Department of Military and Veterans Affairs FY Military Services

Transcription

1 Discussion Points Military Services Mobilizations 1. According to the department, the New Jersey National Guard has mobilized 16,000 troops since September 11, Many of these soldiers have been deployed multiple times. Specifically, in September 2008, approximately half of the New Jersey National Guard was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the largest single deployment of the New Jersey National Guard since World War II, comprising 2,875 soldiers of the 50 th Infantry Brigade Combat team, a Military Police Company, and Water Purification and Chemical Units. Question: Please provide an overview of the role the New Jersey National Army Guard and the New Jersey National Air Guard has played in supporting the war efforts since September 11, 2001 and the accomplishments of the units deployed. Please provide a chart showing the operations, the missions, the number deployed, and the number of New Jersey National Guard Army and Airmen still deployed. What percentage of the force is currently available for mobilization? Since September 11, 2001, the New Jersey Air National Guard has deployed 8,623 Airmen while the New Jersey Army National Guard has activated and deployed 11,508 Soldiers in support of contingency operations around the globe. The Air National Guard has flown more than 9,000 sorties equaling more than 35,000 flight hours. 84.5% of Soldiers and Airmen are available for mobilization. Overview of New Jersey Air National Guard Efforts since September 11, th Wing: Operations: Noble Eagle (ONE)/Enduring Freedom (OEF) KC 135 Aviation Squadrons to Oman Operations: Noble Eagle (ONE)/Enduring Freedom (OEF) Security Forces Squadron to Afghanistan, Cuba, etc Operations: Noble Eagle (ONE)/Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Iraqi Freedom (OIF) KC 135 Aviation Squadrons to Spain & Portugal Operation: Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Security Forces Squadron, 80+ Members 2009 ( May Jun) Operation: Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Aviation Rotation 200+ Members (Dec Jun) Operation: Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Civil Engineers 66 Members 2011 ( Jan Feb) Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) to Guam 43 members 2011 (Mar Sep) Operation Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector 2 Crews 1 jet, mobilized within hours Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) to Guam 2015 Mobilization to Qatar 1

2 177 th Fighter Wing: 2001 Operation Noble Eagle (ONE): Mobilized 450 personnel for NORAD mission Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Expeditionary Combat Support personnel, various locations 2002 Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): 39 Security Forces personnel, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Greece, and Romania 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Expeditionary Combat Support (ECS) personnel mobilized Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Joint Forge: AEF rotation: Six aircraft and 400 personnel (including ECS) deploy to Al Udied, Qatar and ECS to various locations Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Four aircraft, 239 personnel, Balad AB, Iraq 2006 Expeditionary Combat Support (ECS) AEF Rotation: 29 personnel, various OCONUS locations Operation Jump Start (OJS): 80 personnel, various locations 2007 Operation Noble Eagle (ONE)/Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Joint Guardian: 50+ personnel, various locations 2008 Expeditionary Combat Support (ECS) AEF Rotation: 42 personnel, various OCONUS locations 2010 Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) mobilization 2010 Security Forces Squadron (SFS) mobilization 2011 Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) Bagram, Afghanistan 2014 Theater Security Package Korea 238 personnel Overview of New Jersey Army National Guard Efforts since September 11, Operation Bridges and Tunnels: Federally directed to support key infrastructure between NJ/NY directly following the attacks on 9/11/01. New Jersey ARNG Supported NY/NJ Bridges and Tunnels = 2,000 Total Soldiers TF Airport Security: Federally directed to support key infrastructure within NJ directly following the attacks on 9/11/01. New Jersey ARNG Supported Newark, Atlantic City, Trenton/Mercer Airport Security forces = 50 Total Soldiers Operation Power Plant Guardian: State directed to support key infrastructure within NJ directly following the attacks on 9/11/01. New Jersey ARNG Supported Salem/Oyster Creek Power Plant = 1,400 Total Soldiers Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Deployed units include the 42d Division Support Command, 50 th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 57 th Troop Command, 254 th Regiment, 42d Regional Support Group, Medical Command, and Joint Force Headquarters = 6,504 Total Soldiers Present Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Deployed units include the 42 nd Division Support Command, 50 th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 57 th Troop Command, 254 th Regiment, 42d Regional Support Group, Medical Command, Joint Training and Training Development Center, and Joint Force Headquarters = 1,709 Total Soldiers , TF Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Deployed units include the 113 th Infantry Battalion, HHC/50 th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 102 nd Armor, and 444 th Public Affairs Detachment, 328 th Military Policy Company = 822 Total Soldiers. 2

