Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services (ADVS) Director Col. Wanda Wright today signed a historic memorandum of understanding under which ADVS will train members of the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration to represent Navajo veterans in filing benefits claims with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
Under the agreement, four Veteran Benefits Counselors working for the Navajo Nation will undergo ADVS specialized training and certification to become accredited with the federal VA.
“Our main mission is ensuring that all Arizona’s veterans have access to the best representation in filing claims for the benefits they have earned by their service. The process of filing a claim with the VA can be a very detailed process and a single mistake can delay a veteran in receiving their benefits”, said Director Wright.
In February, Navajo President Begaye signed legislation which created a new Navajo Nation Veterans Administration to better serve the thousands of veterans living on the Nation. ADVS has been working closely with the Navajo Veterans Administration since then and looks forward to a long relationship to serve all Arizona veterans.