OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Mary Fallin wants to change leadership at the state veterans agency so more former servicemen are served.
In a letter to the governing commission of the Veterans Affairs Department, Fallin said Oklahoma has more than 330,000 veterans but is meeting the needs of only a few thousand of those who are living in seven veterans centers throughout the state. This includes the Norman veterans center.
Alex Weintz, Fallins spokesman, confirmed Tuesday that the governor wants to replace the veteran agencys executive director, John McReynolds.
Fallin wants to make Major General Miles Deering the new director of ODVA. Deering is the governors incoming secretary of veteran affairs.
Weintz noted that the governor is concerned that more than 140 Oklahoma veterans kill themselves every year, representing about one-quarter of all suicides in the state, and yet the ODVA has little involvement in this issue.
Fallins letter also states that 81 percent of justice-involved veterans had a substance abuse issue prior to incarceration and yet the ODVA does little to partner with other state agencies to address addiction and reduce substance abuse among those imprisoned.
The governor said she hopes to double efforts to serve our veterans.” Fallin hopes that besides Deering, Maj. Gen. (retired) Rita Aragon would continue to serve as a cabinet-level special advisor to the governor on veteran issues.
For the past few years, there have been several incidents in veterans centers; this includes the Norman facility, where a veteran died from injuries several weeks ago.