3 TF Sentinel Multi Forces Observer (MFO): Deployed units include 114 th Infantry and 250 th Brigade Support Battalion= 424 Total Soldiers Kosovo Force (KFOR): Deployed units include the 50 th Support Battalion, 250 th Brigade Support Battalion, 150 th Aviation, 350 th Finance Detachment = 202 Total Soldiers. Recruitment and Retention 3

4 2. The New Jersey National Guard has five recruiting regions in New Jersey covering five geographical areas in the State. Question: Please describe the recruitment and retention processes and the process for a recruit to become a soldier. For each of the past five years, what portion of annual recruits has come from each of the five recruiting regions? Are these results suggestive of a need to revise recruitment methods? New Jersey Army National Guard Recruiting. The New Jersey Army National Guard s strength is currently at 102%. Army recruiting has five recruiting regions (breakdown provided below) in New Jersey. The process for becoming a recruit is as follows: 1. Applicant Pre qualification: Age, Prior Service, Physical, Law Violations, Education, Medical, Dependents, Tattoos (APPLE MDT). 2. Interview/Livescan (fingerprints). 3. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). 4. Physical. 5. Enlist. Recruiters work closely with unit commands to determine organizational needs and assist with retention efforts. Below is summary of each Army recruiting regions and related enlistments: Region 1 (Essex, Hudson, Bergen). Region 2 (Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Passaic) Region 3 (Middlesex, Somerset, Union) FY 2011: 355 FY 2011: 113 FY 2011: 170 FY 2012: 349 FY 2012: 108 FY 2012: 124 FY 2013: 346 FY 2013: 76 FY 2013: 150 FY 2014: 310 FY 2014: 60 FY 2014: 165 FY 2015: 266 FY 2015: 102 FY 2015: 147 Region 4 (Mercer, Monmouth, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester) Region 5 (Ocean Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem) FY 2011: 177 FY 2011: 134 FY 2012: 132 FY 2012: 134 FY 2013: 106 FY 2013: 133 FY 2014: 142 FY 2014: 120 FY 2015: 163 FY 2015: 108 New Jersey Air National Guard Recruiting. 4

5 The New Jersey Air National Guard s strength is currently at 108%. Air recruiting does not regionalize its efforts. Each Wing recruits from the entire state to meet organizational needs. Both Wing recruiting teams, under the guidance and direction from the state Recruiting superintendent, recruit not only to fill their own wing vacancies but will routinely look to the other wing to place individuals as needed. As our current data suggests, there are no impeding changes to this arrangement. 108 th Wing 177 th Fighter Wing FY 2011: 84 FY 2011: 112 FY 2012: 121 FY 2012: 112 FY 2013: 126 FY 2013: 153 FY 2014: 134 FY 2014: 151 FY 2015: 135 FY 2015: 122 Regional Training Institute 5

6 3. According to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs responses to the FY 2016 Discussion Points, the department broke ground in FY 2015 on the $34 million Regional Training Institute at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt. The training center is an 86,000 square foot facility that includes student housing, a classroom, and an administration building, and will allow the 254 th Training Regiment, a premiere Army National Guard training unit in the Northeast, to expand training for soldiers around the region. Funding for the project was awarded in September of 2013 and is estimated to be completed in January Question: Has the regional training institute project been completed and is it operating? If so, who will be using the facility? Is the facility solely for National Guard use or will the facility also provide other armed forces training and training for police, corrections, and juvenile justice officers? What proportion of the operating and maintenance costs of the regional training institute will be federally funded? The Regional Training Institute is scheduled for completion early in Once complete, the RTI will be available to state police, corrections, and juvenile justice officers training at a reimbursable rate. All portions of the RTI are federally funded. Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 6

