Veterans Stand Down scheduled for Pablo

FORT HARRISON, Mont. — Military Veterans and their families are invited to attend the Veterans Stand Down at the SKC Joe McDonald Athletic Gym in Pablo.

The event is hosted by the Flathead Nation Veteran Resource Office in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Montana Health Care System. VA staff and Veterans service providers will be on hand offering services and assistance to Veterans, including information about employment, housing assistance, legal services, VA benefits, social security and other programs. Medical staff will also provide free flu shots.

The original Stand Down for homeless Veterans was modeled after the Stand Down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations.

Stand Downs are intended to be collaborative, grassroots events coordinated between local VAs, other government agencies, and community agencies serving homeless Veterans. In addition to this coordination role, staff from local VA facilities provide volunteer support for local Stand Downs particularly in health screening, triage and services, mental health assessments and referrals, and increasingly, screening and referrals for housing placements.

Last year, there were 196 Stand Downs held nationwide serving 44,325 Veterans and 7,695 family members of Veterans. More than 27,000 volunteers participated in stand down events.