January 6, 2025 • 44 mins
Join us as we welcome Chuck Zingler, the dynamic Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veteran Services, who takes us on an extraordinary journey from his early days enlisting in the Navy to the pivotal role he plays today. Inspired by the disciplined footsteps of his Marine father, Chuck's career is a testament to resilience and leadership, having worked for influential figures like Colin Powell during critical times in history. Through engaging stories of high-stakes missions and teamwork, Chuck shares the pivotal moments that shaped his path and fueled his unwavering passion for veteran services.
In this compelling episode, we promise to unlock the innovative strategies reshaping veteran services in Virginia. With nearly 700,000 veterans in the state, the challenge of ensuring they're all aware of available resources is more pressing than ever. Discover how the Virginia Department of Veteran Services is redefining outreach and support, especially in the wake of COVID-19, by creating a "gold standard digital hub" to connect veterans with essential services. We explore the power of community partnerships, such as those with Combined Arms, in building a cohesive support network that adapts to the unique needs of each veteran.
As we progress, we delve into the ambitious infrastructure expansion efforts underway, designed to enhance the lives of veterans and their families. From the Puller Center's development into a world-class care facility to addressing pressing issues like food insecurity and childcare shortages, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the initiatives making a tangible difference. Learn how the Virginia Veterans Network is facilitating access to crucial resources, ensuring that those who have served are supported thoroughly and effectively. Whether it's accessing critical documents online or initiatives for employment transitions, Chuck Zingler and his team are dedicated to improving the lives of veterans across Virginia, ensuring a brighter future for all who served.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Larry Zilliox (00:00):
Good morning.
I'm Larry Zilliox, Director ofCulinary Services here at the
Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, andwelcome to Season 3 of the
Welcome Home podcast, reallyexcited that we have a very
special guest this week.
Chuck Zingler, the Commissionerof the Virginia Department of
Veteran Services, has joined usfor the first episode of 2025.
(00:23):
So, commissioner, welcome tothe podcast.
Chuck Zingler (00:26):
Thank you so much , Larry.
I'm really pleased andprivileged to be here.
Larry Zilliox (00:31):
Well, I appreciate you taking the time
to come up from Richmond and sitdown with us.
I'm really excited to get intoa lot of the services that your
organization offers.
But first, if you would justtell us a little bit about your
military service background,Well, thank you.
Chuck Zingler (00:50):
I enlisted in 1975, so a long time ago and it
was something that was prettycommon in my family my dad a
Marine, korean War era Marineand kind of my idol going up a
(01:11):
football coach and a teacher.
And so as I was looking tofigure out where I was going to
go to school and what I wasgoing to do, his experience was
this is a good place to kind ofget yourself and your head
together and start to build aplan.
That translated eventually intogoing to the Naval Academy,
(01:32):
still curious as to where myjourney was going to go.
But once you got through theAcademy and into the service and
working alongside really greatleaders and then great partners
and subordinates, and it became,you know, a profession that I
(01:53):
loved.
And so I was an intelligenceprofessional and I kind of grew
into operational support,whether it was special warfare
people, whether it was targetingfor aviators in conflicts.
It was something I loved and myAfrica was kind of a journey,
(02:30):
but something that I loved andsomething that my family put up
with.
Larry Zilliox (02:35):
So real quick you entered the academy through the
Navy.
You weren't a Marine officer.
Chuck Zingler (02:42):
No, I chose.
I was colorblind, so my choiceswere somewhat limited and I
considered the Marine Corps.
I considered supply Corps, butI had a hero at the Academy who
was chasing down downed aviatorsin Southeast Asia during the
Vietnam conflict and he became amentor of mine while I was at
(03:05):
Annapolis and I was fortunateenough to have a selection and
that's what I chose to do and,like much in my life, that was a
very fortunate selection and itturned out better than maybe
the plan was a plan, but itwound up better than I could
have hoped.
Larry Zilliox (03:27):
And so you leave the academy, you're in the Navy.
What's your first duty station?
Chuck Zingler (03:32):
So, from the young kid that thought he was
going to stay away from sea duty, I became probably the first
member of my class to go to sea,because our training was very
limited and I went to a squadronan A7 squadron getting ready to
deploy.
My first assignment was about32 months.
(03:54):
We were deployed.
About 25 of those months, twodeployments, two sets of workups
, and it was thrilling.
And um, we had, uh, severaloperational missions to do and
and you got to see it at theheight and um, and that told me
that I wanted to do more.
Right, and you made it a career.
(04:16):
Yeah, I don't think initially,my, it was.
I want to do this and I want tofind out what it's like.
I took hard jobs and so I neverhad to worry about being bored
and kind of making a choice thatyou go to sea and then you go
to shore and then you go back tosea.
(04:38):
I found it fascinating, butmostly because you were never
bored.
You sacrificed a lot.
God knows that your familysacrifices a lot, but there was
no question that you were doingsomething that was important.
You were learning and it wasstretching you.
(04:59):
You were working with some ofthe most phenomenal leaders, and
then you had a chance to buildhigh-performing teams, which I
think, whether you're inbusiness, whether you're running
a school or a restaurant, it'snever you, it's how good is the
team?
You're only as good as yourweakest element.
(05:21):
So I had a lot of lessons and Ialways felt like I was learning
.
Larry Zilliox (05:27):
Yeah, looking back now, what is your favorite
assignment?
Oh my, gosh.
Chuck Zingler (05:34):
Well, I'm not going to give you one answer.
I worked at a very for a juniorofficer, for a junior officer,
a job in the Pentagon, briefingour leaders.
You would go into work at 6o'clock at night and you'd be
prepared to deliver the brieffor the admirals, the
(05:55):
secretaries of the Navy, at 8o'clock in the morning and then
you'd leave at 9.30.
So for the whole week you werethere from 6 pm until 10 am, but
you did so much work to makesure they knew what was going on
in the world.
Just that process of how hardyou needed not just to get the
(06:19):
stories right, to be prepared toanswer questions, was
remarkable, and building thereputation, being able to handle
that.
I was asked to go to work forPresident Reagan and run the
Situation Room.
My boss was a guy by the nameof Colin Powell.
Again, watching what goes on atthat level was also humbling,
(06:47):
and the pressure was never beunprepared.
But in the end the mostchallenging and maybe rewarding
jobs was being away from theflagpole.
Where it's you.
You don't have a thousandleaders to get it right.
You're on the edge, with peopleon the ground or people on a
(07:12):
ship or people in a commandcenter, trying to get dozens of
things right every day and dowell for the men and women that
were on the front lines.
You know, more than protectingour country but giving the
opportunity for liberty in theplaces where nasty things are
(07:36):
happening and I think those tome were fulfilling.
But when I think through mycareer and the things that kind
of still make the hair stand upon my arm was when our sailors
and soldiers would go out onliberty and before they went out
at night to have fun they wouldbuild a roof on a senior living
(08:01):
home or a dilapidated church.
They'd reface the side of abuilding or pick out weeds.
Or when we took a band intoports on the USS Iowa, which is
significant to World War IIWorld War II where Stalin and
(08:31):
Roosevelt and Churchill had andthe songs for those from that
era they would play and peoplewould be walk onto that ship
with tears in their eyes,knowing that those American
soldiers and sailors and Marinesand airmen earned them freedom.
And it gave you context to whatour men and women that wear the
uniform today or will wear theuniform tomorrow will do.
