Westchester, Explained 11: Veterans in Westchester

As an extension of our weekly "This Week in Westchester - The Podcast" we welcome you to Westchester, Explained. In this special long-form series we take you deeper into the headlines, decisions and policies shaping Westchester County and their impact on your family, your neighborhood and your future. Here we slow it down, dig in and bring in the people doing the work, and we explain not just what the County is doing, but why it matters.

Because government should be clear. This is your County. 

And this is Westchester, Explained. 

On this episode, we’re talking about Veterans, Military Service, and being a Veteran here in Westchester -- with Josh Gaccione, the Director of the Westchester County Veterans Service Agency. We discuss everything from reintegration and mental health, housing, education benefits and the importance of building community among veterans of all generations. We also explore why younger veterans are often harder to reach, how the County is working to connect them with resources and why no veteran or military family should ever feel like they have to navigate life after service alone. 

This episode is a reminder that Westchester remains committed to both honoring and supporting veterans long after their service ends. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hi, Westchester. I'm Westchester County Government Communications Director Catherine Chaffee. And as an extension of This Week in Westchester, the podcast, we welcome you to Westchester Explained. On this episode, we're talking about veterans, military service, and being a veteran here in Westchester. With the director of Westchester County Veteran Service Agency, Josh Gaspione, we discuss everything from reintegration and mental health to housing, education benefits, and the importance of building community among veterans of all generations. We also explore why young veterans are often harder to reach and how the county's working to connect them with resources, and why no veteran or military family should ever feel like they have to navigate life after service alone. This episode is a reminder that Westchester remains committed to both honoring and supporting veterans long after their service ends. Because this is Westchester explained. So let's begin. Well, today we're here with Josh Gaschillon, who's the director of the Westchester County Veteran Service Agency. You are kind of new to the role. Can we say you're new? You've been there a while now, actually.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Yeah, I'll I'll take that as long as possible. I've been 15 months on the job. It's new. Still new.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Still new, still new. So we're just coming off of Memorial Day, obviously a big time for your office. Um, and your new-ish in the office. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Sure. Yeah, so we had a great Memorial Day ceremony here in the county on Friday. I think we stole all the good weather because it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

We did.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Yeah. But you know, we we pivoted and we were able to attend a lot of municipalities events throughout the weekend, and it was it was really nice, a lot of really nice and solemn ceremonies. I served in the United States Army from 2000 to 2004. I was in the 82nd Airborne Division, so I was a paratrooper once upon a time. I served in Afghanistan in 2002 and then Iraq in 2003. And then I came back stateside in 2004, and I uh had a mutual breakup with the Army. I said, it's not you, it's me. And uh we went our separate ways. But, you know, uh since then I I found myself never actually leaving uh the military in one way or another. So I'm still connected ever since.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

I'm sure it's just always part of you.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Yeah, right. Ingrained.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

What do you think is um, you know, for people who've never served in the military or don't have family members who have served in the military, what do you think is the biggest misconception about veterans and families of veterans?

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah, I think a lot of times that that those who haven't served think that the military is uh a monolith. You you have one way of thinking, one way of acting, one way of kind of celebrating. And I'll tell you, I never had more diverse friends than when I was in the military. Um, it didn't really matter when, and I served during don't ask, don't tell. So it didn't matter where you were, you were there for your brothers and sisters, right? It didn't matter what your religion was or what your ethnicity was or your background was. And, you know, not all veterans vote the same, not all veterans think the same. And I think a lot of times, you know, we tend to get lumped into a certain category.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Yeah, I think that's I think that's true, unfortunately. Um, for the people in the county who are veterans, what should they know about your office?

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Not enough, I think. Not enough, right? Um estimations vary depending on how uh depending on where you look as to how many veterans we have in the county. I would say an estimation is about 40,000 veterans. That might be that might be a little high, but I feel comfortable saying that. Our office is there to help with all aspects of reintegration, whether you've been out since, you know, Korea or World War II, uh, or if you're just getting out now. And our veteran our office can help veterans or their family members file disability claims, uh, work on pension claims, connect you with community resources. And of course, we're kind of branching out now and kind of having some of our own um social events kind of vet togethers, if you will, to kind of bring uh some of the younger veterans and their families out together.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

