VSO Directors from across the county met in Washington D.C. at the start of April for the annual NACVSO Conference, including Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office Director Josh Rheault.
They’re there to get on the same page as an organization on legislation and issues affecting the veteran community. The big focus at this one in particular was female veterans’ health. They’re looking into putting lactation spaces into VA hospitals so that female veterans and spouses have somewhere to breastfeed. Because it’s like someone said, I don’t think any of us wants to eat our breakfast in the bathroom. – Joshua Rheault, Director, Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office
The conference helps keep offices around the county informed on Veterans Affairs plans and allows county directors opportunities to meet one-on-one with state representatives to talk about local issues impacting residents.
Senator Gary Peters and Keweenaw County VSO Director Josh Rheault connect over shared naval experience.
Usually, whenever we have these, I don’t go to as many of them being all the way up in Keweenaw County. But when people go, the UP VSOs like to get together and just network. Because one of the key things is a lot of our veterans are facing health problems that don’t have good medical literature. They don’t have an active diagnosis and the community’s wealth of medical knowledge in the VSO field is immense. We’re pushing for toxic exposures action. We’re pushing for, say, this happened here, but nobody acknowledges it. Yet I got three guys who have pictures of being there. And that networking is what allows us to provide the maximum service to our veterans. It’s not the business of networking where it’s handshakes. It’s getting together and going, hey, I found out some information to help people. Can I share it with you so you can help your people? – Joshua Rheault, Director, Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office
Rhealut says the conference this year focused on women’s issues, particularly around healthcare.
So one of the big issues that we’re facing is female reproductive issues from jet fuel exposure in the military, particularly in the Navy. It’s a big issue. It’s made national headlines. So I wanted to bring that to the appropriate senators. It’s not an issue that we expect a lot of movement on, but it’s something that we want to make sure we’re not making the same mistake over and over. And then the other big one is There’s emerging concerns it’s been about 20 years of emerging concerns related to the off-label prescription of Gabapentin. – Joshua Rheault, Director, Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office
Rheault says the visit to the Capitol was encouraging. He says other officers and fellow veterans were able to connect with other councilors from Michigan. He also met with Michigan representatives and shared issues impacting veterans of Keweenaw County.
Rheault meets House of Representatives’ highest-ranking military veteran, Representative Jack Bergman.
It was fantastic. And honestly, it was great to meet Senator Peters, because I’m a Navy veteran as well. So we have that in common. Everybody was fantastic. General Bergman is very business, but I expect that from a general. He likes you to be to the point and be efficient when you’re talking to him. That’s just a general through and through. But Senator Slotkin was fantastic. Her team was very, very receptive. Everybody was great. All of our representatives listened, but
I think that I have a special place for my trip meeting with Senator Slotkin’s team. They were very compassionate to our concerns. – Joshua Rheault, Director, Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office
Rheault adds that networking with other directors allowed him to explore how other areas of Michigan and the country reach veterans. As well as strategies to guide veterans through how benefits work, and what Veterans Affairs can help with.
Even if everything is going great in your life, you’re well off, you don’t need anything from the VA. It’s always good to come in and just get signed up because the more veterans we have in our roles, the more funding we have available in the community. By doing that, word of mouth spreads. And all of a sudden. You talk to a veteran who doesn’t need anything, but he knows a guy that’s had PTSD for 30 years. And he says, oh, go talk to that VSO. He was a good guy. He helped me out. And I think he could help you with that thing you got. Word of mouth has been our biggest, biggest driver. Other
Rheault meets former CIA Analyst and newly elected Senator Elissa Slotkin while in Washington D.C.
than that, the other one that really helps is the Memorial Day remembrance that we do every year in Keweenaw County at the Honor Roll. That draws a lot of awareness and attention. It’s a chance to speak about the struggles that veterans face. It’s a chance to talk about those that we lost. And oftentimes talking about those people that can’t be here with us anymore is the motivation that some veterans need to finally come into the VA and go, you know, I made it back, but did I? I need to get some help. – Joshua Rheault, Director, Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office
The 2024 Memorial Day service in Ahmeek was hosted by the American Legion Post 230. The ceremony brought together residents, veterans and the CLK School
Band to perform music. The county is home to mor than 300 veterans. Rheault says many veterans in the area served in Vietnam. But some have served in more recent military conflicts.
Learn more about the Keweenaw County Veterans Service Office here. Contact Josh Rheault to learn more about veterans’ benefits, and support programs available to veterans in Keweenaw County.