(08:54):
So I didn't do that.
You know the hundreds of peoplethat walk through your doors or
that walk in the streets ormaybe have found poor luck or
misfortune and are sitting outwith a cup on a corner.
They all represent the men andwomen that earned us those kind
(09:14):
of liberties and freedoms.
Sure, sure.
Larry Zilliox (09:17):
So how many years were you in?
Chuck Zingler (09:20):
75 through 2007.
Larry Zilliox (09:25):
Oh, okay.
Chuck Zingler (09:26):
So 31 in a few months, wow.
But some of that was school andother things.
But I spent a lot of time andnow get to serve those that
serve.
Larry Zilliox (09:40):
Yeah.
Chuck Zingler (09:40):
It's a real privilege.
Larry Zilliox (09:41):
So you come out, you're in the private sector for
a while, yeah, and then you geta call from Governor Youngkin,
from his team, yeah.
Chuck Zingler (09:51):
And what's that?
Like A surprise.
You never know what's going tohappen, right, it's one of the
great things in this country,whether you serve or you don't,
that there's just so much goingon and we all are living in our
own stovepipe, right.
And so I didn't know what theDepartment of Veteran Services
(10:12):
in each of our states really did.
We know about the VA and histeam first did the interviews
and the most remarkable partabout meeting the secretaries of
administration or of oursecurity secretary here in
(10:36):
Virginia, or the secretary forveterans and defense affairs,
and all those reminded me a lotof the Reagan administration,
where their attitude wasremarkable, their enthusiasm,
their energy In every businessthat you know.
When you see people that arethat energetic and they look at
every problem as a challenge,not with disdain or frustration,
(10:59):
you can do almost anything.
Sure, this country has been allabout that.
So the first thing I saw wasthat the team, not even knowing
the job, it was kind of fruitthat I thought would be exciting
to be a part of.
Larry Zilliox (11:17):
Yeah.
Chuck Zingler (11:18):
And then I met with our governor a week before
I was to show up for the finalinterview and, not surprising,
he's more than impressive.
He's aspirational, he's betteras the task gets harder.
(11:39):
We walked in to have breakfastvery, very early in the morning
in a hotel and he said this isthe first time I've walked
through the front door.
And I kind of was and he saidbecause I usually go through the
back door, through the kitchendoor, because that's where you
find the veterans.
They don't walk into hotelslike this through the front door
(12:01):
.
They're working.
And I thought that was aninteresting way to introduce
what he's about and I haven'tbeen disappointed yet Every time
you see him.
It's a hard job.
I don't know what those daysare like, but I know he is very
(12:25):
quick to pick up on needs andways to solve problems and when
he gives you that kind ofresponsibility and the ability
to find ways to build thingsthat are great.
That was the task and I've beenprivileged now for a year to
(12:46):
see if we can continue to getbetter.
Larry Zilliox (12:49):
So you arrived for work and what did you find?
Was you thought at the timegoing to be the most challenging
thing?
Chuck Zingler (12:59):
for you.
That's a really good question.
First of all, I had a greatturnover.
My predecessor was a remarkablesoldier and leader who had a
very different experience.
He was severely injured in Iraqand I learned a lot from him,
(13:22):
but he was far better preparedfor understanding what a veteran
in despair really needed to getand how they were needed to be
served by the VA or by theDepartment of Veterans Services
here in the Commonwealth, and soI used that time to understand
(13:45):
the organization and understandthe mission.
The biggest surprise happenedlate in January, when I knew all
the facts and figures.
We have nearly 700,000 veteranshere in Virginia and if you
count you know the number offamily members over a million of
(14:07):
their spouses or former spousesand children and survivors.
We got a couple million worthof constituents.
One in three know about us andthe Department of Veterans
Services in Virginia alone willcelebrate its centennial in
three years.
(14:27):
So we have a hundred year oldorganization in a state that
embraces military and veterans,and two thirds don't know about
us is stunning to me, and itquickly became the first
challenge how are we going tofix that, or how are we going to
(14:50):
become more well-known?
And I'm sure that there aresignificant numbers of our
veteran population because weare givers, not takers, that say
, chuck Zingler did not have abad or a significant
catastrophic incident.
Larry Zilliox (15:10):
And.
Chuck Zingler (15:11):
I'm almost still whole right.
My aches and pains are easilytradable for 30 brilliant years
of the joy that I had servingour country.
But not everyone is like that.
So get me out of the way.
Take care of the others.
Take care of somebody elsefirst, and that's part of it,
(15:31):
but I think there's also thosethat you made a promise, a
contract, you serve.
We're going to take care of yourevery need, and the system is
not perfect, like much in ourcountry, and so there are people
that become discouraged ormaybe don't believe anymore.
And so how do you reach throughthem?
(15:53):
Right?
The people that raised theirhand to go to Vietnam and were
treated as poorly as they werefor serving in that difficult
time.
And every one of thesegenerations of veterans go
through a very differentexperience, and not all of them
are good.
So I think the fact that everyone of our veterans is like and
(16:18):
family members is like afingerprint, and we love to say
here that we value veterans.
And I think our state, if youlook at us 97 years of the
Department of Veterans Servicesshows how much our legislators
and our executives care aboutour veterans.
To now have this organizationand I have well over a thousand
(16:42):
people to deliver servicesthroughout the various periods
of a veteran's journey Justshows how much we care about
where we got so far to go, andso that's kind of been my
purpose is how do we continue toshow our veterans how much we
(17:03):
care?
How do we continue to show ourveterans how much we care?
How do I continue to take agreat organization of leaders
and staff, personnel,headquarters personnel, cemetery
personnel, care centers,personnel transition for those
in despair, that give counselingand drug addiction services and
(17:23):
those that get claims done theway we do, with the success that
no other state has been able todo?
How do we continue to leanforward to get better?
And so that to me is like anyother business, right Like any
school or you just can't do thesame things you've always done,
(17:46):
that you kind of find a new waysand new ideas and find ways to
team more.
And I think coming out of COVID, where we all scattered to the
wind, is also a challenge is howdo we find new ways to get
better and certainly I'm betterby working shoulder to shoulder
(18:09):
with the headquarters team orgetting out to the veterans
groups and the nearly 50operating locations that I have
across this great state.
Larry Zilliox (18:19):
So do you find it's sort of a hybrid approach
now coming out of COVID, that's,you know, with Zoom and all
these other technologicaladvances for communicating, and
you know it's not going to bequite the same as it was, but
you can do sort of a hybridapproach to that what's working
(18:41):
for you.
Chuck Zingler (18:41):
Well, yeah, the governor came aboard and started
using this term for a goldstandard digital hub and it was
very clear that he believed,without being a veteran, that
this way of reaching peoplewhich I'm a dinosaur, I'm not
(19:06):
familiar with all the Instagramsand Facebooks and all the other
different things this is also anew experience.
Larry Zilliox (19:16):
Yeah.
Chuck Zingler (19:17):
It's not what you say, it's what people hear, and
I would modify that it's notwhat or how you talk, it's how
people listen, and so thistechnology that we're on today
does reach people, and sooutreach, which is such a big
part of my challenge, becomes anew way of doing business.
(19:41):
This legislature and executivecan't buy me enough people to go
from reaching one third of theveteran community to two thirds
or more.
You'll never be able to affordthat many carbon units, as we
say.