7 4. In an effort to counter any potential federal policies that would reduce military installations in the United States, the FY 2015 and the FY 2016 Appropriations Acts appropriated $200,000 to the department for the Council on Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, an advocacy group comprised of State officials and members of the public who work collectively with the public and private sectors to preserve military installations. This funding is continued in the FY 2017 budget. In addition, Executive Orders 134 and 154 created the New Jersey Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force to study the long term viability of the State s five military bases and options for insulating them from closure. The five bases Include: the Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, the 177 th Fighter Wing at Atlantic City Airport in Egg Harbor Township, the Coast Guard Station at Cape May, the Picatinney Arsenal in Morris County, and the Earle Naval Weapons Station in Monmouth County. According to the responses to FY 2016 OLS discussion points, at that time the Department of Defense had not announced a BRAC study. However, the task of the Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force was to ensure the preservation and enhancement of New Jersey s installations to promote statewide jobs, corporate growth, and secure long term viability of military bases and installations. The State contracted with Cassidy & Associates to conduct a comprehensive study beginning in the Spring of The study and recommendations are expected to be delivered in the Spring/Summer of Question: Has the Department of Defense announced a BRAC study? If so, have any recommendations been made? Has Cassidy and Associates completed its study of the long term viability of the State s five military bases and options for insulating them from closure? If so, please provide a copy of the study. What are the study s major conclusions? How will FY 2017 funding be used? Please provide a detailed spending plan. DMAVA is the supporting agency to the NJ Military and Installation Growth and Development Task Force in this endeavor. The Department of Defense is requesting that Congress authorize a BRAC to be conducted in Last year, Congress agreed to allow Pentagon officials to conduct a defense wide study of excess infrastructure capacity, without promising those findings would directly lead to a new base closing round. The FY17 National Defense Authorization Act will be the next indicator if a BRAC will be authorized in the out years. Cassidy and Associates is in the process of finalizing their New Jersey military Installation report for review and approval by the NJ Military and Installation Growth and Development Task Force. We anticipate its recommendations will be the basis for developing the future strategy to support NJ military installation priorities. Funding allocations will be determined in part on those recommendations. Colgate Clock 5. The FY 2017 Governor s Budget proposes the following language for inclusion in the Appropriations Act, Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, lease or 7

8 licensing payments received by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (department) in connection with the property known as the Colgate Clock (clock) located on Block 2, Lot C on the Official Tax Map of Jersey City, New Jersey, shall be deposited in the General Fund. According to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the clock is located on the property of the Jersey City armory. The armory property is owned by the State but the armory is operated by the department. The department receives annual federal funding for renovations and improvements to the armory. In FY 2017, proposed federal National Guard funding for all of the armories in New Jersey totals $4.5 million. In addition, the department receives approximately $200,000 per year in lease payments from Colgate Palmolive for the right to have the Colgate Clock located on the property. The department uses this funding for armory operations and maintenance. The department also receives revenues from renting the armories and the armory property, as available, to various public and private groups for recreational and other activities. In 2015, the department received $2.2 million in armory rental receipts. The Colgate Clock was located on the former site of the Colgate Palmolive factory in Jersey City in It was 50 feet in diameter and was, at one time, the largest clock in the world and could be seen from Manhattan. Over time the clock became an iconic landmark. The current clock is a replacement of the original Colgate clock that was built in 1906 in celebration of Colgate s centennial anniversary. In 1910 Colgate moved its corporate headquarters to Jersey City and remained in Jersey City until 1985 when the company moved its headquarters to New York City. Media reports indicate that the property is sought for park land in Jersey City. Question: Why is the Administration proposing to redirect the receipt of the lease payments to the General Fund? How did the clock come to be located on the armory property? How much has the State received in lease payments from Colgate Palmolive in total and annually since the beginning of the agreement? Why is the State considering the sale of the armory property? Are there any deterrents to selling the property? The Property that the Colgate Clock is on is at 20 Hudson Street in Jersey City, not the Jersey City Armory (678 Montgomery Avenue). This Colgate property is immediately adjacent to the Goldman Sachs building, Liberty Terrace Apartments and the Hudson River and consists of approximately 2.6 acres of land. The property was acquired in 1940 for the purpose of constructing an armory which never occurred and the property is too small for future development for any National Guard purpose. There is a recurring use agreement between DMAVA and Colgate Palmolive to allow Colgate to keep their Clock on site. Since 2004, DMAVA has received $2,648,450 in lease payments. In 2015, the department collected $275,000 dollars from Colgate to lease the parcel. To conform with the regular budgeting process, the receipts from the Colgate lease will be deposited in the general fund and the department will identify its capital needs through the normal treasury process. The department is not considering a sale of the Colgate Clock property but there is a 3 phase project designed to repair the bulkhead, and to establish a walkway and park on the site. The NJ DEP executed the first phase of site development which included the new bulkhead and the walk way. Phase two was executed by Colgate which was to replace the clock and also to install site improvements on the portion of the property adjacent to the clock. The department is working is working on the details of phase three to develop the small remaining parcel into a park. 8

