As we remember fallen heroes on Memorial Day, many around our great country also pay tribute to the family members of the brave men and women who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. ARVets, an Arkansas veteran assistance and support organization, spend Memorial Day 2013 serving at the Veterans Coalition picnic and attending the ADVA’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery. Their mission is to enhance the overall quality of life for military personnel, veterans and their families year-round in recognition of their service and sacrifices.

ARVets provides Arkansas veteran assistance in several broad service areas such as job training, career development, and homelessness prevention.  These services and each of the programs offered, address a veteran’s needs holistically with a one-on-one personal approach to case management that improves the overall quality of life for veterans and their families.

Veterans transitioning from active duty can benefit from the ARVets job training and career development programs. To help identify and highlight transferrable skills developed during their military service, and to aid in finding and sustaining gainful employment, ARVets offers several job readiness programs including Commitment to Hire, give2veterans, Veterans to Law Enforcement, and AVETP. In addition, the ARVets navigation services can lead veterans to employment opportunities and referrals within the business sector with one of our partnered Arkansas businesses.

Homelessness prevention for veterans and their families is so important to the ARVets mission. The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program provides Arkansas veteran assistance to households that would otherwise become homeless or rapid re-housing to those who are currently homeless. Services may include housing search assistance, temporary financial assistance, and employment assistance. In Arkansas, a task force has been formed for the construction of a new veterans’ home; the state legislature has already set aside $7.5 million for the facility, and the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs is working to secure a federal grant. A bill has also been recently introduced to the United States Senate titled the Homeless Veterans Prevention Act of 2013, to give relief to the estimated 62,000 Veterans that are homeless nationwide.

ARVets welcomes any support you can give to help with our mission in providing Arkansas veteran assistance. Monetary donations are accepted online which help our existing programs, and in the development of new initiatives. You can also contact ARVets  to learn more about our organization and available volunteer opportunities. Finally, if you are a veteran in need of assistance with housing, jobs, health, or family support, fill out our Get Support form, and an ARVets case manager will contact you.

A hot topic in the legislature today is expanding Medicaid coverage to include private health insurance coverage for low-income adults. At ARVets we are committed to our mission of providing support and services to Arkansas veterans to enhance their quality of life and would like our friends to understand what this healthcare solution involves and how it could affect our veterans.

Statistics show approximately 20,300 Arkansas veterans are uninsured. The proposed solution involves using Medicaid funds to purchase private health insurance plans for low-income adults – the “private option.”

Middle-income adults may also benefit from the plan with the help of an advance tax credit to pay the premiums for private health insurance.

Of the 20,300 uninsured veterans in Arkansas, 42 percent, or 8,500, are low-income and would qualify for Arkansas’ “private option” coverage paid by Medicaid. The remaining 11,800 uninsured veterans would be able to buy coverage through the health benefits exchange marketplace.

About 12,700 Arkansas veterans’ spouses are also uninsured, of which about 35 percent of these spouses could qualify for the “private option” coverage for low-income earners.

If Arkansas chooses not to accept the “private option,” nearly 9,000 Arkansas veterans and their spouses earning below the poverty line could be left with no affordable coverage.

This “private option” solution could deliver affordable, accessible health coverage to thousands of low-income veterans and their spouses. For more information, a thorough study of the issue may be found on the Urban Institute’s website.

Source: Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families. www.aradvocates.org

ARVets, a one-stop shop for all military veterans and their families’ needs, is celebrating April as The Month of the Military Child. In recognition of the contribution that the military child makes as their parent or parents serve our nation, the U.S. Department of Defense has designated April as The Month of the Military Child, and encourages commands to focus attention on issues concerning military children.

As an organization with the mission to enhance the overall quality of life for military personnel, ARVets is proud to support initiatives that will benefit military children who may have especially challenging childhood, youth, or teenage experiences. Frequent moves and deployments that might separate the family are examples of these challenges that ultimately reveal the resilience and ability to deal with life changing events in military children.

ARVets recognizes the sacrifice and contribution that the children of military families make every day, and we encourage others to celebrate their enormous showing of bravery. If you need some ideas on showing your support, here are a few suggestions.

