SERVING
Those That
SERVED
Alabama State Benefits
Legislative Act No. 173, Regular Session 1945, approved June 23, 1945, created the State Department of Veterans Affairs of Alabama, to function under a State Board of Veterans Affairs. Operation of the Department began officially on October 1, 1945, as provided in the Act.
The State Board of Veterans Affairs consists of the Governor, as Chairman, and representatives from veterans organizations in Alabama, namely: The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, American Veterans, Veterans of World I of the USA, Inc., American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc. and Vietnam Veterans of America. Any other veterans organization having a national charter authorized by an Act of Congress and operating through local organizations in Alabama may be represented on the Board, the number of representatives being determined on a basis of membership of each veterans organization.
Personnel of the Department consists of a State Service Commissioner (Director), Assistant State Service Commissioners as the State Board deems necessary; County Veterans Service Officers and Veterans Affairs Assistants in all of the 67 counties of Alabama; Veterans Service Officers assigned to the four U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers; Claims Representatives; clerical and stenographic employees.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Headquarters Office is located in the RSA Plaza Building, Ste. #530, 770 Washington Avenue in Montgomery. The mailing address is Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, P.O. Box 1509, Montgomery, Alabama 36102-1509. The offices of our County Veterans Affairs Officers are located in the local courthouse or in the immediate vicinity. The County Veterans Service Officers and Veterans Affairs Assistants also perform itinerant service within the counties.
The State Department of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Director, is the designated agency of the State of Alabama to represent the State and its veterans before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (formerly the Veterans Administration), or any other agency dealing with the interests of the veteran. The Director, with the approval of the State Board, is empowered to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states under which veteran who are residents of such the states may be rendered service in the State of Alabama.
It is the duty and purpose of the Department to fully develop and maintain a comprehensive statewide veterans' assistance program; to assist the veteran and his dependents in all their problems and to inform them of all their rights and entitlements under "veterans" laws. It is the duty of the Director to cooperate with all other departments of the State of Alabama in coordinating plans and programs of state agencies which affect veterans and their dependents. Included in such other departments are Military, Education, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Planning Board, Board of Health, Personnel Board and any other state agencies which might furnish services to veterans. The Department, through its Director, provides a central contact between federal agencies dealing with the problems of veterans, such as: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, Department of the Navy, Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. State Department, Social Security Administration, Selective Service and other government agencies on one hand, and the said state agencies on the other.
