Anchor: Our veterans have dedicated years of their lives to protecting our free- dom. It’s our duty to help them right here at home and there’s no better time to remember that than Veteran’s Day.
Today I’m joined by Mitch Adel of Cooper Adel and Associates here in Dayton. He’s here to talk about the many benefits available to veterans that they may not know about. Thank you for being here!
Mitch Cooper: Thank you for having me.
A: Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq and it’s part of our duty to welcome them back. What are your suggestions when it comes to welcoming our soldiers home?
MC: Well, I think one of the things we can pay attention to today on Veteran’s Day is the multi-generational benefits that are available to our veterans. There are edu- cational benefits for younger individuals coming back, benefits for those looking for home loans, and then, as people get older, financial support—giving them the dignity to stay in their homes and not have to spend other assets. All of these are available through the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
A: When veterans come home, a lot of times they’re just getting back on their feet and figuring out a way of life that they haven’t been used to for however many years they served overseas. What is your advice to them to start that process in figuring out what opportunities are available to them?
MC: The best place to look is the US Veteran’s website at www.va.gov. Specifically, taking advantage of benefits for home loans,
veterans can fill out a form to take to their lender and the loan will be guaranteed by the federal government, giving them lower rates that can save thousands of dollars. The other would be the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which allows them to have 40 to 100 percent of their college tuition and bills paid for.
A: If the veterans were to reach out to you, is there a way for you to help them with one-on-one consultation?
MC: The best way that I can help them is the Aid & Attendance benefit, a little-known VA benefit that helps the senior veterans stay in their homes longer and get assistance with medical costs. It can be almost $2,000 a month for a married veteran and a little more than $1,000 for the widow of a veteran.
A: What sort of job training programs are available to veterans to help them transition into work that’s different than what they’re used to?
MC: Part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is vocational training and federal preference. These are great ways to transition back into a more civilian work life.
