The Department of Veterans Affairs last week began contacting nearly 570,000 recent combat veterans to ensure they know about VA’s medical services and other benefits, according to Dr. James Peake, VA secretary.

A contractor-operated call center is telephoning two distinct populations of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. In the first phase, calls go to an estimated 17,000 veterans who were sick or injured while serving in those theaters; the VA will offer to appoint a care manager to work with them if they do not have one already. Care managers ensure veterans receive appropriate care and know about their VA benefits.

For five years after their discharge from the military, combat veterans have special access to VA health care. The department screens combat veterans for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. VA personnel have been deployed to the military’s major medical centers to assist wounded service members and their families during the transition to civilian lives.

The call center’s second phase will target 550,000 Operation Iraqi Freedom-Operation Enduring Freedom veterans who have been discharged from active duty but have not contacted VA for services. Once contacted, veterans will be informed about VA’s benefits and services.

R.I. House dedicates ’08 session to National Guard

The Rhode Island House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution dedicating the 2008 legislative session to the men and women of the Rhode Island National Guard. Sponsored by Rep. Kenneth Carter, D-North Kingstown, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the resolution was read during a brief ceremony on the House floor and presented to Maj. Gen. Robert Bray, state adjutant general and commanding general of the Rhode Island Guard.

There are currently nearly 3,300 Rhode Islanders in the National Guard, including 566 serving on active duty in a combat situation.

DAV outreach scheduled

Richard Vaccari, Providence regional service officer for Disabled American Veterans, has announced an outreach schedule for the month of May.

Disabled veterans are invited to meet the DAV at the following locations: Warwick Vets Center, 2038 Warwick Ave., from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday; Hyannis (Mass.) Outpatient Clinic, 145 Falmouth Rd., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 17; and the New Bedford Vet Center, 468 North St., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 27.

The Providence regional DAV office, at 380 Westminster St., will be closed on Memorial Day. For more information call (401) 528-4360.

Concert to salute military

The Lafayette Band of North Kingstown will perform its spring concert, a salute to the armed forces. on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of North Kingstown High School, on Fairway Drive.

The free concert will offer patriotic songs, melodies, anthems and a sing-along. Veterans, active duty personnel, the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets of Rhode Island, Seabees and the aircraft carrier Saratoga museum organization will participate.

Joseph Pelosi will lead the band as he has done for more than 40 years. The concert will feature an introduction to Echo Taps, which will occur in full form at 11 a.m. on May 17, Armed Forces Day, at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, in Exeter.

For more information about the Lafayette Band and Saturday’s concert, call (401) 423-1285 or go online www.lafayette-band.com/. For Echo Taps information send e-mail to istrum4u@cox.net or mdhellewell@verizon.net and put Echo Taps in the subject line. Volunteer brass players are invited to participate on May 17.

Border Patrol is hiring

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is recruiting veterans as part of the agency’s hiring goal mandated by President Bush. The Border Patrol currently has 15,500 agents and is rushing to build a force of at least 18,319 by the end of the year.

More than one-fourth of all agents are military veterans. For veterans, employment with CBP allows an opportunity to buy back time toward retirement, leave time that is based on prior years of service and continue enrollment in the Federal Thrift Savings Program. For more information, visit the CBP Careers Spotlight Web page at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/.

•Marine Corps League

Higgins Detachment meets at 7 tonight at the Mainstay Best Western Hotel, 151 Admiral Kalbfus Rd., Newport. Kent County Detachment will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at VFW Post 449, Providence St., West Warwick. All active, retired, or discharged Marines and Navy corpsmen are welcome at detachment meetings.

•Disabled American Veterans

Chapter 17 Pion Post will meet at 7:30 tomorrow evening in the Crompton Veterans Club, Hepburn Street, West Warwick. Mount Pleasant Chapter 21 will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. in VFW Post 10011, 354 Fruit Hill Ave., North Providence.

•NUSC/NUWC

The group will meet at noon Wednesday at McGovern’s restaurant, 310 Shove St., Fall River, Mass. Admission is $15; call Dan at (508) 673-1558 or Bob at (401) 625-2531.

•American Legion

Foster Memorial Post 101 will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in North Foster Baptist Church, 81 East Killingly Rd. Post 39 will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at 1958 Kingstown Rd., Peace Dale.

•Military Police

Rhode Island chapter members will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Schofield Armory, 705 New London Ave., Cranston, for officer nominations. Elections are planned for June 4.

•Coventry Veterans Council

The council will meet Thursday at 10 a.m. at AJ’s restaurant, 1365 Main St., West Warwick, to plan the Memorial Day parade and select a grand marshal.

•Gold Star Mothers/Parents

The Greater Rhode Island chapter will meet Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at 57 Howard Ave., Cranston. For more information, e-mail to president Sharon Serio at lilmom213@aol.com.

•Reserve Officers Association

The Rhode Island Department’s executive committee will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Harwood Army Reserve Center, 385 Niagara St., Providence.

•VFW Auxiliary

District 5 president Diane Lewis will preside at the district convention at Burns Manor, 95 Park St., Pawtucket, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

•Retired Enlisted

Narragansett Bay Chapter 79 will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at VFW Post 4487, 52 Underwood Lane, Middletown.

•Special Forces

New elected officers recently of Rhode Island Chapter 48 are Jack Robertson, president; Brad Preston, vice president; Bob Paquette, treasurer; Tom Rowan, secretary, and Ken Benoit, Walter May and Bill Costantino, board members.

George W. Reilly can be reached at VeteransColumn@verizon.net or by writing to The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, R.I. 02902.