Welcome Home and Job Well Done!

We value your service and sacrifice and the sacrifice of your families who also serve.  Now it's our turn to serve YOU!

You have 5 years from your date of discharge to receive free health care for any condition that may be related to combat service.  Whether or not you choose to use VA health care after separation, you must enroll  with VA within 5 years to get health care benefits later on. After the 5 years, a co-payment status will depend on whether your illness or injury is found to be service-connected.

Sesame Workshop bilingual education for military families and their children created to recognize the contributions of our U.S. Armed Forces.

Read more about this initiative.

Contact Information

Michelle Stefanelli  (Bio)
OEF/OIF Program Manager/Point of Contact
East Orange: Room #7-111
(973) 676-1000 x 1727
(973) 566-4201 (pager)

Jennifer Alonso  (Bio)
OEF/OIF Floating Social Work Case Manager
Brick CBOC
(973) 676-1000 x 6106
(973) 734-5264 (pager)
Fort Monmouth (Mon. & Wed.) 
                          (732) 532-8079

Robin Baptiste  (Bio) 
Transitional Patient Advocate
Lyons: Building 4, Suite 2, Room #10
(908) 647-0180 x 4094
(908) 229-0457 (cell)

Alba Lopez  (Bio)
TBI Social Work Casemanager
East Orange: Room: #7-102
(973) 676-1000 x1464
(973) 566-1880 (pager)

June Mayer  (Bio)
OEF/OIF Nurse Practitioner
East Orange: Room #7-103
(973) 676-1000 x2369
(908) 825-0043 (pager)

Fran Michaels  (Bio)
Polytrauma Social Worker
East Orange: Room #7-109
(973) 676-1000 x 1447
(973) 281-0280 (pager)
(201) 417-4481 (cell)

Carolyn Snyder  (Bio)
OEF/OIF Case Manager
Lyons: Building 4, Suite 2, Room #8
(908) 647-0180 x 4788
(908) 261-0029 (pager)

Loise Wojnar  (Bio)
Polytrauma Social Worker
Lyons: Building 4, Suite 2, Room #5
(908) 647-0180 x 4788
(908) 261-0030 (pager)

Tiffany Evans 
Administrative Support
East Orange: Room A-215
(973) 676-1000 x 3044

Mary Jo McNulty
Administrative Support, CBOCs
James J. Howard Outpatient Clinic
(973) 676-1000 x 6105

VA Services for Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom

Seamless Transition From Active Duty:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) are working as partners to meet the needs of our newest veterans – the men and women who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom – by creating a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.

VA’s goal is to ensure that every seriously injured or ill serviceman and woman returning from combat receives priority consideration and worldclass service. Together VA and DoD are finding ways to move records more efficiently between the two agencies; share critical medical information electronically; protect the health of troops stationed in areas where environmental hazards pose threat; process benefit claims as one shared system; and, in every way possible, hold open the doors to an uncomplicated passage from soldier to citizen.

Enhanced Employee Awareness

Throughout the nation, VA officials work with military disability retirement lists staffs to identify service members from Iraq or Afghanistan for special outreach efforts. Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom coordinators at each VA benefit office and medical center coordinate with DoD discharge staff to ensure a smooth transition to VA services at locations nearest to the veteran’s residence after discharge. Through this coordination, the veterans are known at the local VA facilities which process their benefits claims and continuity of their medical care, including medications and therapy, is assured.

Benefits and Services

Every active duty service member, Reservist or National Guards member who serves in a theater of combat operations is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for injuries or illnesses he or she believes is related to combat service for a period up to five years beginning on the date of discharge or release from service. This five year eligibility for medical care is available even if there is insufficient medical evidence available to conclude that the veteran’s illness is the result of combat service. At the end of the five year period, these veterans have the same eligibility for VA medical care as veterans of earlier conflicts.

VA offers a spectrum of health care and benefit programs for veterans of the war on terrorism, including disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, prosthetic services, life insurance, pension, education benefits, specially adapted housing and automobile grants, and survivor and burial benefits. Many VA services are provided at a higher priority or on an expedited basis for this newest generation of combatdisabled veterans. VA programs for veterans with a serviceconnected injury or illness apply equally to those who served in the regular active duty forces and to National Guard members or reservists returning from federal activation.