So the Virginia VeteransNetwork, which is our new
(20:06):
release of this gold standarddigital hub or this kind of
technology, or finding ways toreach people where they go for
information or knowledge, and sothose ideas are everything, for
you know, finding the VFWs andthe American Legion posts or the
(20:28):
community centers or thechurches or the veterans bars
where they go to meet, becausewe are a community group.
Those sailors and those airmenand those soldiers go find one
another in places and where theyshare information.
(20:51):
There's an E9 group that I gospend time with on the first
Saturday in every month at a barfor a Saturday morning
breakfast.
It's not a bar event, but it isa community gathering of these
(21:11):
great men and women.
That's a great way to listen,learn and then maybe to provide
some information that is alsonew to them that they can spread
to their community.
So to your question, I thinknot Chuck Zingler, but our
organization needs to continueto explore new ways to reach.
(21:35):
And the real challenge here inVirginia is it's a very big
state with very culturaldifferences.
Larry Zilliox (21:44):
People don't realize how big the state is,
how long it takes to drive fromNorthern Virginia down to
Bristol.
Virginia is nine hours easily.
Chuck Zingler (21:54):
The southwestern point, I have an office in a
place called Big Stone Gap.
Oh yeah, big Stone Gap iscloser to five or six other
state capitals than it is toRichmond, virginia, and their
access to high-speed internet oryou know, the technology access
(22:19):
that they might have is verydifferent than in Arlington or
in Virginia Beach and it'sdifferent in Petersburg or
Greenville or, you know,northern NAC even.
It's just very it's a grandstate and we think it's the best
(22:41):
state for a veteran to live orwork or raise their family.
But we have to make sure thatwe have a lot of arrows in our
quiver to get them informationand then, more importantly,
serve them where they are andhow they need to be served Well.
Larry Zilliox (22:59):
I really think the Virginia Veterans Network is
really going to be key to that,because if somebody has access
to the internet, that's all theyneed.
Now it may be slower in someplaces than it is in other
places, but you just got to geton and you just got to sign up
and this is.
(23:19):
This is just such a greatproject.
So can you tell us a little bitabout how the network came
about?
And for our listeners, this isan online resource directory.
Essentially, it's a partnershipwith a nonprofit called
Combined Arms, based out ofHouston, texas, long history of
(23:40):
associating with some well-knownnational veteran service
organizations.
So isn't a fly-by-nightorganization by any means.
But how did you guys come upwith this and decide?
You know this is really whatwill help us.
Well, thank you.
Chuck Zingler (24:00):
Juan, Governor Glenn Youngkin I wasn't part of
the administration then eitherbefore he walked aboard or
shortly thereafter said here'sthis gold standard digital hub
and we're going to bring it tolife.
And it was nothing more thanthat, and my predecessor and a
great team started this shortlybefore I came aboard and then it
(24:24):
was handed over and withcombined arms that had done what
they do in two other occasions,one in Texas and then in South
Carolina, built this resourceaccess portal, if you will, of
these national organizations,and it gave us a model to start
(24:47):
with.
And most of those organizationsgo to those in real need.
And so you think about theserving veterans that are out
front that we see every day oncommercials.
We're there in despair.
Homelessness has found themwhere they're in despair,
(25:15):
Homelessness has found them.
The PTSD and the critical braininjury, or maybe they've lost
their job, become addicted.
And those organizations, if youwill, if you will in today
(25:42):
without some way to make thisorganized and to reach is little
different in my mind than adigital Sunday, new Warriors or
you see some of these brilliantideas and giving organizations.
But how do I reach them and isit the right fit for me?
And so, through Combined Armsand their portals in those two
(26:03):
states, we feel that we had astart of getting national
organizations and now we partnerwith many of the statewide
organizations that also to givethose senior veterans that maybe
can't drive anymore access torideshare that can get them to
(26:24):
an appointment.
We now have in Virginia sixcommunity veteran engagement
boards that we think we can soonbring them into this network.
(26:47):
So you'll have nationalorganizations, you'll have
statewide organizations thatwill continue to grow and soon
we can have community-basedorganizations in Loudoun County
to the city of Norfolk wants toparticipate, petersburg and all
over.
We'll have a horse blanket, ifyou will, of community veteran
(27:07):
organizations that can gothrough the soup kitchens or the
homeless shelters and the rideshares or the despair peer
counseling services.
That can now give you manychoices and hopefully not make
(27:28):
it as difficult to figure outwhere I am.
I mean, the number of greatprograms alone that deal with
suicide and opioid addiction aremore than a few, but the number
of seats at any one time arefinite are more than a few, but
the number of seats at any onetime are finite.
(27:52):
We have been doing arelationship course, a great
course for those that, forwhatever reason, are finding the
stress of the separationthrough a marriage or coming
home and now being stressed bytrying to find a job starts
fracturing the family.
Well, this course that we teach, if it's at the War Memorial in
Richmond and you're in Bristol,virginia, as you say, you don't
(28:13):
have access to do that.
The number of seats are finiteas well.
So what do you do when youcan't get there?
This technology allows us maybeto put that course on a TED
Talks or a YouTube video.
Or how do you deal withsomething when you're waiting
(28:34):
for that seat at that 27-weekopioid addiction program to
detoxify and to get well again?
And we're very bullish that theopportunities that we can
provide for the whole lifetime.
We had a.
(28:54):
My predecessor had a study doneand we had a year long study on
where should our priorities befocused and that was delivered
to me in the first week after Itook this position in last
January and it said where wefirst need to go is bring more
(29:17):
veterans to Virginia, keep moreveterans in Virginia and raise
the floor and the ceiling of theeconomic opportunity for
veterans.
The special warfare communityhas a program through the Hope
Foundation to get employmentwhen our special operators get
through their careers and theydid a survey and they found that
(29:40):
90% of our special operatorsNavy SEALs and these rangers and
the most talented and the mostengaged right they become
doctors when they get out andthey are fearless and they can
do anything.
They found that transition andfinding the right employment is
more stressful than a combatdeployment 90% more stressful
(30:06):
because they've prepared foreverything else and far too
often our service members andtheir families know that it's
time.
A year from now or two yearsfrom now, kids are getting ready
to go to school.
We want to keep them.
We've moved 11 times.
That was my experience.
I moved my kids 11 times.
They've sacrificed.
(30:28):
It's time for us to pay themand give them.
But it's hard and it's not thesame and the skills might not be
well understood and the value.
You might have to take somehumble pie that you got to learn
all over again and you've gotto compete all over again.
And so they have a program foremployment transition.
(30:51):
Go on to militarycom and theyhave great transition training
programs to get you ready.
We go through a TAP class thatputs someone without a college
education with someone thatmight have two degrees, someone
that wants to be a blue-collar,this or a welder, with someone
(31:12):
that wants to start their ownbusiness, and the transition
course is the lowest commondenominator and it really
doesn't prepare anyone, letalone any large group of them,
for what their individualprogram should be.
So we think that to keep morepeople here and to draw people
(31:33):
into this great state is we'renow the number one state in the
country for business.
We've actually grown populationfor the first time in 10 years.
So those new companies that arecoming to Virginia need our
veterans and their spouses andtheir family members to build
the right kind of workforce, andwe think we owe them not a job
(31:57):
but a career, notunderemployment but full
employment.
So that's also there throughthis network, and so I think
that's what the VirginiaVeterans Network can do for the
state of Virginia.