• Create awareness. Organize a day at your workplace or school to wear ribbons or a specific color to thank and support military families. Be sure to communicate what the paraphernalia recognizes.
• Reach out. Write a letter to a military family. Thank them for their sacrifice, share a similar experience, or offer your personal support if the child or parent would simply like someone to talk to.
• Volunteer. ARVets and similar organizations that offer veteran services and support for military families are often in need of volunteers. To volunteer with us, fill out our online form so that we can be sure that we best use your particular skills and abilities.
• Donate. Donations to ARVets supports valuable aid programs that assist veterans in areas like job training, career development, and housing assistance. Through donations from the community, we are able to develop further programs for physical and behavioral health as well as family and community. Contributions are always appreciated and can be made easily through our online contribution form.
• Fundraise. The 2013 Camps for Arkansas Military Kids can change the lives of military children for the better by fostering resilience, developing critical thinking, and promoting a positive sense of community. Contact the 4-H Operation Military Kids Program for more information.

While April is the Month of the Military Child, support for military families should be year round. ARVets’ mission is to enhance the quality of life for Arkansas veterans and their families though a holistic case management system. We offer one-on-one assistance to help veterans meet their needs by strengthening their support system and improving access to a number of support resources.

Support for military families in Arkansas is vital to the ARVets mission, and we appreciate your donations and volunteer efforts. Of course, if you are a veteran or part of a military family and would like additional information regarding one of our many programs or services, please visit our get support page and an ARVets case manage will contact you.

DUAL MISSION

• Housing counseling or housing search
• Securing Utilities
• Mediation with property owners
• Financial Budgeting, and
• Employment assistance

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

OTHER BENEFITS

DONATIONS WELCOME

While there are many veteran job training opportunities that could be a good fit for an Arkansas Veteran, law enforcement is an option that appeals to many. Veteran careers in law enforcement are popular among veterans because the skills and training received in their military service, such as the ability to adapt to challenging tasks, and working well in teams, make them successful candidates for police jobs and other positions in law enforcement, which are stimulating and rewarding careers.

Recently, ARVets has partnered up with the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, or ALETA. The purpose of this partnership was to develop a program that would allow Arkansas Veterans to attend the Basic Police Training Course at ALETA prior to being hired by a law enforcement agency. Participants in the program would have an open door for a career in law enforcement, and training in this program focused on assisting with ex-military employment. ARVets has dubbed the program Vets to Law Enforcement.

Vets to Law Enforcement is a program that we are very excited about. It is a proactive initiative that will support several veterans interested in law enforcement careers. Our case managers work directly with veterans; receiving applications for those who want to be a part of this coveted opportunity. Along with the application, other program requirements include a personal history statement, one page statement of interest, veteran questionnaire, and proof of Veteran status. Further documentation is required upon acceptance into the program. For more information on the program requirements, click here. ARVets’ role will be to serve as the clearing house for the applications, and to make recommendations to ALETA for those applicants who are qualified. No more than 10 Veterans per training class will be allowed, and the ALETA Director will be the final approving authority for an applicant’s acceptance into the program.

ARVets is happy to offer this service to aid in Arkansas Veteran careers through the partnership with ALETA, volunteer efforts, and funds generously given by those who donate to our troops. The Vets to Law Enforcement, and all other ARVet programs and services are funded by donations from individuals and organizations.

White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

As President of the United States of America, I applaud Barak Obama for his enthusiasm and passionate service for our country during his State of the Union address, and his devotion to our troops and veterans. While I would have liked to hear President Obama outline more specifics related to veteran issues as he spoke to the nation, it was encouraging to hear of the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan in the coming year.

This announcement by President Obama reaffirms the ARVets mission and reminds our nation when wars end and troops come home, our work begins by taking care of our veterans and serving them after they have served our country.

Friends, it is our responsibility to succeed in supporting these brave heroes, to construct the plan to pay the debt owed to them for their sacrifices. Transitioning from active military to veteran, soldier to civilian is challenging. We must be ready to provide them jobs, access to benefits and care for their battle wounds, both physical and mental.

President Obama proclaimed, “We will keep faith with our veterans, investing in world-class care, including mental health care, for our wounded warriors, supporting our military families, giving our veterans the benefits and education and job opportunities that they have earned.”

Join me, President and Mrs. Obama, Vice President and Dr. Biden, ARVets and many others in joining the efforts to fight for our veterans on the home front.

To quote President Obama again, “Thank you, God bless you, and God bless these United States of America.”

