Veterans
RSSVeterans services and benefits in Alaska: the VA Healthcare System, veteran community programs, benefits and disability claims, and issues facing former service members.
Anchorage Assembly designates Sept. 20 as LGBTQ Veterans Day
Anchorage Assembly designated Sept. 20 as LGBTQ Veterans Day, marking the anniversary of the 2011 repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAI
Alaska students will spend the year researching the veterans buried at Fort Richardson
Alaska students will spend the year researching the veterans buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery, building a campus memorial and a walking tour.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago2 min readAI
A dollar-a-year lease would help stand up an American Legion post near Alaska's first state veterans cemetery
A dollar-a-year lease would help build an American Legion post in Salcha, beside Alaska's first state veterans cemetery — a 257-acre site for 12,000+ vets.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAI
Anchorage VA seeks bids for pain-management imaging table, deadline August 3
The Anchorage VA is shopping for a C-Arm imaging table used in guided pain injections for veterans. Bids close Aug. 3.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min readAI
VA research is losing staff and trials as Senate panel presses on $43M cut
No state has more veterans per capita than Alaska, which makes a Senate fight over VA research cuts a fight about roughly 1 in 10 Alaskans.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska veterans fly to Seattle for cancer care. The Senate is arguing over why.
Alaska has more veterans per capita than any state and no VA cancer center. A Senate fight over precision oncology money decides who gets care close to home.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Sullivan campaign ad features veteran the VA told to leave Alaska for care
Sen. Dan Sullivan's campaign features a retired Marine who says the VA initially told him to move to Seattle for care, arguing Alaska veterans lack reliable access to specialized treatment at home.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
BLM opens comment window on Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans land allotment data collection
BLM is taking public comment by August 17 on renewing approval to process Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans' land allotment claims affecting over 1,000 eligible veterans and heirs.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Interior Alaska breaks ground on the nation's northernmost veterans cemetery
Interior Alaska is getting its first state-owned veterans cemetery — the northernmost in the U.S. — built by UIC-owned HC Contractors near Fairbanks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Interior Alaska Veterans Cemetery breaks ground in Salcha
Alaska broke ground on its first state veterans cemetery in Salcha, 30 miles south of Fairbanks, with construction expected to finish by October 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Tlingit & Haida Unveils Revitalized Veterans Totem Pole in Juneau
The Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes held a ceremony to unveil a revitalized veterans totem pole at Southeast Alaska
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Assembly unanimously passes veteran-owned business preference ordinance
Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed a veteran-owned business preference for city contracts, letting qualifying vets match the lowest bid rather than automatically winning at higher cost.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage advances 5% bid preference for veteran-owned firms
Anchorage Assembly advanced an ordinance giving veteran-owned businesses a five percent preference on city contracts capped at $50,000, affecting a city where veterans make up 13 percent of the adult population.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska VA tech rollout faces staffing questions ahead of October launch
Alaska's VA converts to a new electronic health record Oct. 24 as the VA's IT chief acknowledges the department has lost experienced workers since the administration took office.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage veteran preference could exclude recent Afghanistan, Iraq vets
Anchorage Assembly is split on a veteran business preference for city contracts, with disagreement over whether to limit it to veterans discharged in the past five years and whether to require honorable discharge status.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
VA budget seeks $488 billion with 60,000 Alaska veterans facing shift toward private care
VA requests $488 billion budget, shifting $17 billion toward private care while holding VA facility funding flat, affecting 60,000 Alaska veterans. • VA lost 50,000 employees in 2025 and 2026, raising concerns about workforce and direct care. • Budget cuts appeals processing and oversight despite rising caseloads. • Includes $10.4 billion for infrastructure and health records modernization.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min readAI
Alaska Senate urges apprentice hiring goals for veterans on defense projects
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to set hiring goals for apprentices and veteran apprentices on U.S. Defense Department construction projects.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read