Larry Zilliox (32:12):
Well, I want to tell our listeners we're going
to have a link to it in the shownotes.
You could easily just GoogleVirginia Veterans Network.
It'll get you there, everybody.
If you're a resident ofVirginia and you're a veteran,
you need to sign up for it.
There's just no doubt about it.
It's free.
It'll get you there, everybody.
If you're a resident ofVirginia and you're a veteran,
you need to sign up for it.
There's just no doubt about it.
It's free.
It took me nine minutes and 28seconds to sign up.
(32:32):
I will tell you, though, youwant to have your dates of
service already to go in,because that's part of the
questionnaire that you're goingto go through.
So, instead of stopping in themiddle of this and then trying
to find those dates, just lookat your old DD-214, have those
dates ready.
But it's painless, you can getthrough it pretty quickly, and
(32:56):
it's a great resource directory.
One of the things that's reallyspecial about it is that the
resources are vetted and theyare regional and they're for the
veteran in the sense that youknow.
There's a lot of directoriesout there.
One that comes to mind isNational Resource Directory from
(33:19):
the Defense Health Agency, andit has thousands and thousands
of organizations listed.
The problem with it is, when Ido a search for something
locally, I get organizations forIowa and Texas, because when
they entered their informationthey fancied themselves national
(33:39):
organizations, and then theycome up in my search results.
That's not going to happen here.
With the Virginia VeteransNetwork, you are going to get
resources tailored to you, andwhat's great is you just don't
get an address and a phonenumber.
It connects you with thatorganization and then that
organization reaches out to you,and so I just think it's a
(34:04):
novel approach to doing things.
I think it's going to workbetter than pretty much anything
else I've seen out there, and Ireally encourage listeners to
sign up for it.
Look, you might think you don'tneed these resources right now,
and that might be true, butwhen you do need one, that's not
(34:24):
the time to try and be signingup and and figuring things out.
Just take your time, do it nowand, you know, tuck that
username and password away forwhen you need it.
But I'm telling you this is agreat resource that the Virginia
Department of Veteran Servicesis offering all the veterans in
Virginia at no cost.
(34:46):
It's really something.
What do you see, is the numberone issue that veterans have in
Virginia that your organizationaddresses most.
Is it food insecurity?
Is it housing I imagine housingis a big issue Job placement or
is it a combination of a numberof things?
Chuck Zingler (35:08):
I think it is a combination.
And first I want to thank youfor your last piece about the
importance here.
There is no service on thisnetwork that we charge for.
They're all free and, to yourpoint, we don't want you to know
us when you're in crisis.
We will answer you when you'rein crisis.
(35:30):
But we think, when you come onto this, if it's just to
register, and not only does theservice member want to register,
we think the spouse wants toregister as well as you can, as
the spouse of a veteran, thesurvivor of a veteran, and we
want even to get those veteransthat are or excuse me, those
(35:52):
service members that arethinking of leaving, or those
veterans are thinking of leavingArkansas or Florida or New
Jersey or wherever, to come here.
But to your point, larry, ifit's just to peruse the site and
see where deals to get ontoamusement centers or movies or
concerts or a kayaking club,because it can serve you and put
(36:18):
you into a community so thatyou know things that, when you
are seeing a bump in your road,can learn about us.
So, whether it's finding, howcan I get my DD-214 online, you
can get that from this site.
You can get your.
(36:40):
What's the value of having aveteran status on my driver's
license and how do I get that?
You can get that through oursite, and so we want this to be
a site that you and your familymakes common practice of.
But what do they need?
Absolutely, in crisis, it'slate and they need food
(37:07):
stability or they have a familymember that's met crisis.
That's critical.
When I go to all the basecommanders and there's a
conference quarterly that weattend childcare.
With the economy the way it was, the rise in rental or housing
costs, the importance for atwo-parent family to both have
(37:30):
employment has become moresignificant.
They can't if there's nochildcare, a single-parent
family, these things areterribly critical.
When I went to the lastconference of our base
commanders, the average waitinglist for childcare in and around
(37:51):
our bases is between three and400.
So we would like to make thatan entrepreneurial priority
where we can find a newchildcare profession, where we
can find a new child careprofession where we can train
and then let them get out intothe communities.
(38:12):
And we understand it's notsolely a veteran issue.
But, boy, if we could put thosearound where veterans know
where they can access child careservices, where we can get
licensure for people moving intothe state that have had that
background and we can turn thatinto a growing area of service,
(38:35):
that we'd be able to do that andthose are some of the big
problems that we have to solve.
So, when you're looking,there's still a big need to
re-adjudicate benefits claimsthat have not been supported and
we have lawyers to do that.
We can make this accessible tothem through the Virginia
Veterans Network.
We've talked about those tospare services and access to
(38:58):
these state and nationalresources and I think still the
employment transition piece isreally big because they don't
start early enough.
Larry Zilliox (39:08):
Well again, listeners.
All the contact information isgoing to be in the show notes.
One last question, and itreally has to do with our local
veterans here in the NorthernVirginia area.
But what's up with the PullerCenter?
Chuck Zingler (39:24):
Well, we think we're on a glide slope to finish
this.
I've been there many times andI've met with the team that
manages it from the governmentstandpoint and I've met with the
contractors that have been inas transparent as I can be.
(39:46):
Covid hit it hard and thefinding a bevy of qualified
contractors that had a fullworkforce was not the best to
any industry, but especially tobuilding contractors at that
time.
So I think the deck was stackedagainst a contractor and
(40:10):
perhaps they didn't have all thetalent both quantity and
quality as they competed forsubcontractors.
They'd have one choice, notfour choices, not an excuse.
Have one choice, not fourchoices, not an excuse.
And when I first came on boardand we started visiting, it was
a series of excuses, of notwonderful stories.
(40:32):
I don't want to talk much aboutthat because we are now going
through a process to get backthe funds that were misspent
furniture that was purchased tooearly, people that were hired
too early, and the government isworking to get recompensated
(40:52):
for those expenses.
We do know that they're in thefinal stage of finishing now we
expect to take over, for that inthe late spring is if things
work out, then we'll have to gothrough getting all the
equipment and the rehabequipment, the beds and
(41:13):
everything furnished and thestaff trained.
New center that opened lastDecember in Virginia Beach.
You'll go through growing,getting inspection, making sure
that we're delivering services,then getting certified for the
various Medicare, Medicaid.
(41:36):
So we think in the summer andfall you'll see this place come
to life.
We will celebrate it.
Having been to all of our carecenters, they are remarkable and
we're excited for the openingof Puller and Fauquier and
Loudon and the rest of NorthernVirginia, we'll be proud.
(42:01):
It's about time and weunderstand why everyone is
disappointed that we didn't haveit when we needed it.
But I think that'll be quicklyovercome by wow, it's here and
we're happy it's here.
Here and those veterans andfamily members will be well
(42:25):
served by a world-class carecenter memory care center and
rehab center here in NorthernVirginia.
Larry Zilliox (42:37):
Yeah, it's a beautiful looking building.
From the outside, I could sensethat the problems were on the
inside.
Oh yeah, yeah, but I'm reallylooking forward to the ribbon
cutting so I can go pick out myroom, um, but uh, well, that's
great news.
So I think we could look forthat in 2025, uh, for sure
That'd be great.
Chuck Zingler (42:57):
Before the year's over, we're going to, we're
going to celebrate and, um, I'lllook forward showing you where
perhaps your room could be Okay,great, well listen,
commissioner.
