Louisiana VA Secretary says veterans are an ‘economic powerhouse’

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Colonel Charlton Meginley was in Shreveport today.

He had a packed to-do list, including attending the Military Affairs Council meeting earlier this morning and meeting with leadership at Barksdale Air Force Base to discuss how the VA can help the base. He aims to help service members transition to civilian life, specifically within the Shreveport-Bossier community.

“I want them to stay. I want our sons and daughters who left the state to come back home, and then I want service members who are looking for a new opportunity to consider Louisiana when they land,” said Meginley. “Barksdale and then Northwest Louisiana, in particular, are prime locations. You’ve got great access. You’ve got a major VA hospital here. You’ve got this major military instillation, and there’s lots of opportunity that we are seeing for veterans to say- you know what, we want to make Shreveport-Bossier our home after the service.”

The community of Caddo-Bossier has 28,000 veterans, according to the VA Secretary.

“Veterans aren’t thought of as an economic powerhouse, but we are,” said the Secretary. “Those veterans bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in DOD and VA money into your tax base, making your tax base stronger, which ultimately provides the services for the community.”

Meginley has held the role of Secretary for one year and was even a professor at LSU for one semester during his tenure. He called the opportunity an “honor.”

“We were restarting our veteran law clinic and essentially trying to use law students as force multipliers for veterans to get additional legal help,” he explained.

“Last semester, it was helping them with disability claims,” said Meginley. “This semester, they’re helping with discharge upgrades, and I’m hoping in the future that we can help use that clinic for veterans to get end-of-life services, your wills, your power of attorney, those legal documents that everyone should be securing themselves with.”

As for the future, Meginley will be at the Barksdale Defenders of Liberty Air Show, which is taking place from March 27-30th. The LDVA will have a booth where people can stop by to inquire about resources or ask additional questions.

You can also visit their website or call 225.219.5000.