9 Homeland Security 6. On September 21 25, 2015, the Pope, in his visit to the United States, included a visit to Philadelphia. South Jersey hosts important points of egress to Philadelphia, and homeland security concerns were evident. 9

10 Question: Was the New Jersey National Guard involved in providing security for the visit? What was the New Jersey National Guard s role during the papal visit? What were the associated costs to provide State active duty support during the papal visit? From September 2015, 203 NJNG Citizen Soldiers and Airmen assisted NJ civil authorities, conducting Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, and Nuclear (CBRN) detection operations; area security operations; and traffic control operations in support of the eighth World Meeting of Families (WMOF) held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. During this event, the NJNG provided direct support to the New Jersey State Police (NJSP), Camden County Metro Police Department, Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), and Pennsylvania National Guard (PANG) FEMA Region 3 Civil Support Team Task Force, ensuring continuity and facilitating the safety of participants during this monumental event. The cost associated with New Jersey National Guard support to the Papal visit was $187,416. This cost includes State Active Duty pay for personnel ($139,384), tactical vehicle support ($13,440), and additional costs, to include rations ($34,592). Veterans Program Support Vet to Vet Hotline 10

11 7. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (department), in conjunction with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), now Rutgers 1, established a veteran peer support program telephone helpline, known as the Vet to Vet Hotline. The helpline features clinical assessment and assistance to veterans and their family members. In addition, it provides New Jersey veterans and their families with access to a network of mental health professionals specializing in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other veteran issues, including traumatic brain injury 24 hours a day, seven days a week. P.L.2011, c.116 requires the appropriation annually of a sum sufficient for the operation of the program. The law also requires the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and University Behavioral Healthcare of the University of Medicine and Dentistry to consult on a quarterly basis with the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services within the Department of Human Services, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the New Jersey Health Care Network, at least two New Jersey Veteran Centers, and at least two State recognized veterans groups. The helpline is funded out of the Support Services to Returning Veterans in the DMAVA budget. Costs to support the hotline are estimated to be approximately $383,000 in FY 2017 and are budgeted in the Support Services to Returning Veterans line item. Question: Did the restructuring of UMDNJ have any impact on the Vet to Vet Hotline Program? If so, please describe. Please provide a chart illustrating the funding provided to the program from each source of funding, the number of calls fielded, the number of referrals made for each service provided, e.g., confidential counseling, group counseling, peer support case management, etc., for each year since FY Are there any other sources of funding, federal or private grants providing support for the program? The NJ Vet 2 Vet Hotline was created by the state in 2005 to address mental health care challenges experienced by returning New Jersey veterans and their families. NJ Vet 2 Vet is funded by the state in a Support Services to Returning Veterans line item in the budget; this is the sole funding source for the program. The fiscal year 2017 budget estimates a cost of $383,000 to continue the program. The restructuring of UMDNJ has had little impact on the Vet to Vet hotline. Vets4Warriors, created in 2011, was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense served active duty personnel world wide who may be experiencing mental health issues. In 2015, the Department of Defense transferred this responsibility to an organization called Military One Source. The proposed funding of $383,000 in the fiscal 2017 budget is deemed adequate for the program s intended purposes. Below is a chart illustrating the funding provided to the program and the number of calls fielded for each year since FY FY Funding Incoming calls Outgoing calls Total calls 2005 Pilot $100,000 1,571 1,282 2, $100,000 1,775 1,079 2,854 1 Under the New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act, P.L.2012, c.45 ( the Restructuring Act ), all of UMDNJ has been transferred to Rutgers, the State University ( Rutgers ), with the exception of the School of Osteopathic Medicine, which has been transferred to Rowan University ( Rowan ), and University Hospital, as applicable. 11

