Washington, DC, Mar 8, 2007 -

Congressman John Carter (R, Round Rock), House Republican Conference Secretary, today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) plan to open a new vet center in Killeen in 2008. The vet center program provides readjustment counseling and outreach services to combat veterans. The Killeen facility will be one of 23 new centers to open across the nation in the next two years.

“Vet centers are one of many important services offered by VA for veterans returning from combat,” said Congressman Carter. “The decision to place one of these new centers in Killeen is a blessing to Central Texas, given the presence of Fort Hood and the large surrounding military community. Many veterans will benefit from this facility as they recover from the stress of warfare. ”

The community-based centers provide mental health, employment, family, education, bereavement and outreach services to combat veterans and their families. Small teams of counselors, outreach specialists and other specialists staff the facilities. Many of the staff are combat veterans themselves.

The vet center program was established by Congress in 1979 in recognition that a significant number of Vietnam veterans were still experiencing readjustment problems. Today, all veterans who served in combat are eligible for care at a VA vet center at no cost, as are their families for military-related issues. Veterans who were sexually assaulted or harassed while on active duty and the families of service members who die in active duty are also eligible.

“Our vet centers lead the world in helping combat veterans successfully readjust to life at home,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “It’s an important service which combat veterans have earned. VA continues to expand into more communities with our vet centers to bring our services closer to the veterans who need them.”

Currently, VA maintains 209 vet centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.