, has recently finished his time as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning and recently PCS'd to Italy. 

What advice would you give to a transitioning service member? 

Find something you love to do and figure out a way to make that your career. I was willing to settle for just about anything when I got out, and there are always options out there for veterans. Employers love our work ethic and dedication. Use what you learned about planning and being prepared to be a better employee. Many civilians never learn those lessons until later in life, so all that training, hard work, and showing up "15 minutes prior to 15 minutes prior" puts you a step above many in the civilian workforce. If you can find a way to use that in a career that you truly love, like I did, you'll never work a day in your life.

Roy Powell | U.S. Air Force
Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center, Roanoke

In which branch of the military did you serve and during what period of time?

United States Air Force.  Enlisted on 1/15/1951 and discharged 7/20/1951.

What was the highlight of his military service? What is he most proud of?

“I am most proud that I volunteered to enlist rather than wait for my name to be called. I worked on the runway as a ground crew member. My time was cut short in the military due to my father getting sick, and I was needed back home to help on the farm.”

What do you like about the Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center?

“Everything here is real nice. The food is good, and there are always pretty places to sit in the sun.”

What advice would you give to a person considering serving in the military?

“Pick the Air Force”

Special thanks to Maeghan Hubbard, BS, CDP, Director of Activities at DMVCC for conducting this interview and sending the photo of Mr. Powell.

All In for Veterans: Bull Run Harley-Davidson Poker Run

On Saturday, July 12, the Foundation had the honor of partnering with Bull Run Harley-Davidson and the Manassas Harley Owners Group (HOG) Chapter for a high-energy Poker Run in support of Virginia veterans.

More than 30 riders participated in the two-hour ride, making three scenic stops to collect playing cards and compete for prizes based on the best hand, second-best hand, and even the worst hand. All prizes were generously donated by Bull Run Harley-Davidson and the Manassas HOG Chapter.

Special thanks to Joe Wetzel, Chris Moore, and the dedicated officers and members of the Manassas HOG Chapter for volunteering their time and organizing such a seamless, spirited event. And of course, thank you to the Bull Run Harley-Davidson team for graciously hosting and championing our mission.

A 50/50 raffle added to the excitement—yet in an incredible gesture of generosity, the winner donated their half of the pot back to the Foundation, making 100% of the proceeds from the event go directly to support veterans and their families.

We’re proud to work alongside such passionate partners and look forward to future collaborations on the road ahead.

Why It Matters

Community events like these not only raise critical funds for veterans and their families—they also spread awareness and bring people together in support of a shared mission. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Keep visiting our website for future events and opportunities to support Virginia veterans.

Kayla Arestivo
Executive Director
Virginia Veterans Services Foundation

Salute to Service is a multi-year program dedicated to providing an avenue for reuniting Virginia veterans with their units and the American conflicts in which they served. The inaugural program will be on March 21, 2026, to commemorate 35 years since Operation Desert Storm.

Salute to Service will provide veterans and their families with a day of celebration and remembrance of a major conflict, all while fostering an atmosphere of peer support, camaraderie, and historical reflection.

The program will consist of speakers, moderated discussions, musical performances, and documentaries, providing rich context and a broad perspective of what Virginia veterans experienced in their campaigns and the people with whom they served. A wreath-laying ceremony and free time on the Virginia War Memorial’s grounds, located at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond, will also allow veterans to remember and honor those who did not return. The shared history of veterans, and the public’s understanding of it, will be enhanced through individual oral histories, photographs, and artifacts.

The Virginia War Memorial Foundation and the Virginia War Memorial invite Virginia veterans, their immediate family members, and those who directly supported the Operation Desert Storm conflict to submit a Request for Invitation. This will ensure that all Virginia veterans are included in this powerful program of remembrance, which will honor their service when invitations are extended in late 2025. 

To ensure your participation, please provide the veteran's information when submitting the invitation request, including their full name, service details (branch, rank, unit designation, and component).

We look forward to honoring your service and the sacrifices made by Virginia’s veterans and their families.

For more information and to submit a request for invitation, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.