12 2008 $195,000 1,501 2,590 4, $195,000 1,542 2,855 4, $300,000 1,911 2,763 4, $300,000 2,189 2,402 4, $300,000 3,386 6,584 9, $300,000 3,446 7,261 10, $300,000 3,525 7,785 11, $383,260 3,504 7,654 11, $383,260 2,512 (As of 2/29/16) 5,784 ( As of 2/29/16) 12,457 (Proj. 2016) 8. According to news reports, Rutgers University launched a program to facilitate timely medical and behavioral health care and peer support. The initiative comes on the heels of a recent report by the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general that revealed that about 307,000 veterans [nationally] might have died while their healthcare enrollment was pending. The report states that the Veterans Total Care Initiative, a six month pilot program supported by a $5 million grant from the New Jersey Department of Health, is the first service of its kind to provide integrated care to veterans. In FY 2017, funding for Improving Veterans Access to Healthcare in the New Jersey Department of Health is reduced by $6 million, to $2 million. 12

13 Question: Will the reduced funding for the Improving Veterans Access to Healthcare appropriation in the Department of Health impact the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Vet to Vet program? What is the relationship between the Vet to Vet Hotline and the Veterans Total Care Initiative; the relationship between the department and Rutgers with regard to the Vet to Vet Hotline; and the relationship among the three players: the department, Rutgers, and the New Jersey Department of Health with regard to the Hotline and the Total Care Initiative? How is the Total Care Initiative different from the Hotline, or are they duplicative of one another? Was the Hotline underfunded or is the funding from the Department of Health an effort to expand the program? What is the department s role in providing helpline services to veterans? The Improving Veterans Access to Healthcare program is a Department of Health initiative and has no impact on the Vet to Vet helpline. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 9. The proposed FY 2017 Governor s Budget recommends an appropriation of $1.3 million for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Psychological and cognitive injuries including post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and major depressive disorder (MDD) are the predominant postdeployment health care issues for returning soldiers and airmen in the military. Currently, $1.3 million is appropriated annually to fund PTSD counseling services. The chart below illustrates the demand, the cost, and the funded level of the program from FY 2005 through FY

14 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) FY 2005 through FY 2010 Number of Counseling Number of Counseling Cost per Program Fiscal Year Number of Cases Sessions per Year Sessions per Month counseling Session Cost per Year Annual Appropriation , $100 $ 646,600 $ 300,000 46% , $100 $ 959,100 $ 800,000 83% , $100 $1,270,100 $ 800,000 63% * 17, $100 $1,738,000 $1,300,000 75% 2009 n.a 24,128 n.a n.a $2,412,800 $1,300,000 54% 2010 n.a 33,774 n.a n.a $3,337,400 $1,300,000 39% * Estimate. 14 Funded Level Questions: Please update the chart for fiscal years 2011 through proposed FY 2017, and please reflect any changes to the data for fiscal years 2005 through What is the current trend in the demand for these services? Has the program been successful and how is program success measured? Fiscal Year # of Cases # of Counseling Sessions per Year # of Counseling Sessions per Month Program Cost per Year Annual Appropriation Funded Level , $ 427,555 $ 300,000 70% , $ 793,000 $ 800, % , $ 992,000 $ 800,000 81% , $1,377,000 $1,300,000 94% , $1,500,000 $1,300,000 86% , $1,341,000 $1,300,000 96% , $1,137,000 $1,300, % , $1,245,000 $1,300, % , $1,300,000 $1,300, % , $1,248,000 $1,300, % , $1,323,000 $1,300,000 98% 2016* , $1,300,000 $1,300, % 2017* , $1,300,000 $1,300, % *Budget Projection The Veteran s Benefit Enhancement Program 10. The Veteran s Benefit Enhancement Program connects low income veterans who are enrolled in Medicaid with benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As a result, veterans receive veterans benefits and states save Medicaid money. In late 2010 and early 2011, the department worked with the Department of Human Services in matching Medicaid beneficiaries with available U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare Resources. The department was furnished with a list of 122 individuals on Medicaid that were known or thought to be veterans. The department did a mailing to all 122 individuals and received 24 responses. Of the 24 responses, only five were verified as

