WAUKESHA, Wis. — On this Veteran’s Day, Waukesha County wants its veterans to know there are now more options for services than ever before.
The head of the Waukesha County Veterans Services Jeremy Johns says changes at the Veteran’s Administration could mean you are eligible for benefits that were denied in the past.
"My grandpa, that's him receiving his Bronze Star,” said Justin Urbano, looking at a photo of his grandfather.
Justin Urbano comes from a military family. He spent 23 years with the U.S. Coast Guard before he retired.
“Did some offshore law enforcement for counter-narcotics. I also went to the Persian Gulf, went to Iraq in 2005,” said Justin.
He retired in 2022 from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.
Watch: How Waukesha County Veterans Services is expanding
"Veterans, for a long time, have been told to just John Wayne it. Complete the mission, and walk off into the sunset,” said Justin.
But that’s changing. In Waukesha County, officials report an increase in Vietnam veterans seeking services for the first time.
Johns encourages those with less-than-honorable discharges to visit the office, as the Veterans Administration is now reconsidering some discharges related to mental health.
"For the longest time mental health issues were not addressed at all,” said Johns. “We can take a look at that, things have changed within the VA.”
He says they are re-evaluating discharges for people with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and for those in the LGBTQ+ community. The VA in Waukesha is even expanding its walk-in hours in hopes that more people will use their services.
“We try to ensure that there is no judgment. We just want people to come in and see if there is a possibility,” said Johns.
Justin says going through the process made him want to help others. After he came to the Veterans Services office, he applied for a job and became a benefits specialist.
“They had a lot of resources I was able to use as a veteran, and I was able to put in a compensation claim with the VA—a disability claim for some of the service-connected injuries I had during my time in,” said Justin.
Walk-in Wednesdays start on Jan. 1, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, the VA says if you ever need immediate help, come in any time they are open.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