Imagine having a work-life under some of the most restrictive and tightly secured conditions in the United States government. Every morning you check into a windowless facility with layers of security, often with a concertina-wired perimeter, and spend the majority of your workday away from sunlight, sorting through numerous safe combinations, passwords, and documents of the highest sensitive nature. You come home day after day, deprived of those intimate conversations with your spouse about the details of your day. You must harbor secrets that if ever shared with those you love would create breach of security ending one’s career, and if placed in the wrong hands, could compromise the security of our national defense.

Though it may sound like a lifestyle familiar only to big screen stars from your favorite suspense movie, it was very much a reality for over 20 years of LTC(RET) Ervin Clark, Jr.’s military career. “Truly it was an honor to fulfill this commitment but operating in the world of Military Intelligence for years upon years is a story that can only be told by those who live it,” he shares. So how does a person even begin to embark on such a journey, you might ask.

For Mr. Clark, it began as early as college, Arkansas Tech University (ATU) in Russellville, to be precise. He began his affiliation during his college freshman year through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and contracted with the US Army during his junior year. However, he did not commission until graduation day, May 15, 1987, where he was selected as a Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) which typically assures ROTC graduates the selection for Active Duty (AD) vice Reserves. When the time came to review his military career options, Mr. Clark stated, “Aviation and Medical careers speak for themselves in private sector; but, I knew that a career in Military Intelligence (MI) would greatly challenge my cognitive discipline as well as my physical capacity. Besides, the thought of possibly working covertly – intrigued me.”

It came as no surprise that Mr. Clark openly embraced the challenges that lied within a life in the armed forces, for military service truly ran deep in the roots of his family tree. “I believe I was being indirectly groomed while hearing stories about my dad’s – Ervin B. Clark, Sr. (deceased) – service in the Korean War during the Battle of Heart Break Ridge and the service of his five brothers during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War,” he explained. The veteran connection not only ran vertically but paralleled with the service of his sister Lynette Clark-Spencer (prior US Army via ROTC) and two brothers, Dwight Jones (deceased) and Derwin Clark who served in the Air Force and Army National Guard.

After graduating from ATU, the 2LT Clark reported to the UALR ROTC department in the fall of 1987 as a Gold Bar Recruiter before proceeding to his Officer Basic Course (OBC) for Military Intelligence in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. In this new role, his passion for leading and shaping people would first begin to blossom as he guided college and high school students who would consider the military as their career path or part-time as a citizen-warrior.

In January 1990, then 1LT Clark left for his first deployment for Operations Desert Shield/Storm (DS/DS) tasked with the assignment of Communications Platoon Leader of the 101st Military Intelligence (Communications Electronics Warfare Intelligence) Battalion as part of First Infantry Division (Big Red One). Thereafter, Mr. Clark experienced what he called the first “ah-ha” moment in his career under Colonel Anthony Moreno – then Commander of 2d Infantry Brigade Mechanized – who characterized himself as a “tough barefoot Hawaiian.” For validating his intelligence officers reliability since his tours in Vietnam, Colonel Moreno used a unique technique encompassing an aerial reconnaissance of extensive forested terrain. With only a map, now Captain Clark was challenged with identifying the land laid out below him in only 30 seconds. “This was the equivalent of peering out the window of an airplane and identifying the exact location below,” Mr. Clark explains. “This was both a life and career game-changer for me as he was examining my skills pertinent to the credibility, trust, and success required of any intelligence officer. His leadership and trust greatly enhanced my intelligence career!”

He deployed for the second time in February 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as the Operations Officer for the Crisis Intelligence Center at Joint Analysis Center (European Command). For the third and final time, Mr. Clark deployed August 2009 for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) as the Commander of United States National Intelligence Cell in Pristina, Kosovo. Little did he know this deployment would include a Christmas Eve accident that resonates deep inside him: however, tragedy would turn to survival. “My military contractor who sustained seven major injuries, three being life critical, received the blessing of life as he survived 22 hours of massive internal bleeding and two Medevac and one MediLift flight from Kosovo to Germany without surgery,” he describes. After experiencing victory in spite of such discouraging circumstances, how can anything be said but, “How great is our God!”

Not too long after, Mr. Clark retired and now manages ERVSON ENT LLC, a veteran-owned small business focusing on ensuring and protecting the rights of individuals, businesses, and corporate workforce. He started the business during his last 12 years of service along with his wife, Sonja, who operated it from home. You can hear the pride in his voice as he discusses his work, “I introduce our revolutionary affordable nationwide legal plans (Law Firms engaging the trivial to traumatic) as a robust addition to any company benefit package which increases productivity, reduces absenteeism, and helps re-establish US workers as the most dependable value-added asset to this global economy. We encourage companies, consumers, and veterans to let us, LegalShield, be their ‘game-changer’!”

