Closings Affect Veterans Too : County should help plan for their future as bases shut down

A great deal of attention has been given to the future of the Marine air bases at El Toro and Tustin once the troops depart. But as generations of advocates for veterans’ services have always noted, the military is more than infrastructure and hardware. Planning for the future of the people is important.

The network of veterans who will remain and have relied on the bases is estimated at more than 200,000, a huge number of personnel. These are people who have used the exchange store, received medical exams and sought information about veterans benefits. The closing of the bases has engaged the entire Orange County community, but what will be done for the remaining veterans has been something of an afterthought.

Last month, Supervisors Charles V. Smith and Jim Silva asked for the hiring of two new workers for the county’s veterans services center in Santa Ana. The office had its staff cut from 15 people to seven during the bankruptcy. Already, the county has found that there is a backlog in claims processing and there is a need to improve service to veterans. The office reportedly has lagged in its financial reporting.

To its credit, the full board approved the hiring of extra staff at its Sept. 23 meeting. That was a positive step.

Already, county officials report an increase in the number of veterans visiting the office to get help filling out medical forms or to seek applications for home loans and other benefits. The office says it helped bring in $4 million in benefits last year, which is a substantial chunk of change to be infused into the local economy. There are economic benefits to the region from having these services provided beyond the obvious need to take care of the military.

The military and Orange County have been companions and neighbors all these years, and it makes sense to have the county involved in making the transition to the post-base era as smooth as possible. Local veterans, realizing that they won’t have all the services available to them, recognize that the county will be an important resource down the road.

It is unclear how many of the 6,500 Marines now on the base at El Toro will retire when the facility is closed. But having the county lend a hand will support the evolving relationship between the military and Orange County.