Honoring Veterans Day at 81st Town Hall

We are so grateful to everyone who joined us for Congressman Kim’s annual veterans town hall and his 81st town hall since coming to Congress. We were honored to be joined by a panel of four Korean War veterans and hear their stories and personal experiences while in service. Every year, this town hall is an important chance to hear from our military community and recognize veterans and their families for their distinguished service. This year, Congressman Kim again addressed the critical work ahead to deliver on our nation’s promise to have veterans’ backs for the entirety of their lives. That promise includes ending veteran homelessness, addressing unique mental health challenges to support overall well-being and prevent veteran suicide, and expanding the military community’s access to comprehensive, quality healthcare.

For their service during the Korean War, Congressman Kim was honored to present the Ambassador for Peace Medal for Korean War Veterans to Andrew Jackson, U.S. Army, 2nd Lieutenant, and Carl Letizia, U.S. Navy and Marines, Petty Officer, 3rd Class.

During the town hall, the Congressman also spoke about his personal appreciation for American servicemembers during the Korean War, sharing that they were the first interaction his parents, who were babies in Korea at the time, had with Americans. This year marks 50 years since his parents immigrated to the US from South Korea. As the Congressman shared at the town hall, the service of our Korean War veterans helped make his life here in the U.S. possible.

Congressman Kim Delivers on Promise to Veterans, Celebrates Opening of New VA Clinic in Ocean County

A brand new clinic is officially open in Toms River and serving veterans from across New Jersey! On the 18th, Congressman Kim joined New Jersey and VA leaders for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Toms River VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Securing this clinic has been a top priority for Congressman Kim since his first year in office and after roundtable conversations, advocacy to the VA, and lifting up local veterans’ stories and needs, we are so proud New Jersey veterans finally have the clinic they deserve! Learn more about this event, the new clinic’s services, and more here.

Congressman Kim’s statement on the Toms River VA CBOC Opening

“One of my proudest accomplishments in Congress was helping secure the building of a brand new state-of-the-art $60 million VA health clinic for our veterans when I represented Ocean County. Our veterans deserve our nation’s deepest gratitude and should have the best healthcare in the country. Unfortunately we often fall short of providing veterans what they deserve. It makes me incredibly happy to see the doors open to veterans and I’m proud of having worked in a bipartisan way to help make this happen.”

Congressman Kim Helps Introduce Legislation to Improve Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families

For their dedicated service and sacrifices on behalf of our nation, military families deserve healthcare options that can meet their evolving needs. This week, Congressman Kim was proud to introduce the Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act with Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congresswoman Terri Sewell. This legislation would give some peace of mind to servicemembers, military spouses, and their growing families by designating pregnancy as a Qualifying Life Event under the TRICARE program and empowering dependents of servicemembers to choose a health care plan that meets their needs during pregnancy.

As they continue to be there for us, this designation would help look after them in a time when having the maternal care they need couldn’t be more important.

Uplifting National Veterans Small Business Week (Nov. 11 - 15)

During National Veterans Small Business Week each year, we celebrate veteran-owned small businesses, their service to our nation and communities, and uplift the critical resources and support they deserve. We are working to ensure entrepreneurs of all backgrounds have every opportunity to thrive in New Jersey.

Happy Birthday Marines

On November 10th, we celebrated the United States Marine Corps 249th anniversary! We join in honoring the courage, commitment, and sacrifices of generations of Marines and their loved ones.

Medicare Open Enrollment is OPEN

From now through December 7th, you can head to medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE to look over coverage and compare options to make sure you have a plan that’s right for you.

Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Congressman Kim is proud to have helped cap insulin costs at $35/month for seniors on Medicare and deliver critical savings on their prescription drug costs.

Do you have a copy of your DD-214?

If you do not have a copy of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), you should request a copy from the National Archives and Records Administration since it can take up to 6-12 months to receive. DD-214s are necessary to apply for many of the benefits you are eligible for as a veteran. If you don’t have your DD-214, medical treatment can be delayed for a long time. If you have questions about this, you can contact our office here.

DMAVA Newsletter

The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ newsletter provides information to Servicemembers, Veterans, Employees, Families, Caregivers, Community Partners and those inspired to support our collective mission. You can sign-up for DMAVA’s mailing lists on their website.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) Update

From November 8th - 11th, the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron brought several Air Force specialty codes from around the Joint Base to the Air Force ROTC detachment 755, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

On November 11th, members of the Joint Base participated in the NYC Veterans Day Parade.

On November 16th, servicemembers attended the 2024 Marine Corps Ball in Atlantic City to celebrate 249 years of the Marine Corps.

Upcoming Local Events

The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are helping host various events in the next few weeks around our local community, including:

December 5th at 9 AM - Transition/Retirement Seminar in Bordentown
December 6th at 10 AM - Battleship New Jersey Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration at the Battleship NJ Museum and Memorial
January 16th at 11 AM - DMAVA Veterans Outreach Campaign and Medal Ceremony at the Moorestown Mall

Departing Member Notice

As a departing member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Kim will no longer represent New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District after January 2, 2025. Due to the varying length of time needed to resolve casework, constituent service, and/or grants assistance requests, our office stopped accepting new requests as of Monday, November 11th and closed our physical offices in New Jersey and at the Capitol. Our team will continue working remotely full-time.

Please feel free to contact us to see how we can assist and/or refer matters appropriately or request assistance from Senator Cory Booker’s office. Our office will continue to manage all open/ongoing casework and/or constituent services requests to help address community members’ needs the best we can.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you every day!

The Office of Congressman Andy Kim