Administrative Office
Montana Veteran Affairs Mission:
Major Program Initiatives
Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery (Miles City): VA construction expansion grant began April 2020 and currently 98% complete, with a total completion date of January 2023 expected.
Montana State Veterans Cemetery (Fort Harrison): Preapplication for VA construction grant approved, now qualified for VA Priority List 1. Passed National Cemetery Administration inspection/assessment.
Western State Veterans Cemetery (Missoula): Preapplication for VA construction grant approved, now qualified for VA Priority List 1.
Veteran Services Operations:
Our Veteran Service Officers have begun participation in the newly piloted Veterans Experience Action Center (VEAC) in collaboration with the Veterans Administration. Participation began in early 2021 and has continued with 3 events per year and collaboration between other states.
Belgrade Office - Transferred vacant FTE position from Great Falls in order to help with the population influx in Gallatin County, making Belgrade a 3-person office.
Great Falls Office - Hired a Temporary Administrative Assistant to cover the high call volume.
Montana Veteran Demographic Data
Financial Report
Montana Veterans Affairs is responsible for the funding of two organizational levels. First is the Veterans Services being the funding of MVAD’s Veteran Service Officers and operations. The Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) offices are in Belgrade, Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Miles City and Missoula. Montana Veterans Services are primarily funded by General Fund, a fraction of a percent of Montana License Plate Revenue, HB701 funds (received only in FY22), and Patriotic License Plate revenues.
The other funds the Montana Veterans Affairs Division are responsible for are the Purple Heart Scholarship fund, HB172-the County Veteran Services fund (which is included in General Funds), the Honor and Remember Medallion fund.
The Montana Veterans Affairs Division is also responsible for three Montana State Veterans Cemeteries located in Ft. Harrison, Miles City, and Missoula. Funding for the Montana State Veterans Cemeteries comes from a fraction of a percent of Montana License Plate Revenue, federal VA plot allowance, and donations. Because the Montana State Veterans Cemetery (MSVC) Program is a Special Revenue fund, MVAD must have cash in the fund before spending authority. Therefore, the most effective way to look at the cemetery budget, is to look at the expenses coming out of MSVC’s revenue, in contrast with looking at authority.
Financial Impact
One of the metric’s MVAD uses to measure success is the financial impact produced by VSO’s claims. In FY2021, MVAD brought in over two-hundred, seventy-five million dollars to veterans in the state of Montana. In fiscal year 2022, MVAD brought over three-hundred, ten million dollars to veterans in the state of Montana.
MVAD’s financial impact on the state of Montana has been steadily increasing annually for more than nine years.
Montana State Veterans Cemeteries
To be interred at one of the Montana State Veterans Cemeteries, a person must be a veteran with an honorable discharge, and if they joined the service after 1980, the servicemember must have twenty-four consecutive months of service. An eligible veteran’s spouse as well as dependent child are also eligible to be interred at any of the Montana State Veterans Cemeteries.
The Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Ft. Harrison, Montana was founded in 1988. Currently, there are over 5,000 veterans and spouses interred in the Montana State Veterans Cemetery (MSVC). In fiscal year 22, MSVC interred 255 people, of which, 179 were veterans.
Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery (EMSVC) in Miles City, Montana was built in 2002. Currently, there are about 780 veterans and spouses interred in the Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery. In fiscal year 2022, EMSVC interred 42 people, of which, 30 were veterans.
Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery (WMSVC) was created in 2008. Currently, there are about 2,100 veterans and spouses interred in the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery. WMSVC is in Missoula, Montana and interred 201 people in fiscal year 2022.
In fiscal year 2o2o, all Montana State Veterans Cemeteries had to suspend interment services due to COVID-19. While there were still burials and interments, many families chose to wait to bury loved ones until there could be a service. Therefore, interment numbers along with plot allowance revenue, decreased in FY20. Montana State Veteran Cemeteries has been increasing burials each fiscal year after the closure in FY20.
Montana Board of Veterans Affairs
The Montana Board of Veterans Affairs is comprised of 11 voting members and 9 nonvoting members. Following MCA 2-15-1205, the board’s main responsibilities are cooperating with all levels of government and agencies whose goal is to support veterans, and advocating for veterans and their families.
The 11 voting members are comprised of 10 appointed by the governor of Montana, and the final voting member is appointed by Montana’s eight Tribal Councils. Five of the voting members represent geographic regions of the state; one is an "at-large" veterans’ representative; one member is a Native American veterans’ representative; one is the Montana’s Tribal Councils’ consensus appointee; finally, three members have training, experience or education related to veteran issues.
The 9 non-voting members include representatives from the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs; the Department of Military Affairs; the Department of Public Health and Human Services; the Department of Veterans Affairs; the U.S. Department of Labor; Montana State Administration; and the Veterans Affairs Interim Committee.
