Unforgotten Valor: How the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Supports NJ’s Veterans – Program Recap

Written by Andrew Dauphinee

Published on May 13, 2025

New Jersey has over 299,000 veterans, many of whom are unaware of the services that are afforded to them through the state.

Thank you to Ester Chucaralao, Director, Division of Veterans Services, for the New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, for sharing the many programs, benefits, and resources available to the state’s veterans community and their families.

Ranging from mental health resource to educational benefits to housing, New Jersey offers more than a dozen initiatives gear towards the state’s veterans and their families. So let’s dive in and check out how the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs continues to serve our veterans in robust ways.

Veteran Service Officers

Each county in New Jersey has a dedicated Veteran Service Officer that support the mission and initiatives of the NJ DMAVA. One of their most critical functions is working directly with veterans and their families for a variety services, including filing federal Veteran’s Administration disability compensation claims, assisting in arranging for transportation to VA facilities, assist in applying for or upgrading a veteran’s DD214 (official discharge paperwork), and securing counseling, including a state-sponsored PTSD mental health services program. VSOs also provide benefits briefings to Veteran Service Organizations and other organizations in their counties. For more information about VSO services and their offices, please visit https://www.nj.gov/military/veterans/services/vso/.

Housing, Health Care, and Internment

The state owns a handful of properties that serve as transitional housing and nursing home facilities. The state owns two Veterans Haven Transitional Housing facilities (Glen Gardner and Winslow) to assist veterans who are either homeless or facing homelessness. These facilities are only for veterans (no family members allowed) and veterans may stay for up to 2 years. While at these facilities, veterans receive wrap-around services, including mental health care, financial counseling, and other services to help veterans try to achieve stability.

The state also owns 3 nursing care facilities for those that require long-term care. The facilities are located in Paramus, Menlo Park, and Vineland. These facilities are open to veterans and their spouses or spouses and parents of those who were killed in action during a period of war, also known as Gold Star Families. However, the number of non-veterans in these facilities cannot exceed 25% and if a spouse or family member is on a waitlist, any veteran will be considered before them.

The State also owns the Brigadier General Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1 of 61 cemeteries throughout the state that the state owns. This site provides no-charge burials to:

• service members who died on active duty or in active duty status
• honorably discharged veterans from the active force
• reservist and national guard who have at least 20 years of service
• spouses and dependent children

There are over 3,800 internments each year.

Monuments and Memorials

The NJ DMAVA also oversees 3 monuments and memorials in the state as well as manages other programs related to all other monuments and memorials throughout the state. The 3 sites that they oversee including the World War 2 Memorial in Trenton, the Korean War Monument in Atlantic City, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel. DMAVA also manages a state-wide program for the construction and restoration of veteran and war monuments, including:

• inventory and classification based on condition
• public information campaigns
• evaluation of applications and restoration plans

Veterans Benefits Bureau

Most of the work and programs offered through the DMAVA comes through the Veterans Benefits Bureau. One of the most important programs they administer is the Veteran’s Preference Determination, which helps veterans achieve the veteran designation when applying for civil service jobs, allowing them more access to state and local government positions. The VBB also assists veterans in managing their pensions as well assistance in securing their DD214s.

One of the most distinguished programs that the VBB administers is the NJ Medals program, which coordinates ceremonies for the public recognition of our state’s veterans who are eligible to receive a number of medals, including:

• Distinguished Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Korean Service Medal
• Desert Storm Medal
• NJ Global War on Terrorism Medal
• NJ POW/MIA Medal

The VBB also oversees Operation Recognition, which assists veterans in obtaining their high school diploma. Stand Downs is another program which the VBB coordinates where veterans can interact with a variety of agencies, organizations, and providers, similar to a resource fair. Veterans can also receive clothing, shoes, haircuts, and medical exams at these events for free.

Lastly, the VBB operates the Vet2Vet 24 hour helpline (866-838-7654) where veterans can connect with other veterans to seek assistance in finding housing, mental health care, or just simply to converse with a fellow veteran.

More Information

The NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs offers so many programs for veterans so please visit https://www.nj.gov/military/veterans/ or download a copy of the NJ Veterans Benefits Guide for more information. You can view a recording of this program on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/N96-Ig7PZ0Y. If you have any questions, please contact Ester Chucaralao at esther.chucaralao@dmava.nj.gov.