USVI VA Director Patrick Farrell
Patrick Farrell, Director of the V.I. Office of Veterans Affairs, has been appointed to the newly convened U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on U.S. Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States, established this past June.
Mr. Farrell joins as the USVI representative among a group of veteran advocates from American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federal States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
This committee, established by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dennis McDonough, is tasked with advising the Secretary on issues concerning veterans residing in the regions listed above.
"The establishment of such a committee by Secretary McDonough is a signal to the Veterans of the affected areas that our concerns are being heard and noticed at the very highest level," Mr. Farrell said, expressing his appreciation for the appointment. "Some may say it should have been implemented long before now; however, I say better late than never. It also says to us that advocates like myself and others are finally being heard; for that, we are very grateful."
Mr. Farrell pledged to prioritize issues such as parity in access and quality of VA medical care for veterans residing in the covered areas, aligning them with the standards available on the mainland.
Advertisements
