veterans

The USA flag waves in front of a brilliant blue sky.

Some veterans lost retirement benefits during the government shutdown

Laura Hatch

The lapse affected about about 7,500 Public Health Service veterans and 500 military retirees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It's largely due to the length of the shutdown and a funding oversight.

A new brick building has floor-to-roof windows on one side and white letters that spell “VA” on another corner. Around it is a parking lot, and in the distance is a sliver of a hill with rocks and sagebrush.

Health

VA opens upgraded clinic in Rock Springs, now with physical therapy

Hannah Habermann

The updated location is 2,500 square feet larger than the previous spot down the block.

Lawmakers look at screens at their desks during a joint appropriations committee meeting.

Politics & Government

Budget hearings day 5: State buildings, future Colorado River lawsuits and more

Jordan Uplinger

Wyoming’s attorney general wants to prepare for legal battles over the Colorado River Basin and the State Building Commission wants to update the Veteran’s Home of Wyoming.

Politics & Government

Nonprofit shoulders cost of program to combat vet homelessness due to gov’t shutdown

Hannah Habermann

The Sheridan-headquartered nonprofit Volunteers of America Northern Rockies is currently running the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program on its own dime.

Politics & Government

Here’s how the federal shutdown is impacting the VA

Hannah Habermann

All of the agency’s medical centers, outpatient clinics and vet centers remain open. VA benefits are also still getting processed and delivered.

A group of men stand together behind a table with banners that say “Veterans Talking to Veterans” and informational pamphlets.

Open Spaces

‘I can walk alongside you’: program creates a network of peer support for veterans

Hannah Habermann

Veterans Talking to Veterans trains veterans and their spouses to be trauma-informed coaches, who then host weekly meetings around the state.

A woman with short hair and glasses stands in front of a display of paper taped on the wall. The largest sheet says “Hidden disabilities, chronic pain.”

Open Spaces

‘It does impact how you feel about your job’: a VA nurse reflects on return to office orders

Hannah Habermann

This spring, the VA mandated telework and remote employees to return to the office. A nurse who coordinates home health care shares her thoughts on that transition and its impacts.

Open Spaces

Return-to-office orders could violate standards of patient privacy, VA healthcare providers say

Hannah Habermann

The Department of Veterans Affairs is in the process of downsizing, aiming to cut 15% of its workforce: roughly 80,000 employees. The agency is also calling workers back to the office in the next few weeks.

A brown sign at the University of Wyoming describes the different departments housed at Knight Hall, including “Graduate School” and “Scholarships & Financial Aid.” Behind the sign there is snow on the ground and a tall brown-brick building.

Politics & Government

Veteran mental health and the Hathaway: Two UW related bills move through the Legislature

Hannah Habermann

Two bills related to the University of Wyoming made moves through the Legislature this week. One would create a student loan repayment program for veterans who provide mental health care to other vets, and the other is related to the Hathaway Scholarship.

An older man and a younger woman smile for the camera

Open Spaces

A second lieutenant in the U.S. Army looks back on a long career full of twists and turns

Tor Evenstad

A couple of summers ago, the nonprofit StoryCorps hosted an oral history project here in Wyoming, in which veterans and their families recorded honest and personal stories about their military experience. This time, 64-year-old Tim Shepard looks back on his extensive military career, sharing the wisdom he has learned along the way with StoryCorps' Military Voices Manager Hazel Diaz.