Honoring & Fighting for our Nation's Veterans
Of the over 25 million veterans living in the United States, nearly half a million reside in the state of South Carolina. I am proud to have served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee since my first year in Congress and believe that we have made great progress on behalf of our nation's brave veterans. Our Veterans have risked their lives to protect us, and I am committed to ensuring they all receive the benefits they have earned in service to this country.
As a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I have had the privilege to serve as chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Health.  I am also honored to currently serve as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health. As we take up our responsiblity to make sure that veterans recieve the benefits they deserve in the 111th Congress, you can besure that I will continue to work to improve every part of the VA.
 I am proud of the significant strides we ahve made since my first term as a member fo the Veterans Affaris Committee to correct underfunding of veterans' programs. I have supported increased funding in the VA budget to improve facilities, upgrade services, and create a more efficient and effective VA. As a member of the Subcommittee on Health, I have fought to ensure that every veteran has access to the highest quality healthcare found at over 600 nation-wide VA facilities. I was especially proud to have worked with the VA to improve its budgeting practices and ensure that the needs of our veterans are met, while also working to enact legislation for the first time to bring important security safeguards to our veterans' sensitive personal information. Finally, when the House passed my bill to increase the special pension for Medal of Honor recipients, we came one step closer to showing them how much their incredible bravery and sacrifice truly means to us.
I was proud to co-sponsor the House's version of legislation recently signed into law that modernizes the GI Bill and provides enhanced educational benefits to our returning servicemembers. You can visit the VA's website providing information about the benefits contained in this historic legislation.
I hope this site serves as a resource for veterans and their families looking for information or assistance. I hope you will not hesitate to contact my DC or South Carolina offices for further assistance, or visit the veterans' casework portion of my website. God Bless our veterans, and thank you for your service.
| Congressman Brown's Veterans' Legislation |
Legislation Authored by Congressman Brown
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Highlighted Vets Bills Supported by Congressman Brown |
H.R. 394 – Increasing the Medal of Honor Pension
H.R. 775 – Military Surviving Spouse Equity Act
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GI Bill Modernization: H.R. 5740 & H.R. 5684
H.R. 816 - Preventing TRICARE Premium Increases
H.Res. 111 - Committee on POW/MIA Affairs
H.R. 2243 - Survivors Benefit Improvement
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| Veterans' Policy Information |
- US House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Republican Site, Subcommittee on Health, Committee Schedule
- US Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- US House Armed Services Committee (jurisdiction over issues impacting military retirees) |
- Links to Reports on Veterans' Programs and Legislation
- Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission
- President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors
- VA's Annual Budget Request |
| Information from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other Federal Agencies |
| Vets Information in South Carolina |
Vets Information Nationally |
VA Facilities in South Carolina
VA Facilities in the 1st Congressional District:
Charleston: Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center
109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401 (map)
Phone: (843) 577-5011 or (888) 878-6884 (toll free)
Charleston Vet Center
5603-A Rivers Ave., N. Charleston, SC 29406 (map)
Phone: (843)-747-8387
Myrtle Beach Outpatient Clinic
3381 Phillis Blvd. Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (map)
Phone: 843-477-0177
Goose Creek CBOC
9237 University Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29406 (map)
Phone: (843) 789-6400
South Carolina State Office of Veterans' Affairs
- South Carolina State Veterans Nursing Homes
- South Carolina State Veterans Cemetery |
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (www.va.gov)
VA Facilities Locator & Directory – where to go for help
VA Benefits Handbook - basic info on benefits
Links to Specific Benefits Information
Veterans Benefits Information (www.vba.va.gov)
Online Application Forms - find applications and info for compensation and pension benefits, insurance, healthcare, education, vocational and employment services.
Veterans Health Administration
Also see MyHealthEVet.gov, an internet portal for Veteran health and wellness information.
Copays and Charges
VA Clinical Programs for Specific Conditions
VA National Drug Formulary
Nationwide Gravesite Locator
Search for burial locations of veterans and their family members.
VETS (Veterans Employment & Training Service)Information for Vets on Federal Employment Opportunities from the Office of Personnel Management |
| Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and Other Important Links |
Veterans of Foreign Wars (www.vfw.org)
- To find a VFW post near you, visit the VFW’s Post Finder
American Legion (www.legion.org)
- S.C. Legion: (803) 612-1171
Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org)
- S.C. Chapters
Vietnam Veterans of America (www.vva.org) |
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.iava.org)
To find information about other VSOs not listed here, please visit http://republicans.veterans.house.gov/links/
Veterans Pride Initiative - VA effort encouraging veterans' to wear their military medals with civilian clothes on national patriotic holidays.
Veterans in Congress |
Veterans 2000 Census Page – The 2000 Census estimated there were 26.4 million veterans in the United States, and nearly half a million veterans call South Carolina home. Visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s Veterans page to learn more.
Veterans History Project (www.loc.gov/vets): The Veterans History Project (VHP) seeks to preserve the memories of soldiers and civilian support workers by collecting firsthand accounts of wartime. Established by the United States Congress in 2000, the VHP is part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. |
| Links Especially for Military Retirees |
GI Bill & Education Information |
DOD Retiree and Survivor Benefit Information
TRICARE Information for Retirees
DOD Retiree Pay Information and Calculator
Military Health System Information
Armed Forces Retirement Home |
GI Bill information from the VA
Military.com: Learn to use your GI Bill
Veterans Upward Bound
Troops to Teachers |
| Memorials, Cemeteries, and Monuments |
American Battle Monuments Commission
National Cemetery Administration
National World War II Memorial: visit this site to learn more about the National World War II Memorial, including photos of the monument and the Memorial Registry.
World War II Memorial Registry: The World War II Registry of Remembrances is a listing of Americans who contributed to the war effort. Any U.S. citizen who helped win the war, whether a veteran or someone on the home front, is eligible for the Registry. Names in the Registry will be forever linked to the memorial's bronze and granite representations of their sacrifice and achievement.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Visit the National Parks Website to learn more about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The Wall-USA: a website maintained by veterans of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment. The site includes a searchable database to assist in locating name on the Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Korean War Veterans Memorial: The National Parks Website for the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Arlington National Cemetery: visit the official site for Arlington National Cemetery for visitor, funeral, and historical information. It includes information on establishing eligibility for internment at Arlington National Cemetery.
Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Museum: located in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum and Society celebrates the brave men and women who have earned the nation’s highest military honor.
Women’s Memorial: visit this site for more information on the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, located on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. |
| Supporting our Active Duty Servicemembers |
Are you, or a member of your family, actively serving in the military? I encourage you to visit Military HOMEFRONT, a site run by the Department of Defense designed to provide support for troops and their families. You can also find important information about ways to help our military families, including the America Supports You program.
Heroes to Hometowns: Heroes to Hometowns is a transition program for severely injured service members returning home from OEF/OIF run through the Department of Defense with assistance from Veterans Service Organizations. |
| CRS Reports with Information on Veterans' Programs and Legislation (.pdfs) |
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"War is an ugly thing, not the ugliest of things, the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war, is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
- John Stuart Mill |
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