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December 2018 Veterans Voice Newsletter
Message Message from the Director
Message from the Director - December 2018
I join with all of those who are committed to supporting and honoring military members and the veteran community in wishing you and your family health, happiness and joy this holiday season.

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Battle Born Memorial Dedicated in Carson City  
Hundreds gathered outside on the Capitol Complex grounds in Carson City to dedicate Nevada's Battle Born Memorial. The dedication ceremony of this Memorial to Nevada's Fallen drew hundreds from across the State. The crowd included nearly a hundred family members who knew this sacrifice personally as they had a loved one's name on the memorial.

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Veterans Days Celebrated in Traditional Parades Across Nevada 
Veterans Day saw crowds lining parade routes across the Silver State. In Reno, women veterans along with volunteers from the Nevada Department of Veterans Services served as emcees along the parade route for the event. 

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Tom Waters and Charm McElree Receive Governor's 
Special Honor and Recognition 
Each month, the Governor's Office honors veterans and a person or group that supports veterans who have gone above and beyond in their roles as volunteers and community leaders. In December, two familiar faces in the veterans' community were added to this prestigious, elite group.

Pahrump resident Tom Waters, and Charm McElree, received the Veteran and Veteran Supporter of the Month honors and awards in a special ceremony held in the lobby of the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas.
  
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Wreaths Across America Remembers, Honors, Teaches 
Join us on December 15, 2018 as we honor, remember and teach future generations about the service and sacrifice of our military members in the annual Wreaths Across America Day. 

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Veterans Day Event Features Best-Selling Author Patrick O'Donnell   
Veterans Day event at the Nevada State Veterans Home took a different twist this year. In addition to the 100th Anniversary marking the end to World War I, the annual event at the home this year also welcomed an honored guest. Combat historian and best-selling author Patrick O'Donnell was on  hand to sign his works, including his latest, "The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and WWI's Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home." 

HealthHealth and Wellness
Coming Together During the Holiday Season 
The holiday season can be a time of wonder, celebration and reflection. But it can also bring suffering and pain leading to stress and depression.
Please know you are not alone. You have a wealth of resources and support at your fingertips and in your community.

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Military Retirees and Families MUST ACT SOON for 
New Dental and Vision Coverage 
An important deadline is fast approaching for military retirees and their families. New options for dental and vision care will be available starting January 1, 2019. But the changes won't be automatic!  

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Join Us for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the New 
Northern Nevada State Veterans Home 
The Nevada Department of Veterans Services will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Northern Nevada State Veterans Home and you are invited!

Interested in Becoming a Resident of the New 
Northern Nevada State Veterans Home? 
The new skilled care facility is now accepting applications of interest. The Northern Nevada State Veterans Home is a 96-bed skilled nursing care facility located in Sparks, Nevada. The facility will serve northern Nevada veterans, their spouses and Gold Star families!

Dental Program to Assist Northern Nevada Veterans  
Adopt Vet Dental Program (AAVD) provides no-cost to low-cost dental care to low-income veterans living in northern Nevada.  A shocking 90% of veterans enrolled at the Reno VA do not qualify for dental care because the requirements are so restrictive and this has resulted in an epidemic of oral health disease among our veterans. 

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ProgramsPrograms and Services
Servicemen Sign 'Hitch' of Another Kind 
Men and women who reenlist for the service time after time love the military life. But for some, signing up for another "hitch" can also mean taking vows - or renewing vows - for love of another kind.  For the second year in a row, Clark County, in conjunction with others, has produced "Las Vegas Marries the Military." 

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Cookies Help Celebrate Christmas All Year 'Round
Along with the spiritual side of Christmas, there are many other items that conjure up the December holiday. A pine tree, reindeer, mistletoe and a large man in a red suit, to name just a few. But we can't forget the wonderful treats that often keep us somewhat large ourselves - great meals and decorative holiday cookies that taste as good as they look! 

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The NDVS Speakers Bureau
The Nevada Department of Veterans Services is pleased to announce a new, FREE resource! It is a Speakers Bureau that will provide you with experts or emcees at your next event, ceremony, presentation, gala, meeting and more.
The purpose of the bureau is twofold. First, it will help ensure veterans, currently serving military in Nevada and their families have information about benefits and services that improve their lives. Second, the bureau is designed to raise public awareness about the rich legacy of Nevadan's who have served in America's military and how they can best support our veteran and military communities.

NewsNews You can Use
Air Force Land Use - It's Never Over 'Til it's Over
In January of this year, the U.S. Air Force formally proposed to withdraw and reserve public lands for military utilization to support what it stated is modernization of the Nevada Test and Training Range. The end result would extend capability for improved training and testing of weapons systems, as well as advanced combat training, according to the Air Force. 

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EmploymentEmployment/Education
Update On the Nevada Veterans Advocate Program
The Nevada Veterans Advocate (NVA) conference was held for the first time ever in Elko, Nevada.  Thirty-nine people attended the NVA conference October 20-21st at the Red Lion in Elko and four people have already completed their NVA certification.  Several NVA courses have been completely changed or modified to include elimination of one course, breaking other courses into specific subject matter training and the addition of the new 20th module on Suicide Prevention. 

If you were certified more than three years ago, you will need to recertify.  If you have questions about recertification, contact Justin Prazak at prazakj@veterans.nv.gov or call at (775)321-4719. 

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Outreach
The NDVS Outreach team has continued to stay busy this fall with events in northern and southern Nevada.  Our Nevada Veterans Advocates are vital to outreach as they volunteer to work at tables at community events across the State allowing us to reach out to more veterans and family members.

RememberAlways Remember
Civil Air Patrol Birthday
"December 1st is the United States Civil Air Patrol's birthday. The agency served as the official volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force. Formed during World War Two. The Civil Air Patrol consists of cadets, ages 12 to 20 years old, and senior members who are 18 and older."

U.S. Troops Enter Somalia, Dec 4, 1992.
"President George H. Bush orders 28,000 U.S. troops to Somalia, a war-torn East African nation where rival warlords were preventing the distribution of humanitarian aid to thousands of starving Somalis."

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Pearl Harbor Remebrance Day, December 7.
Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941.

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National Guard Birthday
In a move that would create the first militia on the North American continent, the Massachusetts General Court in Salem issued an order on Dec. 13, 1636, requiring all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 years old to create a standing Army for protection.

With that order, what we now know as America's National Guard was born.

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CalendarMark Your Calendar
Mark Your Calendar - December 2018
Click here for some upcoming events in December!
Nevada Department of Veterans Services 
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