The clock is ticking for veterans of the war in Afghanistan to apply for up to $1,500 in bonuses before the program closes out in three years in late 2024.
In 2010, Ohio voters approved the sale of up to $200 million in bonds to fund a bonus pay program to thank veterans, but the money is running out and many veterans haven't applied yet.
The Ohio Department of Veteran Services estimates there are 32,000 Afghanistan veterans in Ohio. The state has received roughly 19,000 bonus applications but one veteran can apply multiple times.
State officials are looking for ways to pump another $2.7 million into the program so that eligible veterans can get the cash. Exactly where that money will come from has yet to be determined.
"Our best estimates show we still need somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.7 million to complete the program, and we are resolved to add at least that amount to the fund," said Jeffrey Rapp, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Veteran Services.
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Ohio voters approved up to $200 million in bonds, but the state only sold $83.7 million, based on the claims history and the anticipation that American troops would leave Afghanistan by late 2014.
Instead, Americans remained in Afghanistan through August 2021, when President Joe Biden withdrew troops.
Ohio lawmakers authorized an additional $500,000 for the program in the recent two-year state budget bill, bringing the current balance to about $1.28 million.
'A salute to service'
The lack of money isn't the program's only problem. While information about the bonus is posted at OhioVets.gov, it isn't being actively marketed elsewhere right now.
"We plan to come up with a campaign that will reach out to the maximum number of eligible Ohio veterans to make sure they are getting full use of this well-earned benefit, but that messaging is still taking shape," the Ohio Department of Veteran Services said in a written response to questions about the program.
Doreen Lafferty, an Army veteran who received a $1,000 Ohio bonus for service in Iraq, said the cash infusion came at a time when her family was struggling. But beyond the finances, Lafferty said the bonus was a meaningful recognition of her service.
"It's just kind of a salute to service but on a state level," said Lafferty, who is a benefits specialist for the Franklin County Veteran Services Commission.
Lafferty urges veterans of the war in Afghanistan to apply for the bonus before the three-year window shuts. "Don't let that clock run out," she said.
Ohio voters approved veteran bonus programs after World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The current program provided cash bonuses for veterans of the conflicts in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan. The application window is closed for veterans of the wars in the Persian Gulf and Iraq.
"It is a really appreciated recognition of that service those veterans did. It's tied to a specific service and time they spent away from family," said Buck Bramlish, director of the Franklin County Veteran Services Commission.
How to apply
Veterans can find an application online or visit their local county veterans services organizations for assistance. Although an application can be filled out online, documentation of Ohio residency and military service must be mailed in and the signature page must be notarized.
To qualify, veterans:
Eligible veteran or active duty service member may receive $100 for each month, up to $1,000 maximum, spent on active duty service in Afghanistan since October 7, 2001.
Eligible veterans may receive an additional $50 per month, up to $500, for active duty anywhere else in the world since Oct. 7, 2001.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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