D.C. Event Guides Hundreds Through a World of Benefits

By Megan Greenwell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 3, 2007; C07


When Dave Glatfelter returned from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps, he knew that he was eligible for veterans benefits but had no idea how to take advantage of them.

"They put you through this class when you come back, but they were throwing so much information at us that I couldn't keep track," said Glatfelter, 23, a student at Universal Technical Institute near Philadelphia who returned from Afghanistan in 2006.

He eventually figured out how to register for free medical care through his local veterans hospital and get help paying for his education, but navigating the bureaucracy was a challenge, he said. The information was online, he knew, but he wanted to talk to someone in person to ensure that he wasn't missing anything.

Yesterday, the D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northwest Washington responded to Glatfelter's needs, which officials said are all too common. A "Welcome Home" event drew several hundred combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan to the hospital for physical exams, enrollment in medical and pension programs and benefits advice -- plus free hamburgers, hot dogs and other picnic food.

Glatfelter and a few hundred other Marine reservists were ordered to attend the gathering for their yearly muster, but veterans from other military branches were also invited. Some received massages or took mental-health screening tests; others attended stress management and readjustment seminars or obtained medical identification cards.

"It's a real eye-opener to walk around and see what's available," Glatfelter said. "It's just really good to get to touch base and talk to people about my benefits."

Jean Langbein, a liaison for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, said the event was the largest of its kind for the medical center. She said officials spent months advertising the event to local veterans.

"What we hear a lot from people coming through our door is they don't know how to use these services," Langbein said. "We felt because we take care of some of these people we could help them navigate things."

David Harding, who served eight months in Iraq with the Marines, said he thought he was being called up to active duty when he received a letter telling him to report to the hospital. When he arrived yesterday morning, he was surprised to be offered information and services instead of a deployment order. Harding said he has been training to become a Fairfax County firefighter and didn't want to return to Iraq before he was eligible to be hired.

Harding, 24, returned from Iraq eight months ago but had not enrolled in the military benefits program. Yesterday, a volunteer guided him through the paperwork so he can begin receiving free health care.

"It was really easy to do it today, and I could turn it in right there, which was great," Harding said.

Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson swung by to greet Harding and other veterans. He also questioned them about their experience since returning to the United States and thanked dozens of volunteers.

"This is a phenomenal welcoming, thanking and orientation event on what our troops have earned," Nicholson said. "Too often when they come home, they don't know that they're entitled to as much as they are."

Unlike many veterans at the event, Marine reservist Daniel Inouye, 23, had already enrolled in a benefits program and learned about available services. He used the occasion to get an annual physical and chat with other veterans.

Inouye said he has been surprised at how many civilian jobs and training opportunities are available for veterans through the military. He is now a weapons tester at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

Inouye said the event helped him double-check his benefits. "And I know there are people who are coming . . . for the first time, so that's good," he said.

Ellie