Larry Zilliox (43:10):
Thank you so much for joining us today.
I really, really appreciate it.
Chuck Zingler (43:15):
Thank you so much .
I'm proud to be here.
Just for your audience, I'lltell them dvsvirginiacom or,
excuse me, gov is our website.
You can reach me atcommissioner, at dvsvirginiagov
or chuckzingler, just contact us.
(43:37):
Tell us what we can do better,tell me where your needs are and
tell me what we need to do tohelp you and your family in the
future.
Larry Zilliox (43:47):
Well, great, and for our listeners.
We will have another episodenext Monday morning at 0500.
Do you have any questions orsuggestions?
You can reach us at podcast atwillingwarriorsorg.
Until then, thanks forlistening.
Good morning.
I'm Larry Zilliox, Director ofCulinary Services here at the
Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, andwelcome to Season 3 of the
Welcome Home podcast, reallyexcited that we have a very
special guest this week.
Chuck Zingler, the Commissionerof the Virginia Department of
Veteran Services, has joined usfor the first episode of 2025.
(00:23):
So, commissioner, welcome tothe podcast.
Chuck Zingler (00:26):
Thank you so much , Larry.
I'm really pleased andprivileged to be here.
Larry Zilliox (00:31):
Well, I appreciate you taking the time
to come up from Richmond and sitdown with us.
I'm really excited to get intoa lot of the services that your
organization offers.
But first, if you would justtell us a little bit about your
military service background,Well, thank you.
Chuck Zingler (00:50):
I enlisted in 1975, so a long time ago and it
was something that was prettycommon in my family my dad a
Marine, korean War era Marineand kind of my idol going up a
(01:11):
football coach and a teacher.
And so as I was looking tofigure out where I was going to
go to school and what I wasgoing to do, his experience was
this is a good place to kind ofget yourself and your head
together and start to build aplan.
That translated eventually intogoing to the Naval Academy,
(01:32):
still curious as to where myjourney was going to go.
But once you got through theAcademy and into the service and
working alongside really greatleaders and then great partners
and subordinates, and it became,you know, a profession that I
(01:53):
loved.
And so I was an intelligenceprofessional and I kind of grew
into operational support,whether it was special warfare
people, whether it was targetingfor aviators in conflicts.
It was something I loved and myAfrica was kind of a journey,
(02:30):
but something that I loved andsomething that my family put up
with.
Larry Zilliox (02:35):
So real quick you entered the academy through the
Navy.
You weren't a Marine officer.
Chuck Zingler (02:42):
No, I chose.
I was colorblind, so my choiceswere somewhat limited and I
considered the Marine Corps.
I considered supply Corps, butI had a hero at the Academy who
was chasing down downed aviatorsin Southeast Asia during the
Vietnam conflict and he became amentor of mine while I was at
(03:05):
Annapolis and I was fortunateenough to have a selection and
that's what I chose to do and,like much in my life, that was a
very fortunate selection and itturned out better than maybe
the plan was a plan, but itwound up better than I could
have hoped.
Larry Zilliox (03:27):
And so you leave the academy, you're in the Navy.
What's your first duty station?
Chuck Zingler (03:32):
So, from the young kid that thought he was
going to stay away from sea duty, I became probably the first
member of my class to go to sea,because our training was very
limited and I went to a squadronan A7 squadron getting ready to
deploy.
My first assignment was about32 months.
(03:54):
We were deployed.
About 25 of those months, twodeployments, two sets of workups
, and it was thrilling.
And um, we had, uh, severaloperational missions to do and
and you got to see it at theheight and um, and that told me
that I wanted to do more.
Right, and you made it a career.
(04:16):
Yeah, I don't think initially,my, it was.
I want to do this and I want tofind out what it's like.
I took hard jobs and so I neverhad to worry about being bored
and kind of making a choice thatyou go to sea and then you go
to shore and then you go back tosea.
(04:38):
I found it fascinating, butmostly because you were never
bored.
You sacrificed a lot.
God knows that your familysacrifices a lot, but there was
no question that you were doingsomething that was important.
You were learning and it wasstretching you.
(04:59):
You were working with some ofthe most phenomenal leaders, and
then you had a chance to buildhigh-performing teams, which I
think, whether you're inbusiness, whether you're running
a school or a restaurant, it'snever you, it's how good is the
team?
You're only as good as yourweakest element.
(05:21):
So I had a lot of lessons and Ialways felt like I was learning
.
Larry Zilliox (05:27):
Yeah, looking back now, what is your favorite
assignment?
Oh my, gosh.
Chuck Zingler (05:34):
Well, I'm not going to give you one answer.
I worked at a very for a juniorofficer, for a junior officer,
a job in the Pentagon, briefingour leaders.
You would go into work at 6o'clock at night and you'd be
prepared to deliver the brieffor the admirals, the
(05:55):
secretaries of the Navy, at 8o'clock in the morning and then
you'd leave at 9.30.
So for the whole week you werethere from 6 pm until 10 am, but
you did so much work to makesure they knew what was going on
in the world.
Just that process of how hardyou needed not just to get the
(06:19):
stories right, to be prepared toanswer questions, was
remarkable, and building thereputation, being able to handle
that.
I was asked to go to work forPresident Reagan and run the
Situation Room.
My boss was a guy by the nameof Colin Powell.
Again, watching what goes on atthat level was also humbling,
(06:47):
and the pressure was never beunprepared.
But in the end the mostchallenging and maybe rewarding
jobs was being away from theflagpole.
Where it's you.
You don't have a thousandleaders to get it right.
You're on the edge, with peopleon the ground or people on a
(07:12):
ship or people in a commandcenter, trying to get dozens of
things right every day and dowell for the men and women that
were on the front lines.
You know, more than protectingour country but giving the
opportunity for liberty in theplaces where nasty things are
(07:36):
happening and I think those tome were fulfilling.
But when I think through mycareer and the things that kind
of still make the hair stand upon my arm was when our sailors
and soldiers would go out onliberty and before they went out
at night to have fun they wouldbuild a roof on a senior living
(08:01):
home or a dilapidated church.
They'd reface the side of abuilding or pick out weeds.
Or when we took a band intoports on the USS Iowa, which is
significant to World War IIWorld War II where Stalin and
(08:31):
Roosevelt and Churchill had andthe songs for those from that
era they would play and peoplewould be walk onto that ship
with tears in their eyes,knowing that those American
soldiers and sailors and Marinesand airmen earned them freedom.
And it gave you context to whatour men and women that wear the
uniform today or will wear theuniform tomorrow will do.
(08:54):
So I didn't do that.
You know the hundreds of peoplethat walk through your doors or
that walk in the streets ormaybe have found poor luck or
misfortune and are sitting outwith a cup on a corner.
They all represent the men andwomen that earned us those kind
(09:14):
of liberties and freedoms.
Sure, sure.
Larry Zilliox (09:17):
So how many years were you in?
Chuck Zingler (09:20):
75 through 2007.
Larry Zilliox (09:25):
Oh, okay.
Chuck Zingler (09:26):
So 31 in a few months, wow.
But some of that was school andother things.
But I spent a lot of time andnow get to serve those that
serve.
Larry Zilliox (09:40):
Yeah.
Chuck Zingler (09:40):
It's a real privilege.