So that's something that you had mentioned to me. Um, that's a big focus of your office is reaching out to the younger veterans. And we have a nice little chuckle about that because younger veterans means like people in their 40s and 50s, which is which is charming. Um, but so why what what's going on with this group of veterans? I mean, we often hear about World War II, you hear about Vietnam, Korea. What happened to the younger veterans?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Sure. Well, I first want to say that, you know, without, I think especially our Vietnam veterans, those of us who returned home post-9-11 would not have as many benefits or been as well received as we have. They dealt with a lot when they came home. And I think in many cases, they're still kind of piecing through what that is for them. So we owe them a lot a lot of gratitude. Post-9-11's uh veterans are an interesting breed because, you know, I'm in my mid-40s, and like you mentioned, I'm one of the youngest people in my American Legion in my BFW. And while that's really nice, you know, I know that there are veterans that are much younger than me that are out in the community who aren't finding their group, who aren't finding their people, who aren't getting the assistance that they need. And that's really what our office is focusing on. So whether that's, you know, trying to have a base day at the baseball game or, you know, a wing night somewhere or something, working with our community partners to kind of bring folks together on something that's not treatment-based or or mental health-based, um, to kind of get them into the fold. That's really where we're trying to focus to see how we can touch the veterans that really haven't um sought services in the past. Because you got to think a lot of the post-9-11 veterans are either going to school or trying to start their careers or trying to start their families. Before I came into this role 15 months ago, I was at Westchester Community College for about 13 years. So I ran the veterans program there. And that was a great entree to kind of see what the veterans were doing as soon as they were getting out. And I mean, I remember how confused I was when I got out, and they're still just as confused now. So, really trying to give them as much information as possible with also not oversaturating them. It's uh it's a tough kind of juxtaposition, and we straddle that a lot, I think.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

So, for those of us who aren't don't have um firsthand experience dealing with this, what is it like coming back after serving? Why is it confusing?

SPEAKER_00 6:56

Yeah, I think it it really varies. There are a lot of variables here. I was raised by my grandparents personally, so I had a I had a great uh structure coming home. They were wonderful. I had family who was theirs. So not everybody has that. You know, not everybody is coming back to a welcoming family. Not everybody is coming back to a house, not everybody is coming back to, you know, a good situation.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

Uh and what does the military do? They just sort of say like, okay, bye, and you walk out?

SPEAKER_00 7:27

I think they try their best, but um you're given a certain amount of time at the end of your service. It's about a month where you're kind of transitioning. For some of us, it was shorter because I I had just come back from Iraq, and I'm sure a lot of people fell into something similar to that. But you you go to briefings, you know, which you're may or may not be paying attention. You're given a lot of information, which you may or may not keep, and uh then you're kind of sent on your way. Uh they they do their best, I think, or they do what they can with what they have, but you know, there are cuts, especially now, all the time. And uh those types of services are are not getting any bigger or more in depth. It's just trying to throw more paper at folks and tell them to sort it out themselves.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

So you so you come back, you went to your grandparents. What what was that like the first couple of days?

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Yeah, it was tough. I I went from being on the st I went from being on the streets of of Iraq and within that same month, you know, trying to be a beach manager of teenagers in my hometown. And it was a really different kind of leadership structure. You know, I was a non-commissioned officer where folks listened to you because they had to, and you came back into the civilian world, and I was working with teenagers who wanted to know why they had to clean the bathroom or why they had a certain assignment. So, you know, it's uh it's it's it's different and it takes time, and it's uh there's no one right or wrong way for any veteran, and each veteran's experience is unique. Even if you served in the same unit at the same location, um your your reintegration is unique for sure. And I think that's where our office comes into play, along with a lot of our community partners. That's where we can help the most, I think.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Because you're creating that safety net for people who might not have that home to go back to, or even if they do.

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Yeah. And um, you know, sh introducing them to other veterans as well. This summer we are employing four uh veteran interns, which is fantastic because not only is that kind of creating their own little group amongst themselves, it's showing them all of these other resources that are out there. And word of mouth, word of mouth for veterans is is huge. And uh while we try to do as much as we can on social media and and branding and kind of old school ways of of uh you know paper copies of things as well, word of mouth in the veteran community goes really, really far. So we try to do that as well.

SPEAKER_01 10:02

So so your create and you've said this a few times in this interview about the importance of them having this network of other veterans. Why is that important?

SPEAKER_00 10:12

I think that if veterans know the network is there, they will plug in when they are ready. And that happened to me as well in my integration process is that sure, I would uh it was very easy for me to help others who I saw were struggling, but to address my own issues and my own needs took me a lot longer, right? So I knew that that network existed and it took me a lot, it actually took took me to when I moved to New York to really kind of plug into that network and uh I think get all of the assistance that I needed to set me up to where I was able to be where I am today.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

So, what are some of the ways that you're reaching out to get these younger veterans, and not just the veterans that are our age, but the veterans that are in their 20s, that are in their 30s? How are you reaching them?

SPEAKER_00 10:58

So I I want to say that the the traditional methods, your American legions and your VFWs, they still have a lot of value. So I don't want to take anything away from them, not only at the national level, where they're helping to create policy that helps veterans, but also here locally because they're established. And a lot of times they have those brick and mortar locations. So the most as much as we can utilize those organizations, we do. And I belong to them as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Sometimes you hear, if I could just interrupt you, sometimes you hear that those organizations are dying. Do you see that?

