Youngkin Launches Virginia Veterans Network to Support Military Families

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday unveiled the Virginia Veterans Network (VVN), a new comprehensive online resource designed to support the state’s veterans, transitioning service members and their families.

Speaking at the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations’ (HRCVO) annual Veterans Day Luncheon in Virginia Beach, Youngkin praised the military community and highlighted the commonwealth’s commitment to being a leader in veteran support services.

“On Veterans Day and every day, we celebrate the service and sacrifice of all the men and women who have served our Nation,” Youngkin said.

“Virginia is the proud home of nearly 700,000 military veterans. We go to work every day to ensure that Virginia is the best state in America for veterans, military service members, and their families to live, work, and raise a family.”

The VVN platform consolidates hundreds of organizations and services into a single portal, providing veterans with streamlined access to disability benefits, job opportunities, medical and legal services, education and training, and peer support.

It is also designed to make it easier for veterans and their families to schedule appointments with the Department of Veterans Services, access free federal, state, and local benefits, and find tailored support at every stage of life.

The new platform was built by veterans for veterans, Youngkin said. “VVN is truly the gold standard of service for Virginia veterans and delivers on our promise to give Virginia veterans the best available resources.”

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (second from left), Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw (second from right), and U.S. Rep Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, watch a veteran explore the new VVN platform. (Office of Gov. Glenn Youngkin)

Chuck Zingler, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), noted that the platform was developed in response to veterans’ requests for a simplified way to access diverse resources. “The goal for VVN is to make life easier for our veterans, military service members, and their families,” Zingler said.

“Veterans asked for a simple solution for finding a variety of resources in the Commonwealth and beyond, and we made it happen. VVN offers real solutions in real-time, connecting the right people to the right resources at the right time.”

And Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw called the online portal “another example of how Virginia is committed to providing an excellent quality of life for veterans and their families.”

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

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