November 3, 2016
On this Veterans Day, I want to thank each and every person who ever swore an oath and donned the uniform of a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airmen or Coast Guardsman. No matter the era or where duty called you, you took a solemn oath to defend this great nation of ours.
October 18, 2016
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos announced today that according to the October 2016 Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Ratings of Nursing Homes Provider Rating Report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), each of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King’s four facilities is now rated 5-stars out of 5-stars, the first time this milestone has been reached at the Home.
October 14, 2016
Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos announced today the Zero Veteran Suicide Initiative, a new program to help individuals identify military veterans who may be contemplating suicide. Secretary Scocos made the announcement at the WDVA Mental Health Summit and Veterans Stakeholders Symposium.
Testimony of Secretary John A. Scocos before the Joint Audit CommitteeSeptember 21, 2016
We believe that caring for our veterans and their families is an honor. It is our duty to ensure that we provide the safest and best quality care to our nation’s heroes. We want veterans and their family members to experience a high quality of life at King while also receiving the highest quality care that they deserve.
September 16, 2016
Governor Scott Walker has proclaimed September 16, 2016 as
POW-MIA Recognition Day in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John A. Scocos made the following statement:
September 6, 2016
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, concerned about the rising rate of veteran suicides, is developing an initiative to assist veterans to find the hope and help they need in order to eliminate veteran suicide.
September 1, 2016
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos announced today that the Department will begin accepting applications for grants up to $25,000 from registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that provide financial assistance or other services to Wisconsin veterans and their families. Non-profits interested in applying for this onetime grant opportunity must
submit their completed applications by October 31, 2016.
August 29, 2016
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is confident that we provide safe, top-quality care to our nation’s heroes and our record reflects that reality.
August 24, 2016
The Veterans Trust Fund (VTF) has been the main source of revenue for providing essential veterans benefits in Wisconsin since 1961. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), the VTF provides access to Wisconsin’s over 400,000 veterans and their family members access to programs, benefits and services.
July 29, 2016
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John A. Scocos today announced that the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove did not receive any healthcare citations of deficiency during its last survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
July 21, 2016
Wisconsin provides its very own GI Bill education benefits in addition to the great federal benefits afforded to military veteran students and it’s not too early to ensure this benefit will be applied to the next college semester.
July 19, 2016
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John A. Scocos was honored at American Legion Department of Wisconsin’s annual convention for his work on expanding Camp American Legion.
June 27, 2016
Just one suicide is too many. From 2007 to 2011, 680 military veterans in Wisconsin took their own lives. June 27 is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day and June is PTSD Awareness Month.
June 17, 2016
Wisconsin is a leader in the country when it comes to investing in veterans and we have the best and brightest staff overseeing all these efforts. The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) excels in providing modern tools to our nation’s heroes so that veterans are able to reintegrate into civilian society with housing, education, health care and meaningful jobs.
June 14, 2016
It is fitting on this day to remember the symbol of our nation and those who fought under it – the American Flag. Today is also the Army’s 241st birthday and its soldiers have been carrying their nation’s flag into battle since the Revolutionary War.
May 10, 2016
On the most solemn of our nation's veteran recognition days, Memorial Day, one is often reminded to take pause and reflect upon what the "ultimate sacrifice" means to this country and her people and especially to those individuals and families affected by the loss of a service member.
March 18, 2016
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs has served our veterans with the best programs, benefits and services in the nation for the last more than 70 years.
March 17, 2016
As our nation continues to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King would like to recognize the 210 Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans who make their home at King.
February 29, 2016
As the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs continues to look at more opportunities to assist veterans with mental health issues, one program that continues to grow and continues to be a success is the Veterans Outreach & Recovery Program (VORP).
February 10, 2016
As the 2015-2015 legislative session is nearing
its end, there are a number of pieces of legislation that are making their way
through the Wisconsin State Legislature that will positively affect veterans
and their families in our state.
January 6, 2016
It was the first major conflict watched by millions on live television – a “prime time” war brought into the houses of Americans who watched everything unfold in real time. As the first large-scale operation since Vietnam, it was markedly different – both in public perception and strategically.
December 3, 2015
It is truly a day that has lived in infamy and brought the United States in World War II.
December 2, 2015
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos presented a grant check in the amount of $47,487 to the City of Chippewa Falls for providing services to the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls at a ceremony at the Chippewa Falls City Hall.
November 5, 2015
One last wish – not all of us get a chance at
one. The opportunity to do or see something we love before we pass is never a
guarantee, but for one Vietnam-era Navy veteran at our Veterans Home at King a
particular wish did come true.
November 5, 2015
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos today encouraged veterans and their families to attend Operation Welcome Home, a Veterans Day observance, on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 as part of the state’s Veterans Day celebration at the State Capitol in Madison.
Online Survey for Veterans Now Available
October 14, 2015
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs is pleased to announce a new online survey for veterans and their family members to provide feedback to the agency concerning their state and federal veteran benefits.
Statement of John A. Scocos Column: POW-MIA Recognition Day in Wisconsin
September 18, 2015
We take pause every year on the third Friday of September to observe POW/MIA Recognition Day in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and the American Legion Department of Wisconsin today announced an effort to ensure that military veterans receive the proper burial they deserve. The partnership seeks to remedy a situation where a veteran may pass away without a next-of-kin claiming them or without the funding to hold a funeral for them.
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that it will host “The Return to Camp Randall,” a Civil War encampment and monument dedication, on July 18 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Camp Randall Memorial Park in Madison.
Each 4th of July, we celebrate the birth of our great country. There are picnics, fireworks and parades to enjoy. It’s a time for friends, families and communities to come together and be thankful for our freedoms.
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs has many great partners in taking care of Wisconsin veterans, including many great veterans service organizations. Through Camp American Legion and other programs, the American Legion – Department of Wisconsin is one of those great partners.