At Augusta event, vets get help filing PACT Act claims

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Department of Veterans Affairs Augusta Health Care System joined with the Warrior Alliance and the Georgia Department of Veterans Service on Friday.

They were at the Augusta Tech campus to offer screenings and help veterans file their PACT Act claims.

Those claims involve benefits for veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other toxic substances.

“I do what I do because I love helping fellow veterans. I was in the military myself for 25 years. What we’re seeing today is a lot of folks that may have never started the claim process, they have been out since the Vietnam era or even, more recently, post 9/11 That do need to get that process started,” said Patricia Ross, commissioner for the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.

Supervisor Yolanda Gibson said: “It’s very important to get those benefits out to veterans. We have a lot of veterans. Georgia is a big state, so we have veterans who have never filed for benefits before. Sometimes it’s from a lack of information. They may not know what benefits are available to them. We’re here to spread the word that the Department of Veterans Affairs is available to assist them in any questions they have.”

For years, our I-TEAM has been following the story of Agent Orange being tested at Fort Eisenhower and its impact there.

On information to file a claim, click here.

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