Commissioner John Maxwell

May is one of the most important months for the military and veteran community. It is especially so here in Virginia as we are home to one of the largest populations of active-duty, reserve and National Guard service members, veterans and their family members per population size of any state.

First, every May is National Military Appreciation Month as established by the U.S. Congress in 1999 to honor, remember and recognize the service and sacrifices of all our service members, veterans and their families. On May 16, we celebrated Armed Forces Day, which takes place on the third Saturday of May each year, to further recognize the dedication of all men and women currently in uniform.

Second, on Friday, May 8, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we paused to recognize the vital contributions of the spouses and partners of servicemembers to communities and their major impacts on military readiness. This special day is held every year on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

With 30 military bases here, our Commonwealth is currently home to more than 48,000 active-duty military spouses and over 21,000 spouses of members of our National Guard and reserves. All of them deserve our appreciation and recognition every day of the year.Also, on May 8 here in Richmond, the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and the Virginia Department of Education joined together to host the Central Virginia Military Student Signing Day at the Virginia War Memorial.

Over 130 patriotic high school seniors who signed up to join one of the branches of the armed forces after graduation or who committed to a service academy or college ROTC program were recognized in a special ceremony by Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Timothy Williams, Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway, Virginia’s Adjutant General James Ring, other government officials, and their parents, guardians and teachers. This commitment of service by these wonderful Virginia citizens should make all of us proud.

While not strictly a military commemoration, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that May 10-16 was National Skilled Nursing Care Week, which has special meaning to our four state veterans care centers. I want to give a shout out to the dedicated teams who take care of veterans at our DVS-operated skilled nursing facilities in Richmond, Roanoke, Virginia Beach, and Warrenton. They are truly outstanding. And perhaps most importantly, as I mentioned in my column last month, we gather on the last Monday of May for our Memorial Day observances to honor and remember the more than 1.3 million service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice serving our Nation from the Revolutionary War 250 years ago to today.

DVS will again host four special Memorial Day Ceremonies on May 25 throughout the state. In Richmond, the 70th annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial; in Amelia, at the Virginia Veterans Cemetery; in Dublin, at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery; and in Suffolk, at the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery. For more details on our DVS Memorial Day Ceremonies, click here.

There will also be many other Memorial Day observances held in towns, cities, and counties across the Commonwealth. I urge everyone to take time out of their schedules to gather their family and friends to attend one of these events. We must continue to recognize and remember the sacrifices of those that gave their all to protect the freedom and liberty we share and, as importantly, the family and friends they left behind who truly bear the burden of that sacrifice.

While summer is vacation season, you can rest assured that our DVS offices remain

open and fully staffed to help veterans and their family members learn about and receive the benefits they earned through their military service. As always, our team members and I are interested in hearing from you. Please contact us with your ideas and input on how we can better serve you. You can reach me directly by email at [email protected] .

My best wishes to you and your family for a safe and pleasant summer ahead.

Very Respectfully,

John Maxwell

Commissioner