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New Mexico Veteran Resources
Veterans Integration Center
The Veterans Integration Center (VIC®), A 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2005, is a resource for Veterans and their families in New Mexico. The VIC provides a multitude of services including multiple housing assistance options, peer support, food and nutrition, and case management services to Veterans, their families and the community.
As a proactive and innovative agency that primarily serves literally and at-risk homeless Veterans and their families, the VIC’s extensive outreach efforts have earned a trusted reputation from numerous communities across New Mexico, especially in the expansive rural areas where few resources exist for those in need. This includes our highly rural Veteran and Native American populations throughout New Mexico.
In many locations, the VIC has developed strong partnerships with local programs that enable others to help our nation’s Heroes and their families seamlessly. In other situations, VIC staff will travel to any part of the state to provide support and bring the services to the Veteran client.
NM Dept. of Veterans Services
The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services is here to help veterans and eligible family members understand, navigate, and obtain federal and state benefits. Our mission is to provide the highest quality care, service, and advocacy for the men and women—and their eligible family members—who have served as members of the United States Armed Forces, and to be the premier agency that anticipates and meets the changing needs of New Mexico’s veterans and their families.
The agency has four divisions, in addition to the the State Approving Agency (SAA), the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), and the Public Information Office standing ready to help veterans and their families with their particular needs.
Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico
Honor Flight of Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico’s vision is a nation where all of America’s Veterans experience the honor, gratitude, and community of support they deserve.
It’s been the “trip of a lifetime” for many of the state’s World War II Veterans who have taken a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorial, courtesy of Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico.
HFNNM was established as a 501c-3 non-profit hub of the Honor Flight Network in 2013 with the goal of honoring as many New Mexico Veterans as possible for all their sacrifices. Top priority is given to World War II and Korean War Veterans and Veterans of other conflicts who may be terminally ill, although Vietnam War Veterans have been added as seats are made available.
Honor Flight of Southern New Mexico
Honor Flight of Southern New Mexico (HFSNM) was established in 2008 by business and community leaders who were devoted to honoring our veterans. HFSNM also serves El Paso, Texas. October 2017 marked our tenth flight back to Washington, DC providing veterans the opportunity to see their memorials. Our focus and priority are on honoring our most senior heroes, WWII and Korean War veterans. We do take Vietnam veterans as space allows, however, there is currently a lengthy waiting list for them. Any veteran with a life-limiting illness is given priority consideration. Through the generosity of the community, we have been able to honor over 360 since our founding.
Healing America's Heroes
When Healing America’s Heroes (HAH) was founded in 2014 in response to the large number of suicides of military members returning from combat (22 per day according to a 2013 study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs).
The mission was to help heal combat veterans and active duty service members who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) by offering a 3 or 5-day program of recreational equine (horse) and piscatorial (fly-fishing/fly-tying) therapies in the peaceful and calming environment of beautiful rural Fort Stanton, NM, at no cost to participants.
Paws and Stripes
Paws and Stripes was founded in Rio Rancho in 2010 by Lindsey Kay. Lindsey was motivated by her passion for dogs, love of her country and those who have sacrificed so much to protect it.
A veteran family member of Lindsey’s suffering from PTSD and TBI motivated her to research multiple organizations, but was unable to pay for service dogs due to the high cost. This inspired the inception of an organization dedicated to providing service dogs at no cost to veterans in order to fill this critical unmet need for veterans.
In 2010, Paws and Stripes graduated their first team. By 2012, Paws and Stripes officially integrated a mental health component to its training programs. Since inception almost 10 years ago, Paws and Stripes has served veterans, rescued and rehabilitated shelter dogs as service dogs and refined its mental health programming.
National Veteran Resources
VA Benefits
Disability Compensation is a tax free monetary benefit paid to Veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. Compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities occurring in service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service.
Generally, the degrees of disability specified are also designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or illnesses.
DOD Correct Military Records
If you believe an error or injustice exists in your military record, you may complete and submit a DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Record, along with sufficient evidence of the probable material error or justice, to your Service Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCM/NR). A few examples of records that may be corrected include: administrative information, pay and allowances, decorations and awards, performance evaluations and derogatory information, disabilities, promotions and rank, and separation and discharges*.
*NOTE: Service members who are seeking a discharge upgrade and have been separated for less than 15 years, must first submit the DD Form 293, Application for the Review of Discharge from the Armed Forces of the Unites States, to their respective Service Discharge Review Board.
Military Vetrans Advocacy
Honor Flight of Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico’s vision is a nation where all of America’s Veterans experience the honor, gratitude, and community of support they deserve.
It’s been the “trip of a lifetime” for many of the state’s World War II Veterans who have taken a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorial, courtesy of Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico.
HFNNM was established as a 501c-3 non-profit hub of the Honor Flight Network in 2013 with the goal of honoring as many New Mexico Veterans as possible for all their sacrifices. Top priority is given to World War II and Korean War Veterans and Veterans of other conflicts who may be terminally ill, although Vietnam War Veterans have been added as seats are made available.
Center for Women Veterans - VA
The Center for Women Veterans’ (CWV) mission is to monitor and coordinate VA’s administration of health care, benefits, services, and programs for women Veterans. We serve as an advocate for cultural transformation and to raise awareness of the responsibility to treat women Veterans with dignity and respect to #BringWomenVeteransHome2VA.
Today’s VA is focused on the needs of women Veterans and cultural transformation. We aim to provide an environment free from harassment. VA has introduced White Ribbon, a national call to action to eliminate sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence. VA Secretary McDonough is making accountability of those who commit harassment or sexual assault an important part of creating a culture that is free from harassment and sexual assault, without fear of retaliation.
Transition Assitance Program
Every year, approximately 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service and return to life as civilians, a process known as the military to civilian transition.
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP), provided under 10 U.S.C. 1144, is a cooperative interagency effort among the Department of Labor, and the Departments of Defense, Education, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration and the Office of Personnel Management.