AARP Serves Veterans

The idea behind AARP’s Veterans, Military, and Family (VMF) initiative is a simple one - find a way to connect the nation’s veterans, and the better than 5 million AARP members who have served in our nation’s armed forces with what they deserve.

It is that philosophy that has born aarp.org/veterans, a free website that seeks to get information to veterans as quickly and easily as possible.

“We have created a very user friendly one-stop-shop at aarp.org/veterans to make it easier to navigate the free resources and benefits that veterans who have served our country earned and deserve,” says Pete Jeffries, National Engagements Director for AARP. “We hear from the veterans community that when it comes to dealing with obtaining benefits, it appears to be so layered and cumbersome, so AARP took the lead to develop a dedicated website so people could find the free information and help they need.

”AARP has a number of other resources on its website, including Guide to Military and Veterans Pension; a listing of keys to a successful transition from military life; Veterans Guide to Financial

Benefits; Veterans Guide to Social Security, and more. Those items are all free and available at veterans.aarp.org.

Nationally, AARP has also been very active working with organizations, such as the Veterans of Foregin Wars, and The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which has partnered with AARP on a free program to grant family caregivers access to no-cost, short-term assistance for those caring for wounded, ill, or injured veterans or service members at home.

Steve Carter, who, along with Jefferies heads up AARP’s VMF work, says during the COVID-19 pandemic, AARP’s focus has been getting information directly into the hands of veterans quickly. Everything from how to get COVID tests early, to how to find free COVID-19 vaccines, and the VA’s work around both items. More recently, AARP has released stories on aarp.org about why it has taken so long during the pandemic to obtain official service Records.

“We are relentlessly focused on providing information veterans and their families can use, especially during COVID,” says Carter. “We are trying to get that information out there in a timely fashion and in a digestible way. Anything that is breaking news, new and relevant, we will make sure to get on our website and social media pages.”

Jeffries says AARP’s Veterans work centers around three main topics - jobs and employment, caregiving, and fraud prevention.

AARP Jobs and Employment 

AARP helps those who’ve served better understand the civilian job-seeking process and the challenging employment landscape. AARP offers its veteran members, a job board connecting experienced veterans with age-friendly, military-supportive employers (Search for ‘veterans wanted’ jobs at jobs.aarp.org); a free resume critique from the AARP Resume Advisor that can help military and veterans prepare for civilian jobs and careers; as well as free information, programs and other insights on staying competitive in the workforce or in starting a new business.

Caregiving

The caregiving journey for families caring for their military wounded and veterans has unique challenges. AARP is proud to support the nation’s 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers who deliver voluntary, uncompensated care for their wounded warriors every day. These hidden heroes need our help, so AARP offers family caregivers and their loved ones free community programs, easy to access on-line resources like our Military Caregiving Handbook, and other specialized services to make it easier for people to live independently in their homes and communities. Find the free Military Caregiving Guide on AARP’s veterans website at: aarp.org/veterans.

The caregiving guide is highlighted by five tips to make caregiving easier, including: how to talk out medical or emotional needs; creating a system of support; making a plan to respond to specific needs; seeking professional support; and remembering to care for yourself.

While caring for a wounded, ill, or injured service member or Veteran may be one of the most challenging roles one will ever tackle, it also can be one of the most rewarding. Everyone’s caregiving journey is unique, and Veterans and Military families have additional challenges they deal with every day, especially during a pandemic.

To download a free copy, visit AARP.org/PreparetoCare.

Scams and Fraud

Veterans & military families are twice as likely as civilians to be targeted by con artists. Top scams include stealing personal military information, fake veteran’s charities, VA benefits fraud, bogus job schemes and illegally charging for military records that veterans can get for free. Operation Protect Veterans is a joint effort of AARP and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to help veterans and military families fight back and protect themselves and their loved ones by raising awareness of scams and fraud.AARP’s FraudWatch Network reports three of the bigger scams targeting veterans include the military buyout scam, in which scammers offer a lump sum cash payment if you give them access to your VA information; Charging for records and VA phishing scam in which scammers offer you the opportunity to pay to update records; and finally, the Fake Charity scam in which con artists ask you to donate to what turn out to be fake charities.

AARP Fraud Watch Network is a free resource available to anyone. It provides biweekly Watchdog Alerts on the latest scams, a scam tracking map, tip sheets and more online. It also offers toll-free access to trained volunteer fraud fighters to whom you can report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim: 1-877-908-3360.

Veterans Work in Wyoming
Closer to home, AARP Wyoming has been very active with Veterans, Military, and Families issues. As of late 2019, AARP data reports almost 51,000 military veterans live in Wyoming with 68 percent of those being age 50 and over. 64 percent of all Wyoming military veterans are age 65 and over. AARP Wyoming has sought to take part in Veterans events around Wyoming, having worked with the National Guard Retirees to offer information and outreach to AARP members, and Warren Air Force Base through the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce to help welcome new enlistees to Laramie County.

AARP Wyoming’s Sheridan Action Team has been especially effective at partnering with other organizations to honor veterans. AARP volunteer and US Army Veteran Clarence Montano, proposed and ran a Veterans Golf Tournament in June of 2019 at Kendrick Golf Course in Sheridan raising funds for veterans' efforts. The success of that tournament, which saw patients from the Sheridan VA participate in the tournament, led Sheridan’s Action Team to donate 10 full sets of golf clubs to the Sheridan VA.

The Sheridan Community Action Team also took 15 veterans to a semi-pro hockey game last year before partnering with the local VFW to provide meals to veterans during the 2020 Veterans Day and Thanksgiving holidays in 2020, The Sheridan Community Action Team presented over 250 Challenge Coins as appreciation to veterans for their service at the Sheridan VA Hospital; The State Veterans Home in Buffalo; as well as other long term facilities in the area.

The idea of service to others is core to our existence,” Carter says. “That is also core to those who serve in the military as well.”