Services: Veterans' Affairs

Jim Himes and his daughters with Sergeants Cairo and Welker

Men and women who have volunteered to serve in the armed forces of the United States have earned the respect of a grateful nation.  I am always mindful of sacrifices they and their families have made in the dedicated service of our country.  I have made a commitment that I will do everything I can to assist them when they need help from my office.

Below are a number of resources available to veterans to help with a wide array of issues.

 

Available Benefits

The Veterans Administration publishes a guide to all federal benefits available to veterans.  You can access it online or as a PDF (124 pages).  A Spanish-language version is available, too.

You can find phone numbers for offices that co-ordinate benefits like life insurance, pension management, homeless services for veterans and many others.  You can also find the relevant websites for individual benefit offices there.

Here are links to a few specific VA websites:

You can also track the status of any benefit claims you have submitted by using the eBenefits site.  It serves as a "single sign-on, central access point to online benefits and related services" for veterans.

Voting

If you or a someone you know is a member of the military who needs information about voting while deployed or away from home, the Election Assistance Commission maintains a guide to resources for military (and other overseas) voters.

State Resources

The State of Connecticut's Department of Veterans' Affairs is another resource for information.  The state's Veterans Info Line is available at 1-866-9CT-VETS (1-866-928-8387).  The state also employs Veterans' Service Officers who assist veterans with the preparation and presentation of claims through its Office of Advocacy and Assistance.  

Veterans Making the Transition Back to Civilian Life

If you or someone you know would is having difficulty following deployment or other service, there are over 300 Vet Centers nationwide to help "provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to eligible veterans in order to help them make a satisfying post-war readjustment to civilian life."

There are four Vet Centers in Connecticut, in Hartford, Norwich, West Haven and Danbury.

Suicide Prevention

I'd also like to direct veterans to suicide prevention resources if they or someone they know would like to talk to a fellow vet or counselor. Veterans (or their friends and family) can chat anonymously online with a trained VA counselor about concerns or suicidal thoughts.  You can call  1-800-273-8255 to talk to someone.  And, the Department of Defense and the VA have partnered to create the Suicide Outreach website with lots of information, testimonials from fellow vets, and more 

Thirty Medal of Honor recipients have shared their stories and made appeals to veterans to seek help.  Here's one example, from Paul W. Bucha, a captain with the 101st Airborne Division who served in Vietnam.  Many more can be found at http://www.medalofhonorspeakout.org/.

Members of my staff are always available to help veterans work with the VA or other federal agencies.  Please call us at the numbers below if you can a question or problem that requires my help.

Bridgeport, CT

211 State Street, 2nd Floor
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Phone: (866) 453-0028
Fax: (203) 333-6655
Hours: M - F 9:00 am to 5:00 pm