15 veterans. These individuals were provided with information on available VA Healthcare and other benefits and encouraged to seek further information from the VA. Question: Has the department continued to work with the Department of Human Services to ensure clients with veterans status are aware of the available benefits? How many lowincome veterans who are enrolled in Medicaid and live in New Jersey have been connected with benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) each year since FY 2011? Is the Department working with the Veteran Service Offices to connect these veterans with VA benefits? In the department s estimation, what are the most challenging issues with regard to linking veterans to the benefits to which they are eligible? The Department does not work with DHS regarding Medicaid benefits. However, DMAVA maintains a working relationship with DHS through the New Jersey Interagency Council to identify and assist veterans. DMAVA VSOs continue to work fervently to help connect veterans with their entitled benefits. The chart below outlines the amount of federal entitlements VSOs obtained for New Jersey veterans for each year since FY 15 $161,209,895 FY 14 $152,758,821 FY 13 $133,396,827 FY 12 $122,019,581 FY 11 $107,244,314 Through DMAVA s efforts to link veterans with their entitlements, we have learned that outreach is our largest challenge. To overcome this obstacle, the Department, in coordination with the VSOs and the county offices, continues outreach efforts capitalizing on social media, hosting monthly Medals Ceremonies at malls, and attending various job fairs. Additionally to complement our outreach initiatives, we have created bus signage for public transportation. Veteran Service Organizations 11. Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) work in partnership with the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs to maximize its resources and accomplish its core mission of operating three veteran memorial homes. VSOs provide assistance to mitigate rising costs and to enhance the services provided to residents at the three memorial homes. Some VSOs are chartered, meaning they are federally chartered and/or recognized or approved by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs for purposes of preparation, presentation, and processing of claims under laws administered by the VA. Non chartered organizations lack VA recognition for purposes of representation of VA claimants. In FY 15

16 2010, the department reported that in FY 2008, the state s veterans received more than $700 million in VA education, pension, and other compensation funds. Question: Please provide data showing the total amount New Jersey veterans have received from the U.S. Veterans Administration from FY 2009 through FY If possible please provide a breakout of the total amount into VA education, live pension, death pension, live compensation, death compensation. As per VA s website, the total amount New Jersey veterans have received from the U.S. Veterans Administration from FY09 14 is enumerated below Fiscal Year Compensation Education Total ,167,000 80,476, ,643, ,953, ,499,000 1,038,452, ,171, ,338,000 1, ,174, ,539, ,713, ,744, ,113,000 1,102,857, ,047,058, ,108,000 1,261,166,000 In FY 15, VSOs assisted New Jersey veterans to received $161,209,895 in compensation entitlements. Compensation types and percentages are as follows: Live Compensation is Service Connected and can consist of: PTSD, TBI, combat related wounds, Hearing loss, amputees, MST, Agent Orange Claims, and others. These claims account for 85% of Compensation. Death Compensation and DIC: For survivors of those veterans who died of a service connected disability. These claims accounted for 9% of Compensation. Death Pension: For those widows whose spouse died of a non service connected disability. These claims accounted for 1% of Compensation. Live Pension: These pensions are for non service connected disability and also aid and attendance claims. These claims accounted for 5% of Compensation. 16

17 Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery 12. According to testimony at the FY 2016 Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the department estimated that more than 61,000 veterans and their spouses have been interred at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery (cemetery) in North Hanover Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. New Jersey was one of 15 states to receive a $10.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration in November 2012 to support an expansion. The expansion was completed in January 2014 and provides 10,700 double crypts and 4,800 niches for cremains. Evaluation data in the FY 2017 Governor s Budget indicates that total interments have grown by 5 percent compounded annually since FY 2012, averaging approximately 3,000 interments per year. 17