SPEAKER_00 11:30

Yeah, and I'm actually doing my my dissertation work on the on veteran service organizations. So you do see, I think, especially in this area, um, you know, the Northeast, they are not as prominent as they once were. If you go down to say the Southeast and the Southwest, they're doing a little bit better. And you actually see membership upticking a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

But at the national level, they're doing a lot of good work. And I think that they should always kind of be commended for that as well. But if you're only reaching out at American Legions and BFWs, you are not doing your due diligence and you're not doing any favors for those veterans of their families. So we need to be at places where veterans are. Uh two weeks ago, we were at City Field tabling, uh, we're at cultural festivals, anywhere where we know kids will be as well is is a good one. Because if you're in your 20s, 30s, or you know, 40s, you're gonna have kids and you're gonna be out and about because it's been a long winter and want to get out of the house. So anywhere where we can be and we can just put our information into their hands. And when they're ready, they'll come to us. Um, whether that's for, you know, a pension claim or disability claim, or because they want a cup of coffee. And we want to be here for all of that.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

And so your office has people on staff that could help walk them through what they need. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Yeah, sure. We have a small but mighty staff and they're really good at what they do. Everybody kind of has their own area of expertise, but everybody can help out where it's needed. So whether that's connecting folks to community resources, we have several people who are very good at that and very connected. That's um where I find a lot of my time being spent as well is uh fostering those relationships with our community partners, whether they were pre-existing or new. And then also we have folks who, depending on where you are in your um reintegrations process, maybe you know, you have a loved one who needs burial benefits, right? Our office can help with that. Maybe you have a disability claim that you never um had filed. Our office can help with that. And one of the misconceptions I want to kind of dispel here is that filing a disability claim is not getting something for nothing, and it is not taking away from anybody else. I feel like a lot of times veterans will wait to file a disability claim because they feel like they either don't deserve it or somebody's worse off than they are. And you know what? Somebody is going to be worse off than you are. But that doesn't take anything away from the fact that you were injured during your service time. And I really want those people to understand that they should be coming into our office as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Do you see that as being a big issue?

SPEAKER_00 14:10

A lot. Yeah. I think especially um with the Vietnam era veterans and then your post-9-11 veterans who are, you know, young and strong and coming out. You know, it's it's okay. It's okay to not be okay, right? And it's uh it's okay to say you're not okay. And that's what we want to kind of continue to promote.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

Aaron Powell I would think that, you know, our generation and the younger generation is more comfortable saying they're not okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Are they, or is it the same as there's been a real big push for that uh to to help take away the stigma of mental health. And I think we've come a long way. And I think we're we're doing pretty well with that. I will even say, at least you know, I eat, breathe, and sleep this, right? So at least in the circles that that I'm generally in, even with your more seasoned veterans, they're they're not seeing it as a stigma. You know, if um if they're feeling a certain kind of way, it's uh it's been easier, not easy, but easier to get them to go into groups to to meet with other folks who are with similar backgrounds and experiences.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

And overall, would you say that mental health is the biggest issue, or is it housing or what what is the biggest issue?

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Here, housing is a big one, right? Um, any type of resource insecurity. But once you're able to kind of connect folks, but if they're going back to school especially, there are a lot more pipelines for them to be able to access those resources.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

Housing resources.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Um housing resources, uh, food insecurity, and any of those types of things.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

And what are like just slow down for a second? So, what are some of those resources? If there is a veteran listening right now and they may want to go back to school, but they are worried about how they're going to afford their home, how they're gonna afford to eat, what are some of those resources for them?

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yeah, one of the one of the best things you can do is make sure that you are utilizing your GI Bill benefits because the benefits from the post-9-11 GI Bill or from the vocational rehabilitation, which is also part of the GI Bill program, are second to none. And our office can help with that too, because there are two of us who worked in higher education for quite a while who are very versed in in how that works. And, you know, veterans are able to get a monthly housing stipend, which goes a long way to helping them. And then there are also other resources that are already in place as well, whether it's the network of you know higher education, yellow ribbon schools, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Yellow ribbon schools for sure. And within those, you know, there are massive networks. Um, whether you're staying here in Westchester or going to the city or somewhere else, there is uh there's just there's a lot out there. But even here, we have the Patriot Housing program. So whether you're uh someone who is single, someone who's um recently unhoused or needs rapid rehousing or is just in a really bad situation, uh Patriot Housing is a place that we could connect you with here that'll get you, you know, set up with um it's called the SSVF program, the supportive services for veterans and families, which will help you with your first and last month's rent, help you with utility bills, help you with bathroom kits, right? For for your apartment.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

So you know Okay, so housing, food insecurity, what else do you think are the same?

