By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Guam senators led by Sen. Telo Taitague have introduced a resolution requesting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a regional office on island to serve the needs of military veterans on Guam, the Northern Marianas and the freely associated states.
“For too long, our veterans have had to jump through hoops to receive the critical care they need," Taitague said. "Establishing a regional office in the Marianas will ease the burden by expediting the claims process and relieving much of the stress they face when traveling, especially to a place they’re not familiar with to receive care.”
Currently, veterans travel to Hawaii to seek services that are unavailable on Guam. Most of them need to travel with family members for support, which presents a financial burden that few can afford.
According to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office. veterans from Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and a large number from U.S. territories do not qualify for VA travel benefits.
"Regarding FAS veterans, legislation enacted in March 2024 explicitly authorized VA subject to certain agreements to reimburse them for travel related to eligible health care services, but VA has not yet implemented this legislation," GAO said in a report released in May.
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"VA may be able to improve access to care for veterans living in the territories by assessing whether it is feasible and advisable to expand eligibility for certain veterans in these areas, as well as by amending its regulations as appropriate," the report said.
GAO noted that citizens from the U.S. territories and FAS generally enlist in the military at higher per capita rates than some U.S. states.
"As veterans, they are eligible for certain VA benefits. However, GAO has previously found that veterans living in the remote Pacific U.S. territories and abroad can face unique and sometimes substantial challenges in accessing their VA benefits." stated the report released in May.
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“For many years, our veterans have had to deal with delays in processing claims because the adjudication is handled outside of Guam. This is a disservice to those who have served our nation well and honorably,” Taitague said.
During the Association of Pacific Island Legislators's general assembly earlier this month, delegates discussed the inadequate service received by veterans living in the Pacific islands.
Taitague proposed the resolution during the assembly.
“It became clear to me, after hearing the challenges shared by the other delegates—some of whom were veterans themselves—that establishing Guam as a regional VA hub for the Pacific is essential to providing vital services to our veterans while strengthening ties with our brothers and sisters across the Pacific," she said.
“The GAO report confirms what we on Guam, the CNMI, and the FAS have known for years: our veterans have not and do not receive the services they need and deserve," Taitague added.
GAO has instructed the Department of Defense to "ensure that the Directors of the Defense Health Networks Indo-Pacific and Pacific Rim, in collaboration with VA, identify and implement additional opportunities to share resources and solutions to address shared challenges affecting the implementation of their resource-sharing agreements in the Pacific."
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