As someone who has spent his entire life displaying excellent leadership and passion for guiding others down the road of success, his closing remarks include a few heartfelt words for his fellow veterans:

“Thanks to those who paved the way and those now becoming freedom pioneers! You are very much appreciated and each of you are heroes in your own way. Although not always apparent or spoken, your sacrifice and service has made an unimaginable and invaluable impact in the lives of others. Not one day of your patriotic service is in vain. Though your military service may have concluded, we know that your “battle” has just begun. Continue to fight the tough fight and you will reap your rewards. Well done, Duty First!”

Thousands of my fellow veterans live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental health issue that creates unexpected challenges in daily routines.

Recent studies show at least 20 percent of the over 2.3 million Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from PTSD; however, we know the percent is much higher because many veterans do not report problems nor seek treatment.

Chris Kyle, New York Times Photo

Being a combat veteran from Operation Iraqi Freedom, I know first-hand the debilitating effects PTSD causes and with Chris Kyle’s recent death, I am reminded of the critical need to carry on Chris’ legacy in helping veterans living with PTSD.

I believe Chris and I are “cut from the same cloth” as the old saying goes. After faithful service to our country Chris devoted his life to helping veterans overcome the psychological trauma of the combat zone. In leading ARVets with our professional team, I am dedicated to serving and supporting all of our veterans and changing the public’s opinion of PTSD, just as Chris was.

In my experience with PTSD, it began with a common reaction of “avoidance,” by keeping myself busy adjusting to a new home, finding a job, and getting settled into civilian life again, allowing me to avoid recollection of military life in Iraq. It was not until ARVets formed that I had to confront those traumatic memories while talking to so many potential supporters, explaining our purpose and personalizing it with my experience.

Military movies set in combat zones are too realistic for me. An air horn sends my mind back to preparation mode when we were being attacked in Taji, Iraq. Abrupt loud noises shock my nerves. I realized I needed help.

It is unfortunate our society does not understand this disorder, nor how we can help returning service men and women who are hurting. Like me, veterans with PTSD are successful, they can care for themselves, and they are not crazy or violent.

When veterans return home from war, they are different but different does not mean bad. They are no longer the person they were before deployment. They are still your loved ones but something has changed. Families and friends need to recognize the change and get to know their veteran again. At times they need to be loved on and encouraged. Other times, they need their space. Life is different.

The veteran who killed Chris may not be a bad person; he may be a veteran who simply needs help. Chris literally gave his life to help veterans with PTSD. They served their country and sacrificed their mental health in doing so. Chris’ death is tragic but we are tasked with the responsibility to carry on and help veterans.

My prayers are with Chris’ family, friends, and all the veterans he was helping. May God’s peace sustain us all and lead the charge to serve and support our brothers and sisters in arms.

Nicole Hart

Founder and CEO

ARVets CEO Nicole Hart, an Iraq Combat Veteran, expressed excitement over the recent announcement in hopes the contributions of military women will be more appreciated and recognized.

“I am overtaken with emotion,” Hart said. “I feel validated about my service to my country and hopeful for all women who serve in the military.”

According to the DOD, approximately 15 percent of the U.S. Military’s 1.4 million active personnel are women. Over the course of the past decade, more than 280,000 women have deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Women have shown great courage and sacrifice on and off the battlefield, contributed in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission and proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles.”
—Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta

“Women have shown great courage and sacrifice on and off the battlefield, contributed in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission and proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles,” Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta said. “The department’s goal in rescinding the rule is to ensure that the mission is met with the best-qualified and most capable, regardless of gender.”

The announcement follows an extensive review by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who unanimously concluded that is the time to move forward with the full intent to integrate women into occupational fields to the maximum extent possible. It builds on a February 2012 decision to open more than 14,000 additional positions to women by rescinding the co-location restriction and allowing women to be assigned to select positions in ground combat units at the battalion level.

“Serving your country is not a gender thing, it is an honor like no other,” Hart said. “That honor should be afforded, and not limited, to all those who are willing to answer the call. HOOAH!”

The Joint Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Cheifs of Staff Women in Service Review Memorandum can be viewed at here.

The Chairman’s Women in Service Review Memorandum can be viewed at here.