Posted on Dec 6, 2025
Has anybody ever dealt with your state-level Department of Veterans Affairs (not the federal VA)?
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For the Louisiana folks: when you hear ‘LDVA’, what’s your first gut reaction, and have you actually used them?
For everyone else: does your state even HAVE something like this, and if so, is it worth a damn or just another layer of bureaucracy?
I am doing a class project.
For everyone else: does your state even HAVE something like this, and if so, is it worth a damn or just another layer of bureaucracy?
I am doing a class project.
Posted in these groups: 
Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Benefits Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Edited 1 d ago
Posted 1 d ago
Responses: 9
Every state, territory and federal enclave (D.C.) has a veterans department as part of their state/local/district administration (I’ll refer to them as “state” and “offices”). Except for the American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, they are listed on the Veterans Administration’s External Resources page* (the other two can easily be found by doing an internet search). Names differ, but most are named a variation of (Office/Department) of Veterans (Affairs/Services).
The meme is misleading because the offices are fully integrated with the VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). The key difference is that the offices are state-run agencies and funded by the state (although the VA does give them grants for various state-level projects such as State Veterans Homes) and that they oversee the different state-level programs (these differ between the states). As such, every veteran that has interacted with the VA has touched or been touched by their state's office, regardless of their awareness of the interaction.
State offices are absolutely not “just another layer of bureaucracy”, but an integral part of the VA’s mission of delivering benefits and services to veterans*. To your question about how worthwhile they are, that depends. What specific aspect are you looking at? Processing veterans disability claims? Representing the veteran on appeals? Other type of claims? Connecting state-level resources to the veterans? Outreach? Etc.
As you are doing a research project, I suggest that you might find it helpful to do an internet search for, “how do the state veterans affairs offices interact with the va?” and start the data mining. Additionally, I would recommend you go to the Army’s benefit website, specifically the page* which lays out the various State/Territory benefits for service members, both actively serving or ones that have separated (retired/veteran).
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* U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – listing of State Veterans Affairs Offices - https://discover.va.gov/external-resources/?_resource_type=state-veterans-affairs-office
* VA article - State-level Veterans affairs departments work hand-in-hand with VA to deliver crucial benefits and services - https://news.va.gov/35871/state-level-veterans-affairs-departments-work-hand-in-hand-with-va-to-delivery-crucial-benefits-and-services/
* MyArmyBenefits webpage for State/Territory Benefits - https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/State/Territory-Benefits
The meme is misleading because the offices are fully integrated with the VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). The key difference is that the offices are state-run agencies and funded by the state (although the VA does give them grants for various state-level projects such as State Veterans Homes) and that they oversee the different state-level programs (these differ between the states). As such, every veteran that has interacted with the VA has touched or been touched by their state's office, regardless of their awareness of the interaction.
State offices are absolutely not “just another layer of bureaucracy”, but an integral part of the VA’s mission of delivering benefits and services to veterans*. To your question about how worthwhile they are, that depends. What specific aspect are you looking at? Processing veterans disability claims? Representing the veteran on appeals? Other type of claims? Connecting state-level resources to the veterans? Outreach? Etc.
As you are doing a research project, I suggest that you might find it helpful to do an internet search for, “how do the state veterans affairs offices interact with the va?” and start the data mining. Additionally, I would recommend you go to the Army’s benefit website, specifically the page* which lays out the various State/Territory benefits for service members, both actively serving or ones that have separated (retired/veteran).
-------------------------------------------
* U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – listing of State Veterans Affairs Offices - https://discover.va.gov/external-resources/?_resource_type=state-veterans-affairs-office
* VA article - State-level Veterans affairs departments work hand-in-hand with VA to deliver crucial benefits and services - https://news.va.gov/35871/state-level-veterans-affairs-departments-work-hand-in-hand-with-va-to-delivery-crucial-benefits-and-services/
* MyArmyBenefits webpage for State/Territory Benefits - https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/State/Territory-Benefits
External Resources — DiscoverVA
A listing of external resources providing services to Veterans. This includes other State Veterans Affairs offices and Federal agencies.
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COL Randall C.
LTC (Join to see), Looking at your comments to the other posters, and assuming you're going to ask the same of me, I wasn't aware that my state, and every other state/territory had a Department of Veterans Affairs, until I was working with the state on the stand-up/evolution of cyber operations and capabilities in Virginia.
When service members go through the mandatory separation briefings, they are informed of the state-level offices as part of the VA's set of briefings. I can't vouch that the departing service members 'internalize' that information, but most do if they have any disability claims with the VA.
When service members go through the mandatory separation briefings, they are informed of the state-level offices as part of the VA's set of briefings. I can't vouch that the departing service members 'internalize' that information, but most do if they have any disability claims with the VA.
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LTC (Join to see)
Sir, thank you for the gouge, and damn if that doesn’t hit the nail on the head.
Your line about “informed but not internalized” is exactly the problem I’ve been chasing for six weeks. The briefers check the block (“here’s your state VA slide”), but the message evaporates the second the lights come up. I’ve now heard that story from every branch, every era, and every state — even guys who literally stood up their own state cyber shops still didn’t know the state VA existed until years later.
That’s the core of the branding failure: the info is technically delivered, but it never lands emotionally or culturally. Nobody walks out of TAP thinking “hell yeah, my state’s got my back.” They walk out thinking “cool, another 1-800 number I’ll never call.”
Your point about disability claims is gold too — the only time the light bulb flickers on is when someone actually needs something the federal VA is dragging its feet on. That’s a reactive trigger, not proactive belonging.
Appreciate you dropping the knowledge, sir.
Your line about “informed but not internalized” is exactly the problem I’ve been chasing for six weeks. The briefers check the block (“here’s your state VA slide”), but the message evaporates the second the lights come up. I’ve now heard that story from every branch, every era, and every state — even guys who literally stood up their own state cyber shops still didn’t know the state VA existed until years later.
That’s the core of the branding failure: the info is technically delivered, but it never lands emotionally or culturally. Nobody walks out of TAP thinking “hell yeah, my state’s got my back.” They walk out thinking “cool, another 1-800 number I’ll never call.”
Your point about disability claims is gold too — the only time the light bulb flickers on is when someone actually needs something the federal VA is dragging its feet on. That’s a reactive trigger, not proactive belonging.
Appreciate you dropping the knowledge, sir.
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LTC (Join to see) the federal VA is the source for what benefits a veteran qualifies to receive. The State VA has representatives to help veterans get paperwork completed and sent in to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Call the [login to see] National VA Call Center for a better explanation.
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