Veterans Affairs

The Susquehanna County Veterans affairs office proudly serves the Veterans of our County and their families.

Anyone with questions about the vast array of benefits available is encouraged to contact the County VA office, and we will be happy to answer your questions and provide assistance. The office is located in the County Courthouse at 31 Lake Ave. Montrose, Pa. and the office hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:30 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. except for scheduled holidays or required Certified Veterans Services Officer (VSO) training.

Individuals may also find complete information on veteran's federal benefits by visiting the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs web site at www.va.gov and state benefits at www.dmva.pa.gov/veterans/pages

Veterans in crisis or contemplating suicide may call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 option 1 or text at 838255 for help

Finally to all our veterans, “thank you for your service” we look forward to serving you.

Veterans Corner

The Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs office writes an article once each month that is published in the Susquehanna Independent (also known as the Susquehanna County Independent). These articles called “Veterans Corner” provide information related to veteran’s issues and benefits. The articles are published once per month and can be found in one of the editions of the Susquehanna Independent. For your convenience we also make the articles available here on the County website.

Anyone with any questions about the benefits available to Veterans and their family members can call the Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs Office at (570) 278-5955

VETERANS CORNER

Presumptive Conditions for VA compensation claims
Submitted By: Jeffery Mead
Susquehanna County Director of Veterans Affairs/Veterans Service Officer

A VA presumptive condition is a medical illness the Department of Veterans Affairs automatically assumes is linked to military service, significantly easing the veteran's burden of proof for disability benefits by removing the need to prove the direct in-service cause. These conditions are established by law for specific service environments, like Agent Orange exposure for Vietnam vets or burn pits, meaning a veteran with a diagnosis and qualifying service history can receive benefits without proving the service event caused it, though a current diagnosis and service timeframe are still required.

How it works

• Reduces burden: Instead of proving an in-service event, injury, and a medical nexus (link), the VA presumes the connection if you meet service requirements and have a diagnosis.

• Qualifying service: You must have served during specific periods or locations (e.g., Vietnam, Gulf War) or had certain exposures (Agent Orange, burn pits, radiation).

• Diagnosis: You need a current medical diagnosis for the condition.

• Timeframe: Some conditions require diagnosis within a specific time after service (e.g., within one year for chronic diseases).

Burn Pit /Particulate Matter Exposure Locations:

Gulf War Veterans: Veterans who served in Somalia or the Southwest Asia theater of operations (which includes Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations) during the Persian Gulf War on or after Aug. 2, 1990.

Post-9/11 Veterans: Veterans who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, or Uzbekistan and the airspace above these locations during the Gulf War on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This includes Veterans who served at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) base in Uzbekistan after Sept. 11, 2001.

Burn Pit /Particulate Matter Exposure Presumptive Conditions

Acute and chronic leukemias
Asthma that was diagnosed after service
Adenocarcinoma of the lung
Adenocarcinoma of the trachea
Brain cancer
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic rhinitis
Chronic sinusitis
Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
Emphysema
Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
Glioblastoma
Granulomatous disease
Head cancer of any type
Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
Kidney cancer
Large cell carcinoma of the lung
Lymphatic cancer of any type
Lymphoma of any type
Male breast cancer
Melanoma
Multiple myelomas
Myelodysplastic syndromes
Myelofibrosis Neck cancer of any type
Pancreatic cancer
Pleuritis Pulmonary fibrosis
Paraurethral glands cancer
Reproductive cancer of any type
Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type
Salivary gland-type tumors of the lung
Salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea
Sarcomatoid carcinoid of the lung
Sarcoidosis
Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung
Urethral cancer
Urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers

Agent Orange: a chemical the U.S. military used during the Vietnam War.

Agent Orange Presumptive Locations:

• Republic of Vietnam (to include territorial waters within 12 nautical miles off shore) from January 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975

• Service in the Air Force or Air Force Reserve when the individual concerned regularly and repeatedly operated, maintained, or served onboard C–123 aircraft known to have been used to spray an herbicide agent during the Vietnam era

• Korean DMZ from September 1, 1967, to August 31, 1971

• Thailand at any United States or Royal Thai base, without regard to where on the base the Veteran was located or what military occupational specialty the Veteran performed, from January 9, 1962, to June 30, 1976

• Laos from December 1, 1965, to September 30, 1969

• Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province, from April 16, 1969, to April 30, 1969

• Guam or American Samoa, or in the territorial waters thereof from January 9, 1962, to July 31, 1980

• Served on Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972, to September 30, 1977 (va.gov)

Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions:

• Chloracne or other acne-form disease consistent with chloracne*

• Soft-tissue sarcoma, other than Osteosarcoma Chondrosarcoma Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)

• Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT)*

• Hodgkin’s disease

• Respiratory cancers of the Lung, Bronchus, Larynx, or Trachea

• Multiple myeloma

• Prostate cancer

• Acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy*

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (also known as Type II diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes)