Larry Zilliox (09:41):
So you come out, you're in the private sector for
a while, yeah, and then you geta call from Governor Youngkin,
from his team, yeah.
Chuck Zingler (09:51):
And what's that?
Like A surprise.
You never know what's going tohappen, right, it's one of the
great things in this country,whether you serve or you don't,
that there's just so much goingon and we all are living in our
own stovepipe, right.
And so I didn't know what theDepartment of Veteran Services
(10:12):
in each of our states really did.
We know about the VA and histeam first did the interviews
and the most remarkable partabout meeting the secretaries of
administration or of oursecurity secretary here in
(10:36):
Virginia, or the secretary forveterans and defense affairs,
and all those reminded me a lotof the Reagan administration,
where their attitude wasremarkable, their enthusiasm,
their energy In every businessthat you know.
When you see people that arethat energetic and they look at
every problem as a challenge,not with disdain or frustration,
(10:59):
you can do almost anything.
Sure, this country has been allabout that.
So the first thing I saw wasthat the team, not even knowing
the job, it was kind of fruitthat I thought would be exciting
to be a part of.
Larry Zilliox (11:17):
Yeah.
Chuck Zingler (11:18):
And then I met with our governor a week before
I was to show up for the finalinterview and, not surprising,
he's more than impressive.
He's aspirational, he's betteras the task gets harder.
(11:39):
We walked in to have breakfastvery, very early in the morning
in a hotel and he said this isthe first time I've walked
through the front door.
And I kind of was and he saidbecause I usually go through the
back door, through the kitchendoor, because that's where you
find the veterans.
They don't walk into hotelslike this through the front door
(12:01):
.
They're working.
And I thought that was aninteresting way to introduce
what he's about and I haven'tbeen disappointed yet Every time
you see him.
It's a hard job.
I don't know what those daysare like, but I know he is very
(12:25):
quick to pick up on needs andways to solve problems and when
he gives you that kind ofresponsibility and the ability
to find ways to build thingsthat are great.
That was the task and I've beenprivileged now for a year to
(12:46):
see if we can continue to getbetter.
Larry Zilliox (12:49):
So you arrived for work and what did you find?
Was you thought at the timegoing to be the most challenging
thing?
Chuck Zingler (12:59):
for you.
That's a really good question.
First of all, I had a greatturnover.
My predecessor was a remarkablesoldier and leader who had a
very different experience.
He was severely injured in Iraqand I learned a lot from him,
(13:22):
but he was far better preparedfor understanding what a veteran
in despair really needed to getand how they were needed to be
served by the VA or by theDepartment of Veterans Services
here in the Commonwealth, and soI used that time to understand
(13:45):
the organization and understandthe mission.
The biggest surprise happenedlate in January, when I knew all
the facts and figures.
We have nearly 700,000 veteranshere in Virginia and if you
count you know the number offamily members over a million of
(14:07):
their spouses or former spousesand children and survivors.
We got a couple million worthof constituents.
One in three know about us andthe Department of Veterans
Services in Virginia alone willcelebrate its centennial in
three years.
(14:27):
So we have a hundred year oldorganization in a state that
embraces military and veterans,and two thirds don't know about
us is stunning to me, and itquickly became the first
challenge how are we going tofix that, or how are we going to
(14:50):
become more well-known?
And I'm sure that there aresignificant numbers of our
veteran population because weare givers, not takers, that say
, chuck Zingler did not have abad or a significant
catastrophic incident.
Larry Zilliox (15:10):
And.
Chuck Zingler (15:11):
I'm almost still whole right.
My aches and pains are easilytradable for 30 brilliant years
of the joy that I had servingour country.
But not everyone is like that.
So get me out of the way.
Take care of the others.
Take care of somebody elsefirst, and that's part of it,
(15:31):
but I think there's also thosethat you made a promise, a
contract, you serve.
We're going to take care of yourevery need, and the system is
not perfect, like much in ourcountry, and so there are people
that become discouraged ormaybe don't believe anymore.
And so how do you reach throughthem?
(15:53):
Right?
The people that raised theirhand to go to Vietnam and were
treated as poorly as they werefor serving in that difficult
time.
And every one of thesegenerations of veterans go
through a very differentexperience, and not all of them
are good.
So I think the fact that everyone of our veterans is like and
(16:18):
family members is like afingerprint, and we love to say
here that we value veterans.
And I think our state, if youlook at us 97 years of the
Department of Veterans Servicesshows how much our legislators
and our executives care aboutour veterans.
To now have this organizationand I have well over a thousand
(16:42):
people to deliver servicesthroughout the various periods
of a veteran's journey Justshows how much we care about
where we got so far to go, andso that's kind of been my
purpose is how do we continue toshow our veterans how much we
(17:03):
care?
How do we continue to show ourveterans how much we care?
How do I continue to take agreat organization of leaders
and staff, personnel,headquarters personnel, cemetery
personnel, care centers,personnel transition for those
in despair, that give counselingand drug addiction services and
(17:23):
those that get claims done theway we do, with the success that
no other state has been able todo?
How do we continue to leanforward to get better?
And so that to me is like anyother business, right Like any
school or you just can't do thesame things you've always done,
(17:46):
that you kind of find a new waysand new ideas and find ways to
team more.
And I think coming out of COVID, where we all scattered to the
wind, is also a challenge is howdo we find new ways to get
better and certainly I'm betterby working shoulder to shoulder
(18:09):
with the headquarters team orgetting out to the veterans
groups and the nearly 50operating locations that I have
across this great state.
Larry Zilliox (18:19):
So do you find it's sort of a hybrid approach
now coming out of COVID, that's,you know, with Zoom and all
these other technologicaladvances for communicating, and
you know it's not going to bequite the same as it was, but
you can do sort of a hybridapproach to that what's working
(18:41):
for you.
Chuck Zingler (18:41):
Well, yeah, the governor came aboard and started
using this term for a goldstandard digital hub and it was
very clear that he believed,without being a veteran, that
this way of reaching peoplewhich I'm a dinosaur, I'm not
(19:06):
familiar with all the Instagramsand Facebooks and all the other
different things this is also anew experience.
Larry Zilliox (19:16):
Yeah.
Chuck Zingler (19:17):
It's not what you say, it's what people hear, and
I would modify that it's notwhat or how you talk, it's how
people listen, and so thistechnology that we're on today
does reach people, and sooutreach, which is such a big
part of my challenge, becomes anew way of doing business.
(19:41):
This legislature and executivecan't buy me enough people to go
from reaching one third of theveteran community to two thirds
or more.
You'll never be able to affordthat many carbon units, as we
say.
So the Virginia VeteransNetwork, which is our new
(20:06):
release of this gold standarddigital hub or this kind of
technology, or finding ways toreach people where they go for
information or knowledge, and sothose ideas are everything, for
you know, finding the VFWs andthe American Legion posts or the
(20:28):
community centers or thechurches or the veterans bars
where they go to meet, becausewe are a community group.
Those sailors and those airmenand those soldiers go find one
another in places and where theyshare information.
(20:51):
There's an E9 group that I gospend time with on the first
Saturday in every month at a barfor a Saturday morning
breakfast.
It's not a bar event, but it isa community gathering of these
(21:11):
great men and women.
That's a great way to listen,learn and then maybe to provide
some information that is alsonew to them that they can spread
to their community.
So to your question, I thinknot Chuck Zingler, but our
organization needs to continueto explore new ways to reach.
