Get to know Marquette County Department of Veteran Affairs – myupnow.com

Get to know Marquette County Department of Veteran Affairs  myupnow.com

MARQUETTE COUNTY, Mich. (WBUP/WJMN) — Back in 2022, the PACT Act was passed giving more access to benefits for veterans. Diana Dost, Director of Marquette County Department of Veteran Affairs tells us what their agency is all about. Diana Dost, Director of the Marquette County Department of Veteran Affairs says veterans who may not have qualified for benefits before that, may now. While that passed four years ago, they want to continue getting the word out so veterans know what’s available to them. "Prior to the PACT Act, a veteran had to have been deployed to a specific area like Vietnam or the Middle East," said Dost. "If they were deployed there, if they obtain any type of disabilities, injuries from those areas, they were able to seek benefits.

The PACT Act kind of broadened that a little bit, added a few new places, like Vietnam for instance. If you weren't in within the Republic of Vietnam, you didn't qualify for benefits. They added some countries like Thailand and Loas. What they also did was offered us the ability to file for disabilities caused by toxic exposure, which don't necessarily happen out of country." The department also offers veterans emergency funding for those in need of necessities like repairs in their home. To make an appointment with the department, call