DeSantis Highlights Commitment to 1.5 Million Floridian Veterans

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Friday, Nov. 11 marks Veterans Day, meant to honor and thank those who have served the United States. Florida is home to around 1.5 million veterans.

Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated the day by highlighting what his administration has done for them, his office characterizing Florida as “the nation’s most veteran-friendly state.”

“Florida’s veterans have made countless sacrifices to protect our freedoms, and in return we are working hard to ensure they have the resources and support they need to be successful and take care of their families,” he said. “My administration will continue to invest in our veterans in the same way that they made sacrifices to invest in the freedom of our nation.”

$1.5 million has been awarded to provide transition housing for Floridians and veterans recovering from substance abuse via the Recovery Housing Program.

The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs has a $171 million annual budget and operates nine veterans’ homes statewide. They conduct outreach to connect veterans with services, benefits, and support.

‎“On this Veterans Day, we’re very appreciative of Governor DeSantis’ unwavering support of ‎‎Florida’s 1.5 million veterans, their families, and survivors,” ‎said retired Marine ‎Corps Major General James ‎S. “Hammer” Hartsell, Executive ‎Director of ‎the ‎Florida Department of ‎Veterans’ Affairs. “Florida offers unique benefits such as in-state tuition rates for veterans and their families using ‎the Post-9/11 GI Bill, several layers of property tax exemptions, expanded veterans’ preference, ‎and extensive benefits, licensure and fee waivers for many activities and occupations. Working ‎together toward a positive future for Florida veterans and their families, ‎we’ll ‎ensure the ‎Sunshine State continues ‎to be the most veteran sought after state in ‎the nation. We are ‎honored to serve you.‎”

Veterans Florida, a non-profit created to promote Florida’s status as the most “veteran-friendly state,” helps provide entrepreneurship opportunities via Florida’s Veterans Employment and Training Services program.

“Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership, Florida leads the nation in creating opportunities for veterans and separating or retiring servicemembers, and their personal success stories prove it,” said Veterans Florida Executive Director Joe Marino. “The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program is the state’s largest creator of veteran-owned businesses, and our first-in-the-nation statewide SkillBridge initiative is a model for other states.”

Other state agencies and initiatives, like the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Housing Finance Coalition, Enterprise Florida, the Department of Education, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, and Imagine Museum institute efforts to give back and serve veterans for their commitment to the country. Read more here.