(21:35):
And the real challenge here inVirginia is it's a very big
state with very culturaldifferences.
Larry Zilliox (21:44):
People don't realize how big the state is,
how long it takes to drive fromNorthern Virginia down to
Bristol.
Virginia is nine hours easily.
Chuck Zingler (21:54):
The southwestern point, I have an office in a
place called Big Stone Gap.
Oh yeah, big Stone Gap iscloser to five or six other
state capitals than it is toRichmond, virginia, and their
access to high-speed internet oryou know, the technology access
(22:19):
that they might have is verydifferent than in Arlington or
in Virginia Beach and it'sdifferent in Petersburg or
Greenville or, you know,northern NAC even.
It's just very it's a grandstate and we think it's the best
(22:41):
state for a veteran to live orwork or raise their family.
But we have to make sure thatwe have a lot of arrows in our
quiver to get them informationand then, more importantly,
serve them where they are andhow they need to be served Well.
Larry Zilliox (22:59):
I really think the Virginia Veterans Network is
really going to be key to that,because if somebody has access
to the internet, that's all theyneed.
Now it may be slower in someplaces than it is in other
places, but you just got to geton and you just got to sign up
and this is.
(23:19):
This is just such a greatproject.
So can you tell us a little bitabout how the network came
about?
And for our listeners, this isan online resource directory.
Essentially, it's a partnershipwith a nonprofit called
Combined Arms, based out ofHouston, texas, long history of
(23:40):
associating with some well-knownnational veteran service
organizations.
So isn't a fly-by-nightorganization by any means.
But how did you guys come upwith this and decide?
You know this is really whatwill help us.
Well, thank you.
Chuck Zingler (24:00):
Juan, Governor Glenn Youngkin I wasn't part of
the administration then eitherbefore he walked aboard or
shortly thereafter said here'sthis gold standard digital hub
and we're going to bring it tolife.
And it was nothing more thanthat, and my predecessor and a
great team started this shortlybefore I came aboard and then it
(24:24):
was handed over and withcombined arms that had done what
they do in two other occasions,one in Texas and then in South
Carolina, built this resourceaccess portal, if you will, of
these national organizations,and it gave us a model to start
(24:47):
with.
And most of those organizationsgo to those in real need.
And so you think about theserving veterans that are out
front that we see every day oncommercials.
We're there in despair.
Homelessness has found themwhere they're in despair,
(25:15):
Homelessness has found them.
The PTSD and the critical braininjury, or maybe they've lost
their job, become addicted.
And those organizations, if youwill, if you will in today
(25:42):
without some way to make thisorganized and to reach is little
different in my mind than adigital Sunday, new Warriors or
you see some of these brilliantideas and giving organizations.
But how do I reach them and isit the right fit for me?
And so, through Combined Armsand their portals in those two
(26:03):
states, we feel that we had astart of getting national
organizations and now we partnerwith many of the statewide
organizations that also to givethose senior veterans that maybe
can't drive anymore access torideshare that can get them to
(26:24):
an appointment.
We now have in Virginia sixcommunity veteran engagement
boards that we think we can soonbring them into this network.
(26:47):
So you'll have nationalorganizations, you'll have
statewide organizations thatwill continue to grow and soon
we can have community-basedorganizations in Loudoun County
to the city of Norfolk wants toparticipate, petersburg and all
over.
We'll have a horse blanket, ifyou will, of community veteran
(27:07):
organizations that can gothrough the soup kitchens or the
homeless shelters and the rideshares or the despair peer
counseling services.
That can now give you manychoices and hopefully not make
(27:28):
it as difficult to figure outwhere I am.
I mean, the number of greatprograms alone that deal with
suicide and opioid addiction aremore than a few, but the number
of seats at any one time arefinite are more than a few, but
the number of seats at any onetime are finite.
(27:52):
We have been doing arelationship course, a great
course for those that, forwhatever reason, are finding the
stress of the separationthrough a marriage or coming
home and now being stressed bytrying to find a job starts
fracturing the family.
Well, this course that we teach, if it's at the War Memorial in
Richmond and you're in Bristol,virginia, as you say, you don't
(28:13):
have access to do that.
The number of seats are finiteas well.
So what do you do when youcan't get there?
This technology allows us maybeto put that course on a TED
Talks or a YouTube video.
Or how do you deal withsomething when you're waiting
(28:34):
for that seat at that 27-weekopioid addiction program to
detoxify and to get well again?
And we're very bullish that theopportunities that we can
provide for the whole lifetime.
We had a.
(28:54):
My predecessor had a study doneand we had a year long study on
where should our priorities befocused and that was delivered
to me in the first week after Itook this position in last
January and it said where wefirst need to go is bring more
(29:17):
veterans to Virginia, keep moreveterans in Virginia and raise
the floor and the ceiling of theeconomic opportunity for
veterans.
The special warfare communityhas a program through the Hope
Foundation to get employmentwhen our special operators get
through their careers and theydid a survey and they found that
(29:40):
90% of our special operatorsNavy SEALs and these rangers and
the most talented and the mostengaged right they become
doctors when they get out andthey are fearless and they can
do anything.
They found that transition andfinding the right employment is
more stressful than a combatdeployment 90% more stressful
(30:06):
because they've prepared foreverything else and far too
often our service members andtheir families know that it's
time.
A year from now or two yearsfrom now, kids are getting ready
to go to school.
We want to keep them.
We've moved 11 times.
That was my experience.
I moved my kids 11 times.
They've sacrificed.
(30:28):
It's time for us to pay themand give them.
But it's hard and it's not thesame and the skills might not be
well understood and the value.
You might have to take somehumble pie that you got to learn
all over again and you've gotto compete all over again.
And so they have a program foremployment transition.
(30:51):
Go on to militarycom and theyhave great transition training
programs to get you ready.
We go through a TAP class thatputs someone without a college
education with someone thatmight have two degrees, someone
that wants to be a blue-collar,this or a welder, with someone
(31:12):
that wants to start their ownbusiness, and the transition
course is the lowest commondenominator and it really
doesn't prepare anyone, letalone any large group of them,
for what their individualprogram should be.
So we think that to keep morepeople here and to draw people
(31:33):
into this great state is we'renow the number one state in the
country for business.
We've actually grown populationfor the first time in 10 years.
So those new companies that arecoming to Virginia need our
veterans and their spouses andtheir family members to build
the right kind of workforce, andwe think we owe them not a job
(31:57):
but a career, notunderemployment but full
employment.
So that's also there throughthis network, and so I think
that's what the VirginiaVeterans Network can do for the
state of Virginia.
Larry Zilliox (32:12):
Well, I want to tell our listeners we're going
to have a link to it in the shownotes.
You could easily just GoogleVirginia Veterans Network.
It'll get you there, everybody.
If you're a resident ofVirginia and you're a veteran,
you need to sign up for it.
There's just no doubt about it.
It's free.
It'll get you there, everybody.
If you're a resident ofVirginia and you're a veteran,
you need to sign up for it.
There's just no doubt about it.
It's free.
It took me nine minutes and 28seconds to sign up.
(32:32):
I will tell you, though, youwant to have your dates of
service already to go in,because that's part of the
questionnaire that you're goingto go through.
So, instead of stopping in themiddle of this and then trying
to find those dates, just lookat your old DD-214, have those
dates ready.
But it's painless, you can getthrough it pretty quickly, and
(32:56):
it's a great resource directory.
