The tradition of military service runs deep in the DNA of the Oliver family.
From the Battle of Camden in the Revolutionary War to Iwo Jima in World War II, my family has carried arms in several of our nation’s major conflicts.
Before being elected to the Alabama Legislature, I served more than 30 years of active and reserve duty as a U.S. Army Aviator. In addition to my years as a helicopter pilot, I was also a Division Inspector General serving as the eyes, ears, and conscience of the Division Commander.
I am also a proud member of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Military Officers Association of America.
My oldest child has served nearly a decade in the Alabama Air National Guard as an aerial refueler on the KC-135 tanker, and my son is an Alabama National Guard mechanic on CH-47 Chinook helicopters that transport troops and supplies in times of disaster and war.
This military history provides me with a unique and personal perspective about the needs of veterans and the services they require, which is why I am sponsoring legislation to upgrade the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs to a cabinet-level position.
The current scope of responsibilities of ADVA, which has served our veterans since the 1940s, includes the administration of state veterans homes, disabled veterans education benefits, veterans services offices, and state veteran cemeteries, but I believe we can do more — and must do more — for the men and women across our state who wore a uniform in defense of our nation.
My legislation elevates ADVA to a full cabinet-level agency that stands shoulder-to- shoulder with other executive branch departments providing vital and meaningful services to the citizens of Alabama.
It allows a much larger portion of Alabama’s roughly 400,000-strong veteran community to have a voice in the operations of the agency that is designed exclusively for their use and care.
And it ensures that representatives from every military branch and every region of the state will continue to influence the decisions of the department and help guide its programs, benefits, and services.
During the on-going legislative session, the House and Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committees and the Alabama Military Stability Commission will also bring legislation that improves the quality of life for vets by providing veterans courts in every Alabama circuit and building a Comprehensive Veterans Resource Center, which will provide a “one-stop shop” to access job training, mental health and wellness care, and other services that help ease the transition to civilian life.
These actions, when coupled with the elevation of ADVA to cabinet rank, will ensure that Alabama remains atop the nation’s friendliest and most welcoming states for veterans, active service members, and their dependents.
As a card-carrying member of three veterans’ organizations, my mission is to ensure that “Veterans Serving Veterans” will continue to be the foundation upon which ADVA rests.
It is our responsibility to repay the debt we owe to veterans., and this legislation, when passed, will help us square that debt.
Our veterans deserve the very best that Alabama has to offer.
State Rep. Ed Oliver represents House District 81, which includes portions of Lee and Tallapoosa counties, in the Alabama House Of Representatives. He serves as Chairman of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
