The Austin County Veterans Report was sent to us by Wayne Cox
Again, I would like to start by saying that I hope everyone has had nothing but fair winds and following seas.
I know that I have truly been blessed these past few weeks by the good works from the Bellville American Legion Post and the Sealy American Legion Post. The leaders of these organizations have stepped up BIG TIME to help support veterans that were in need in our communities. When you see Gary Grawunder and Ed Randolph of Bellville Legion Post 115 and David and Cat Littmann along with Lee Wiley of Sealy Legion Post 442, please tell them THANK YOU for helping those veterans in need. There is also other good news, in case you have not heard, Austin County Commissioners have voted to raise the homestead exemption for your county taxes. Again, when you see Judge Lapham, Commissioner Mikle, Commissioner Rinn, Commissioner Cerny and Commissioner Reed please tell them THANK YOU. As Mattress Mack says they are saving you money.
The VA RECENTLY ANNOUNCED MORE HELP FOR VETS
Code of Support’s PATRIOTlink® platform is a free online resource database that includes thousands of programs tailored to the military and Veteran community in an effort to better support veterans. Through PATRIOTlink, users can search vetted, direct, cost-free services specific to their needs. PATRIOTlink was recently redesigned to make it even easier to use. Now, users can complete searches by entering less information and they can view events and job opportunities in their area through a news feed feature.
Working together, a partnership with VA
With over 40,000 Veteran Service Organizations offering resources, both VA and Code of Support recognize that collaboration is a key to ensuring military and Veteran families find the right help. This partnership between Code of Support formally started in December 2018 when VA’s Veterans Experience Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Code of Support.
Through its ongoing collaboration with VA, Code of Support’s PATRIOTlink database includes a list of VA resources along with program information for each resource. Listed resources include suicide prevention coordinators, Vet Centers, domiciliary units, and caregiver support services. Including these resources in PATRIOTlink makes it easier and more efficient for Veterans to access VA resources, which improves outcomes. The VA collaboration also ensures that awareness of available resources extends to more suicide prevention coordinators and caregivers across the nation.
Together, VA and Code of Support hope to improve the access to and navigation of resources in local communities to best serve Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors. Code of Support provides case coordination, education and engagement, and a navigation platform that allows service providers to reduce the amount of time it takes to find resources to meet their client’s needs. VA cannot do it alone, and partnerships like Code of Support help to augment and supplement VA services and benefits where needed.
VA is providing Code of Support the most up to date veteran support resource and contact information to access and navigate VA services and benefits that includes caregiver support services, suicide prevention and homeless coordinators, Vet Centers and domiciliary units. One of VA’s goals is to ensure that access to services and benefits is easy, efficient, and creates positive experiences in receiving care and support where they live.
Veterans and their families should not have to struggle with finding veteran support resources and services, so VA encourages Veterans and their families to use the free services from partners like the Code of Support Foundation for easier access and navigation support.
How do I join?
- Login at www.patriotlink.org, enter a few keywords or select a service need, and filter the results by your specific eligibility criteria. You can then see a list of unique resources customized to your needs.
- To learn more, visit Code of Support Foundation or PATRIOTlink.
- To request additional information, email [email protected].
VA announces benefit milestone: “All-time record”
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) has announced it has set a record for the number of disability benefit claims processed, with more than 2 million so far this year. About 6.2 million veterans in the U.S. receive monthly disability benefits from the VA. These tax-free monthly payments support those whose disabilities stem from illnesses, injuries, or events that occurred or worsened during active military service.
The program also provides monthly compensation to surviving spouses, dependent children, and parents to help offset the financial impact of a service member’s death—either during service or from a service-connected condition after discharge. In a press release issued on Tuesday, June 24, the VA said it has processed more than 2 million disability claims so far in fiscal year 2025—reaching the milestone at a record-setting pace. The number was achieved “more than a month faster than the all-time record reached in FY 2024.”
If this rate continues, the VA is expected to exceed last year’s total by more than 14 percent. So far this fiscal year, the department has distributed over $120 billion in compensation and pension benefits to veterans and their families.
Veterans are also seeing faster results, the VA said. As of June 21, 2025, the average time to complete a disability claim was 131.8 days—down from 141.5 days in January.
Along with the increase in claims processing, the VA said it has made strides in reducing the backlog of claims. Since President Donald Trump took office, the number of backlogged disability applications has decreased by over 74,000. The VA announced earlier this year the disability benefits compensation claims backlog had fallen below 200,000 for the first time since spring 2023. Between January 20 and the VA’s announcement in late May, the backlog had decreased from 264,717 to 198,378—a reduction of 25 percent.
In May, the VA also announced it is new steps to make it easier for survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans to access benefits. The changes include moving the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) to a more accessible location, introducing a dedicated “White-Glove” Survivor Outreach Team for personalized support, and increasing automation within the benefits system to speed up processing. VA Secretary Doug Collins said: “VA has reduced the claims backlog and has processed these claims faster than ever for a simple reason: we’re focused on getting results for Veterans. We are just getting started in our mission to help veterans, families, caregivers and survivors get the care and benefits they’ve earned.”
In closing I hope that we have more good news in the closing months of 2025. Again, WE LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND AND WE ALWAYS COVER EACH OTHERS SIX.