One of the things that's reallyspecial about it is that the
resources are vetted and theyare regional and they're for the
veteran in the sense that youknow.
There's a lot of directoriesout there.
One that comes to mind isNational Resource Directory from
(33:19):
the Defense Health Agency, andit has thousands and thousands
of organizations listed.
The problem with it is, when Ido a search for something
locally, I get organizations forIowa and Texas, because when
they entered their informationthey fancied themselves national
(33:39):
organizations, and then theycome up in my search results.
That's not going to happen here.
With the Virginia VeteransNetwork, you are going to get
resources tailored to you, andwhat's great is you just don't
get an address and a phonenumber.
It connects you with thatorganization and then that
organization reaches out to you,and so I just think it's a
(34:04):
novel approach to doing things.
I think it's going to workbetter than pretty much anything
else I've seen out there, and Ireally encourage listeners to
sign up for it.
Look, you might think you don'tneed these resources right now,
and that might be true, butwhen you do need one, that's not
(34:24):
the time to try and be signingup and and figuring things out.
Just take your time, do it nowand, you know, tuck that
username and password away forwhen you need it.
But I'm telling you this is agreat resource that the Virginia
Department of Veteran Servicesis offering all the veterans in
Virginia at no cost.
(34:46):
It's really something.
What do you see, is the numberone issue that veterans have in
Virginia that your organizationaddresses most.
Is it food insecurity?
Is it housing I imagine housingis a big issue Job placement or
is it a combination of a numberof things?
Chuck Zingler (35:08):
I think it is a combination.
And first I want to thank youfor your last piece about the
importance here.
There is no service on thisnetwork that we charge for.
They're all free and, to yourpoint, we don't want you to know
us when you're in crisis.
We will answer you when you'rein crisis.
(35:30):
But we think, when you come onto this, if it's just to
register, and not only does theservice member want to register,
we think the spouse wants toregister as well as you can, as
the spouse of a veteran, thesurvivor of a veteran, and we
want even to get those veteransthat are or excuse me, those
(35:52):
service members that arethinking of leaving, or those
veterans are thinking of leavingArkansas or Florida or New
Jersey or wherever, to come here.
But to your point, larry, ifit's just to peruse the site and
see where deals to get ontoamusement centers or movies or
concerts or a kayaking club,because it can serve you and put
(36:18):
you into a community so thatyou know things that, when you
are seeing a bump in your road,can learn about us.
So, whether it's finding, howcan I get my DD-214 online, you
can get that from this site.
You can get your.
(36:40):
What's the value of having aveteran status on my driver's
license and how do I get that?
You can get that through oursite, and so we want this to be
a site that you and your familymakes common practice of.
But what do they need?
Absolutely, in crisis, it'slate and they need food
(37:07):
stability or they have a familymember that's met crisis.
That's critical.
When I go to all the basecommanders and there's a
conference quarterly that weattend childcare.
With the economy the way it was, the rise in rental or housing
costs, the importance for atwo-parent family to both have
(37:30):
employment has become moresignificant.
They can't if there's nochildcare, a single-parent
family, these things areterribly critical.
When I went to the lastconference of our base
commanders, the average waitinglist for childcare in and around
(37:51):
our bases is between three and400.
So we would like to make thatan entrepreneurial priority
where we can find a newchildcare profession, where we
can find a new child careprofession where we can train
and then let them get out intothe communities.
(38:12):
And we understand it's notsolely a veteran issue.
But, boy, if we could put thosearound where veterans know
where they can access child careservices, where we can get
licensure for people moving intothe state that have had that
background and we can turn thatinto a growing area of service,
(38:35):
that we'd be able to do that andthose are some of the big
problems that we have to solve.
So, when you're looking,there's still a big need to
re-adjudicate benefits claimsthat have not been supported and
we have lawyers to do that.
We can make this accessible tothem through the Virginia
Veterans Network.
We've talked about those tospare services and access to
(38:58):
these state and nationalresources and I think still the
employment transition piece isreally big because they don't
start early enough.
Larry Zilliox (39:08):
Well again, listeners.
All the contact information isgoing to be in the show notes.
One last question, and itreally has to do with our local
veterans here in the NorthernVirginia area.
But what's up with the PullerCenter?
Chuck Zingler (39:24):
Well, we think we're on a glide slope to finish
this.
I've been there many times andI've met with the team that
manages it from the governmentstandpoint and I've met with the
contractors that have been inas transparent as I can be.
(39:46):
Covid hit it hard and thefinding a bevy of qualified
contractors that had a fullworkforce was not the best to
any industry, but especially tobuilding contractors at that
time.
So I think the deck was stackedagainst a contractor and
(40:10):
perhaps they didn't have all thetalent both quantity and
quality as they competed forsubcontractors.
They'd have one choice, notfour choices, not an excuse.
Have one choice, not fourchoices, not an excuse.
And when I first came on boardand we started visiting, it was
a series of excuses, of notwonderful stories.
(40:32):
I don't want to talk much aboutthat because we are now going
through a process to get backthe funds that were misspent
furniture that was purchased tooearly, people that were hired
too early, and the government isworking to get recompensated
(40:52):
for those expenses.
We do know that they're in thefinal stage of finishing now we
expect to take over, for that inthe late spring is if things
work out, then we'll have to gothrough getting all the
equipment and the rehabequipment, the beds and
(41:13):
everything furnished and thestaff trained.
New center that opened lastDecember in Virginia Beach.
You'll go through growing,getting inspection, making sure
that we're delivering services,then getting certified for the
various Medicare, Medicaid.
(41:36):
So we think in the summer andfall you'll see this place come
to life.
We will celebrate it.
Having been to all of our carecenters, they are remarkable and
we're excited for the openingof Puller and Fauquier and
Loudon and the rest of NorthernVirginia, we'll be proud.
(42:01):
It's about time and weunderstand why everyone is
disappointed that we didn't haveit when we needed it.
But I think that'll be quicklyovercome by wow, it's here and
we're happy it's here.
Here and those veterans andfamily members will be well
(42:25):
served by a world-class carecenter memory care center and
rehab center here in NorthernVirginia.
Larry Zilliox (42:37):
Yeah, it's a beautiful looking building.
From the outside, I could sensethat the problems were on the
inside.
Oh yeah, yeah, but I'm reallylooking forward to the ribbon
cutting so I can go pick out myroom, um, but uh, well, that's
great news.
So I think we could look forthat in 2025, uh, for sure
That'd be great.
Chuck Zingler (42:57):
Before the year's over, we're going to, we're
going to celebrate and, um, I'lllook forward showing you where
perhaps your room could be Okay,great, well listen,
commissioner.
Larry Zilliox (43:10):
Thank you so much for joining us today.
I really, really appreciate it.
Chuck Zingler (43:15):
Thank you so much .
I'm proud to be here.
Just for your audience, I'lltell them dvsvirginiacom or,
excuse me, gov is our website.
You can reach me atcommissioner, at dvsvirginiagov
or chuckzingler, just contact us.
(43:37):
Tell us what we can do better,tell me where your needs are and
tell me what we need to do tohelp you and your family in the
future.
Larry Zilliox (43:47):
Well, great, and for our listeners.
We will have another episodenext Monday morning at 0500.
Do you have any questions orsuggestions?
You can reach us at podcast atwillingwarriorsorg.
Until then, thanks forlistening.
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