Shapiro, military leaders discuss challenges for veterans at VETCON 2024

By Adam Babetski / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke about issues facing military veterans and urged them to take advantage of the state’s improved resources during his appearance at the inaugural VETCON in Downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania's adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, was scheduled to speak but had to cancel after he tested positive for COVID-19. Mr. Shapiro called Maj. Gen. Schindler a “critically important member” of his cabinet and praised his track record running the agency.

Mr. Shapiro promoted the state’s six “top-notch” senior living centers for aging veterans, adding that he and Maj. Gen. Schindler have been working to upgrade the state’s largest facility in Hollidaysburg. He listed the state’s other investments designed to help veterans, such as funding mental health services and revamping the process for veterans to obtain occupational licenses and certifications.

“Thanks to the work we’ve done in the state agencies to cut down on wait times for licensing approvals, we are getting more veterans into the jobs that they want and the jobs that they are trained for even faster,” he said.

Mr. Shapiro said he was “deeply proud” of Pennsylvania’s veterans, among them his father, Steven, who served as a medical officer in the Navy.

The governor finished his comments with a familiar refrain: None of this would have been possible without the cooperation of Pennsylvania’s divided Legislature.

“We managed to come together at my urging to support our veterans,” he said. “You should all know this is not a political or partisan priority — this is a priority for Democrats and Republicans here in this commonwealth to support our more than 800,000 veterans.”

The Pennsylvania National Guard Association presented Mr. Shapiro with Larry Selman’s 2015 painting, “Saluting Washington,” which depicts General Washington surveying the Pennsylvania militia in Philadelphia.

One of the themes of the three-day conference’s opening speeches was improving the relationship between military veterans and their civilian employers. Luke Lipsky, a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, said the benefits offered by his job at Comcast, like paid time off for military leave, allowed him to continue to serve.

“Without the incredible benefits [and] support offered by Comcast … I can say with certainty that the Guard would have one less officer,” he said.

Zaneta Adams, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, discussed the importance of veterans’ mental health. She shared how she struggled with suicidal thoughts in 2006 after she suffered a back injury in the military and was told that she would never walk again.

“I understand how the lack of resources can be devastating — feeling like you’re alone, feeling like no one understands,” she said.

Ms. Adams said that today’s veterans are dealing with the lingering effects of the pandemic, housing instability and increasing rates of depression and anxiety. She asked the audience to enter the number for the Veterans Crisis Line into their phones in case they needed help.

“One veteran suicide is one too many, but we’re not alone in this mission,” she said. “We’re here together, and we will make a difference.”