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

• AL amyloidosis

• Ischemic heart disease (IHD) (including, but not limited to, acute, subacute, and old myocardial infarction; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease (including coronary spasm) and coronary bypass surgery; and stable, unstable and Prinzmetal’s angina)

• All chronic B-cell leukemias (including, but not limited to, hairy-cell leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia)

• Parkinson’s disease

• Early-onset peripheral neuropathy

• Parkinsonism

• Bladder cancer

• Hypothyroidism

• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

• Hypertension (va.gov)

(*) must have manifested within one year of exposure

Camp Lejeune Justice Act (Part of the PACT Act) eliminates burdensome red tape to ensure that those exposed to toxic chemicals, including service members, Marine dependents, civil servants, and contractors, can receive their day in court. (gregmurphy.house.gov)

NOTE: This is totally separate from a Veteran applying for VA compensation due to exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Any Veteran Service Officer can assist with applying for VA compensation at no charge to the Veteran or the Veteran can file a claim online through va.gov.

Camp Lejeune Presumptive Location & Timeframe: To be eligible for a presumptive service connection, Veterans must have served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and later developed one of the Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions.

Camp Lejeune Presumptive Conditions:

Adult leukemia
Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
Bladder cancer
Kidney cancer
Liver cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Parkinson’s disease (va.gov)

CHRONIC (LONG-LASTING) CONDITIONS

The following chronic conditions are presumptive if the disease manifests in the specified timeframe and the Veteran served continuously for at least 90 days.

WITHIN ONE YEAR OF RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY:

Anemia-primary
Arteriosclerosis
Arthritis
Atrophy, progressive muscular
Brain hemorrhage
Brain thrombosis
Bronchiectasis
Calculi of the kidney, bladder, or gallbladder
Cardiovascular-renal disease, including hypertension
Cirrhosis of the liver
Coccidioidomycosis
Diabetes mellitus
Encephalitis lethargica residuals
Endocarditis
Endocrinopathies
Epilepsies
Hodgkin’s disease
Leukemia
Lupus erythematosus, systemic
Myasthenia gravis
Myelitis
Myocarditis
Nephritis
Other organic diseases of the nervous system
Osteitis deformans (Paget’s disease)
Osteomalacia
Palsy, bulbar
Paralysis agitans
Psychoses
Purpura idiopathic, hemorrhagic
Raynaud’s disease
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral (ALS)
Syringomyelia
Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease)
Tumors, malignant, or of the brain or spinal cord or peripheral nerves
Ulcers, peptic (gastric or duodenal)

WITHIN THREE YEARS OF RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY:

Tuberculosis
Hansen’s disease (leprosy)

WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY:

Multiple sclerosis

ANY TIME AFTER RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Upcoming Veteran Events:

Gulf War/Global War on Terror Veterans’ Support Group February 2nd, every, first Monday of Month at 5:30 PM- at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488, call Rob Parfitt 570-239-5191.

Vietnam Support Group January 19th and February 2nd , every 1st, and 3rd Monday at 10:30 AM- at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488, call Rob Parfitt 570-239-5191.

Java for Joes January 15th 2026 due to New Years being a Thursday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 at 798 Erie Ave Susquehanna, Pa at the Erie & Main Coffee House. Usually, the Second Thursday of the month, contact Melissa Dubas 607-765-1366.

Hometown Hero Banners (HHB) sponsored by Montrose Area Kiwanis Club, are currently accepting applications until February 14, 2026. This group of HHB will be displayed from April – October 2026 and 2027. The cost is $240.00 ($140.00 for Renewal). Applications are due by February 14th, 2026, and are available at Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs or by contacting Debbie Crisman at 570-278-1026, or 570-533-1331. The designated dates for collecting the 2024-2025 retired banners are January 16th, 17th, and 18th, 2026 in the back sunroom downstairs at the Montrose VFW. The collection hours will be from 10AM to 2PM each day.

January 21nd, 2026, Point In Time Count (PIT COUNT)-annual count of unhoused individuals & individuals in uninhabitable locations taking place throughout Susquehanna County both through street canvassing and service-based contact. All information collected and reported is anonymous, no personally identifiable information is requested or shared. Information used for HUD another housing funding for our county. Anyone interested in assisting with count or wanting to report a homeless person call Jeff Mead at 570-767-2373.

Susquehanna Veterans Affairs office is always here to assist Veterans in accessing Veterans Administration and State benefits.

Our office can be reached at the following:
P.O. Box 218 /31 Lake Avenue Montrose, PA 18801 (Courthouse-side entrance facing the green)
Phone: 570-278-5955 or 570-278-4600 Ext. 3045
Fax: 570-278-5977

Contact Information

Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs
31 Lake Avenue (PO Box 218)
Montrose, PA 18801

Telephone: (570) 278-5955
Fax: (570) 278-5977

Jeffery Mead, Director / VSO