Dan Melykevich - Fellow

A central New Jersey native, Dan Melnykevich lost many residents of his home county on September 11, 2001. It inspired him to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps in January 2003, where he served two tours in Iraq's Al Anbar Region (Fallujah) as an Anti-tank Assault Guided Missleman in March 2004 and July 2005.  After finishing his enlistment obligation, he returned to college full time to complete his degree in history.  

Melnykevich heard about the U.S. House of Representatives Wounded Warriors from a fellow warrior employed by the program. In January 2013, when a vacancy opened in the office of Congressman Andy Harris, Melnykevich applied and was selected for assignment as a veterans case worker.  

In a typical day Melnykevich spends most of his time either on the phone or sending emails to veteran constituents and the Department of Veterans Affairs to help veterans claim compensation, pension, and education benefits.

His most rewarding case to date involved a Silver Star recipient of three wars with 30 years of service who had no living relatives to help him. Melnykevich helped the veteran obtain his benefits so he could continue residing in the veterans’ nursing home.

“I help veterans who are overwhelmed with the VA claim system and try to cut through the bureaucracy,” he says. But Melnykevich, like all Wounded Warrior fellows, is doing more than that - he's improving veterans' lives.