SPEAKER_00 17:27

And now you're looking at your third place, right? What yeah, what are your what are your social aspects? Um, what are you doing outside of your your school and your family? Um, and how is that impacting you? And having that good kind of third place to go to, um, I think for all of us, whether you're in the military or not, but especially in the military, you know, where you were used to that camaraderie. You were used to having that person you trusted, you were used to having that circle that you could rely on. So that is certainly a huge one. And then making sure that your skills are marketable and transferable. I know young college graduates are are facing an uphill battle right now, and veterans are kind of the same way. You know, they've gotten out. When I got out of the army, I was briefing real world intelligence in combat zones, right? And a month later, I was managing a beach, which was a great fun job for a 23-year-old, you know, but very different. Yeah. Um very different. Um, it was a great way to spend a summer, but you know, it didn't have nearly the impact as uh my time in Iraq and Afghanistan did. And you're seeing folks that are kind of coming out and feeling that same way. Um, and we don't want them to feel that they peaked in the army or peaked in the military. Um, they have a lot more ahead of them.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

Yeah, so it's it's building that support so they know they have a lot more ahead of them.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Sure, right.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

I mean, service for you has obviously changed from when you were in the military to now. But in this new chapter in your life or the county, what does service mean to you?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Yeah. Um, I feel like a eat, breathe, and sleep service. Uh it's I was a product of my community. I grew up in a very low-income community, and I feel very fortunate to have made it to where I was I am today. I have not I would not have gotten to where I am without a hand up without folks who recognized um something in me. And I try to instill that into my kids, into my employees, into anyone that I'm coming into contact with. You know, it's like, this is great, but what are you doing for others? You know, um, because there's always room to help others and to bring others up with you. It goes to that whole um rising tides.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Lifts all boats. You got it.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

That one. Um, I I truly believe in that. And I'm a servant leader myself. So um I will always be there to try to meet uh whether, again, whether it's my kids or my employees or or random veterans that I'm seeing out in the community, try to meet them where they are and kind of best understand what the their needs are.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

How are you, you know, are you are you hopeful about the veteran community in the county? Are you hopeful that you're gonna get younger veterans and sort of build this network stronger and better than it was before?

SPEAKER_00 20:18

I was charged by our county executive to make sure that we have a stronger network.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

So there's no option here. So okay, good to know.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

Moving on, no.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Moving on, yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

But uh, I think one of the things that we do, and Memorial Day really solidifies this for me, which which again we we are just able to kind of commemorate, is that remembering and honoring those in the past with still keeping our eye, eyes on the future and what we can do to um make sure that veterans aren't left behind. And uh if you're looking at it that way, it kind of makes things easier because you're still honoring and remembering and reflecting, but at the same time, you're like, well, what are the next steps? And making sure that we're not doing things just because that's the way we've always done them. You know, we need to be more data-driven, which our offices is our office is focusing on. Um, making sure that we're making the best use of our time. Um and really, again, I keep saying it, but meeting veterans where they are. And when they're ready to plug in, they'll plug in.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. If there's a a veteran listening or a family member of a veteran listening right now, and maybe they feel isolated, they feel like everything's an uphill battle, what do you want them to know?

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Especially for the family members of veterans, if you if you think something is off, if you see something, say something, right? Uh give that veteran a call. Reach out to, you know, a specific our office, even. And, you know, we we do a lot of passive, um, passive programming and that type of thing or passive advertising for different programs that we're running. But don't do it alone. There is there is a network beyond anything you can imagine here. So whether you're even if you're a gold star family, which you know, maybe you've lost somebody who was in in combat, or you're a blue star family who's got somebody deployed, or you know, your family is back here now. There is a network for you here. And we can help you find that. And if there isn't one, we'll help you create it. Because there are a lot of really smart people out there that are ambitious to do this.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

Amazing. So why don't you give everyone the best way to contact your office?

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Sure. So the best thing you can do is you can reach out to the Westchester County Veterans Service Agency. You can find us on our website, Westchester.gov.gov. We'll reset that WestchesterCountyny.gov. And there's a drop-down there for veterans. So uh go to our website. All of our contact information is there. You can reach out to us. You can send us uh an email, you'll find us on social media. So just look up Westchester County Veteran Service Agency and you'll find us. And we are at 10 County Center Road, which is right behind the county center in White Plains.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Anything else you want to share with the community?

SPEAKER_00 23:08

No, this has been great. I thank you for giving us the time here and the platform. Uh, I think the more that we can we can continue to get the word out that we're here and we're here for all veterans and their family members, not just from a certain era or a certain generation. Um, it's it's the best thing that we can do is to connect with one another. So thank you for giving us the platform.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Absolutely. Thanks so much.