Military and Veterans Affairs
The Military and Veterans Affairs Committee provides policymakers with a forum to share and discuss issue-based solutions uniquely related to military members, veterans, and their families. The committee also serves as a vehicle to build regional consensus that fortifies the ongoing cooperative federal–state relationship designed to improve the overall health and well-being of the members of the military and veterans communities.
Chair and Vice Chair
Earl G. Jaques, Jr.
Representative, Delaware
After
graduating
from
William
Penn
High
School,
Earl
enlisted
in
the
Delaware
Air
National
Guard,
where
he
served
his
state
and
country
for
more
than
36
years.
He
rose
through
the
ranks
in
numerous
key
leadership
positions,
culminating
as
the
...
full-time
Chief
of
Staff
at
the
Delaware
Air
National
Guard
Headquarters.
In
this
position,
he
acted
on
behalf
of
the
Adjutant
General
in
the
administration,
training
and
operation
of
all
Air
National
Guard
(ANG)
units
within
the
state.
He
also
served
as
the
principal
representative
and
spokesperson
for
the
Delaware
Air
National
Guard
and
as
the
senior
manager
for
major
statewide
programs
that
were
conducted
under
the
Department
of
Military
Affairs.
In
1996,
he
assumed
the
additional
position
as
the
Delaware
National
Guard
Legislative
Liaison
Officer
and
authored
numerous
pieces
of
legislation
that
were
enacted
into
law.
In
November
2008,
Earl
was
elected
to
his
first
term
in
the
House
of
Representatives
for
the
27th
District.
He
is
currently
chair
of
the
House
Education
and
Veteran
Affairs
committees,
and
serves
on
the
Joint
Finance
Committee
and
Appropriations
Committee.
As
chairman
of
the
House
Veteran
Affairs
Committee,
he
continually
authors
numerous
pieces
of
legislation
to
assist
veterans
and
National
Guard
personnel.
Representative
Jaques
has
received
numerous
awards
from
various
organizations
to
include:
Humane
Society
of
the
United
States,
Delaware
State
Education
Association,
Delaware
MS
Society,
Charter
School
Network,
National
Guard
Association
of
Delaware,
and
became
an
Honorary
Member
of
the
Delaware
City
Fire
Company.
He
is
a
2018
recipient
of
the
Charles
Dick
Medal
of
Merit
from
the
National
Guard
Association
of
the
United
States.
Recently,
he
was
appointed
as
a
member
of
the
prestigious
Southern
Regional
Education
Board.
In
2013,
Earl
was
inducted
into
the
Robert
Kirkwood
Chapter
of
the
Sons
of
the
American
Revolutions
with
ancestors
who
fought
in
the
battles
of
Bunker
Hill,
Saratoga,
and
White
Plains
and
also
participated
in
the
Boston
Tea
Party.
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Camille F.J. Vella-Wilkinson
Representative, Rhode Island
Camille
F.J.
Vella-Wilkinson
(D)
represents
District
21
in
Warwick.
She
was
first
elected
in
November
2016.
She
is
the
first
vice
chairwoman
of
the
House
Committee
on
Conduct
and
she
is
a
member
of
the
House
Committee
on
Finance,
the
...
House
Committee
on
Judiciary,
the
House
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
and
the
House
Committee
on
Rules.
Also
in
2018,
she
graduated
from
the
Eastern
Leadership
Academy,
a
fellowship
program
designed
to
enhance
the
leadership
abilities
of
state
officials
from
all
three
branches
of
government.
The
fellowship
took
place
at
the
University
of
Pennsylvania
in
Philadelphia.
Before
being
elected
state
representative,
Vella-Wilkinson
served
three
terms
on
the
Warwick
City
Council,
from
2011
to
2016,
with
two
terms
as
finance
chairwoman.
She
was
state
commissioner
on
the
Rhode
Island
Commission
for
Human
Relations
from
1999
to
2016.
She
has
also
served
as
the
City
of
Warwick
Veterans
liaison
from
2011
to
2016.
In
2016,
she
was
honored
with
the
Legislator
of
the
Year
award
from
the
Disabled
American
Veterans,
the
YMCA
Woman
of
Achievement
award
and
the
American
Legion
Post
43
Auxiliary
Female
Veteran
of
the
Year
award.
She
is
an
alumna
of
the
URI
Schmidt
Labor
Research
Center
and
Leadership
Rhode
Island
(2006),
a
member
of
American
Legion
Post
43,
Military
Officers
Association
of
America
and
St.
Benedict’s
Daughters
of
Isabella
Circle
423.
A
retired
Navy
officer,
she
is
self-employed
as
a
work-readiness
coach.
She
graduated
from
St.
Edmund
High
School
in
Brooklyn
in
1974.
She
received
a
bachelor’s
degree
in
English
and
psychology
from
Long
Island
University
in
1979.
She
received
her
master’s
degree
in
labor
relations
from
the
University
of
Rhode
Island
and
juris
doctor
degree
from
Roger
Williams
University
in
2006.
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Events
Jul
8
Occupational licensure reform is a growing trend in state governments across the nation.
Read More
Resolution on Establishing a Veterans' Mediation Program in CSG's Eastern Region (2018)
Resolution in Support of a Veterans Mental Health Investigation and Creation of a Veterans Court in Puerto Rico (2017)
For more information on the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, please contact staff liaison
Debbie-Ann Paige
Email: dpaige@csg.org
direct: 646-383-5753