Island military veterans hope for US action
During the visit of the USS Cincinnati to Majuro in July, Marshallese veterans were honored with a dinner and program onboard the U.S. Navy vessel. U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Laura Stone is in the center back row and Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Kalani Kaneko is fourth from right
Photo:
Wilmer Joel
United States military veterans in the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau received increased attention during the Biden administration after years of neglect by the US Veterans Administration.
That progress came to a halt with the incoming Trump administration in Washington in January, when the new Veterans Administration put many programs on hold.
Marshall Islands Foreign Minister and US military veteran Kalani Kaneko said he is hopeful of resuming the momentum for veterans living in the freely associated states.
Two key actions during the Biden administration helped to elevate interest in veterans living in the freely associated states:
Kaneko said he submitted a report to the Veterans Administration recently on its activities and needs.
The Foreign Minister said it is now up to the current administration of the Veterans Administration to take next steps to reappoint members of the advisory committee or to name a new group.
Kaneko pointed out that in contrast to its virtually non-existent program in the Marshall Islands, FSM and Palau, the VA's program for veterans is "robust" in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Citizens of the three Compact nations enlist in the U.S. military at higher rates per capita than Americans.
But when they leave the service and return home to their islands, they have historically received none of the benefits accorded to US veterans living in the United States.
Kaneko and island leaders have been trying to change this by getting the Veterans Administration to provide on-island services and to pay for medical referrals of veterans when locally available medical services are not available.
Kaneko said the 134-page report submitted in June contained five major recommendations for improved services for veterans from the US-affiliated islands:
Kaneko said he is hopeful of engagement by high-level Veterans Administration officials at an upcoming meeting to review the report and other reports related to services for Compact nation veterans.
But, he cautioned, because there is nothing about Compact veterans in President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill passed recently by the US Congress, it means fiscal year 2027 - starting October 1, 2026 - would be the earliest to see any developments for veterans in the islands.
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