18 Through the use of federal grants, the rated capacity of the cemetery increased from 171,000 to 215,000 in FY 2016 and is proposed to remain at that level in FY At a five percent annual growth rate, the cemetery would reach full capacity in 24 years. The recent expansion from a rated capacity of 171,070 to 215,000 burial places included crypts and niches for cremains. Question: Please describe the interment options available to a veteran or a veteran s family for burial at the cemetery. Interment options are as follows: 1. Casket, in ground (crypt field or conventional burial section). 2. Cremations in ground. 3. Cremations columbarium. How many of each interment option is currently available. Remaining burial space at the Cemetery includes 16,743 developed grave sites. Below describes how many of each interment is currently available. 1. Casket, in ground (crypt field or conventional burial section): 10, Cremations in ground: 5, Cremations columbarium: 870. What is the current trend in interment choices and how will that affect the future plans for interment and land development at the cemetery? Interment trends are 73% casket burials and 27% cremations. Currently, the Cemetery has 120 developed acres and 114 undeveloped acres for future gravesites. Our expansion and development schedule is reviewed annually and estimated date of closure of each particular area is recorded. The Cemetery is updating their Master Plan which will identify the total amount of undeveloped land (including protected wetlands) for future burial space by type and quantity. Has the department applied for any additional cemetery grant funding with the U.S. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration? DMAVA has not applied for any additional cemetery grant funding with the U.S. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. 18

19 13. The State receives a plot or interment allowance from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to mitigate the expenses incurred by the State for the burial of an eligible veteran in a veterans cemetery owned and operated by the State if the burial is performed at no cost to the veteran s family. Currently the federal plot interment allowance is $747 per burial and it is adjusted per date of death. For instance if a cremated veteran is brought in for burial either by the family or Mission of Honor for unclaimed cremains the Plot Interment Allowance could be anywhere from $150 to present $747. Question: What is the average cost of a burial? Does the federal plot interment allowance cover the department s interment costs? The average cost per burial is $1200. The Plot Interment Allowance helps in defraying the cost for the veteran. We do not receive Plot Interment Allowance for Spouse or Dependent Child. 19

20 14. In addition, the department testified that construction is currently underway for a Public Information Center on the cemetery grounds. The cost of the project is $3 million and is being funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Additionally, a grant of $3 million received from the VA is being used to realign grave markers and rehabilitate 20,000 graves. Question: What is the status of the construction of the Public Information Center and the maintenance on the grave markers and the graves? What caused the need for the realignment of the grave markers and the rehabilitation of the graves? Is this routine maintenance or is this something that will reoccur due to ecological or geological issues? The Public Information Center is 100% Completed. The grave realignment project is 78% completed. We anticipate completion in

21 Ground settlement along with ground water cause the headstones to sink, shift and settle. As part of the grave realignment project, new irrigation will be installed and sod will be replaced. This should be a permanent fix for the affected sections. 15. According to the department, a partnership between DMAVA and the New Jersey Mission of Honor has allowed for the burial of the unclaimed cremains of more than 151 Veterans at the cemetery. Approximately 22 percent of the unclaimed remains were remains of World War I veterans, 62 percent were the unclaimed remains of World War II veterans, 15 percent were the unclaimed remains of those who served in Korea/Vietnam, and 1 percent were the unclaimed remains of those who served in the Mexican Border War. The partnership reunited more than 200 families with previously unclaimed remains. Question: Please discuss the partnership with the New Jersey Mission of Honor. Please describe the mission, vision, and goals of the New Jersey Mission of Honor. How was the partnership between the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the New Jersey Mission of Honor formed and how were the cremains found and identified? How were the families of the veterans found? Is the department still in partnership with the New Jersey Mission of Honor? 21

22 After the publicity of unclaimed cremains of veterans abandoned on the shelves of funeral homes across the nation, a group of mainly Vietnam Veterans of America formed a non profit organization to spearhead legislation granting them authority to find these unclaimed cremains and investigate if there are any family members they can find who may want to claim them and if not give them the proper burial they deserve. Once eligibility is determined, they are given a burial ceremony with honors at Doyle Cemetery. Those who served in the military but may not be eligible for burial benefits are buried at Haleigh Cemetery in Camden. There has been 188 ashes claimed with 162 buried at Doyle Cemetery and 26 at Haleigh. 260 families have been reunited with their loved one s ashes through the efforts of the Mission of Honor. We continue to partner with the Mission of Honor in their endeavor. 22