{"id":111707,"date":"2020-11-10T18:29:41","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T00:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=111707"},"modified":"2026-03-05T11:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T17:12:52","slug":"advocating-for-veterans-in-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/for-our-wellness\/advocating-for-veterans-in-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocating for veterans in need"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the United States Bureau of Labor, in 2015, about 4.3 million veterans, had a disability from service. The Veteran Affairs\u2019 (VA) disability compensation system can be difficult to navigate. So, it often leads to frustration among the applicants. Army veteran and The Chicago School<\/a> alum, Anthony Edgecomb started VA Disability Connect<\/a> to help those in need.<\/p>\n

As a disabled veteran himself, Anthony saw the problem and decided to find a solution.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony
Anthony Edgecomb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI have been through the system. So, I can tell you, the VA health care system offers veterans quality care for free\u201d he says. \u201cBut I started VA Disability Connect after seeing a need for veteran advocacy. I was talking to veterans who were struggling with getting health care and compensation. So, I realized that they needed someone who has been through the process. To guide them so they can be successful the first time they apply. The VA does great things for our veterans. But it takes assistance to get our veterans taken care of initially.\u201d<\/p>\n

VA Disability Connect is a non-profit organization. It helps veterans by educating them about their VA benefits. And, guiding them through the process of filing<\/p>\n

\"Anthony
Anthony Edgecomb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

disability claims, education applications, home loan guidance, and many other services. \u201cWe have an amazing team of individuals including VSOs, an attorney, medical providers, senior military officers, and drug and alcohol peer support team members, amongst others\u201d says founder and Chief Executive Officer, Anthony.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony
Anthony Edgecomb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anthony recognizes that veterans still face stigma around mental health. Veterans needs and need immediate access to care. \u201cBeing around soldiers constantly gave me perspective on all different walks of life. I had to be a mentor, leader, support system, therapist, and guide for these men and women. They taught me more about life than I ever expected. Because of this I became deeply passionate about mental health. So I decided to get my BA in psychology<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony\u2019s military awards include several Army Achievement medals, Army commendation medals, NCO professional development medals, Army Good Conduct Medals, and the Meritorious Service Medal, amongst others.\u00a0 Currently, he lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia with his wife and two daughters, and works for the Department of Defense in the DC region.<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more about The Chicago School<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chicago School is dedicated to providing you with an exceptional education rooted in innovation, service, and community.\u00a0Enroll in one of our more than 30 academic programs<\/a>\u00a0today. Request more information by filling out the form below!<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the United States Bureau of Labor, in 2015, about 4.3 million veterans, had a disability from service. The Veteran Affairs\u2019 (VA) disability compensation system can be difficult to navigate. So, it often leads to frustration among the applicants. Army veteran and The Chicago School alum, Anthony Edgecomb started VA Disability Connect to help those in need. As a disabled veteran himself, Anthony saw the problem and decided to find a solution. \u201cI have been through the system. So, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":111720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1090],"class_list":["post-111707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-our-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAdvocating for veterans in need - Insight Digital Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how The Chicago School is supporting veterans\u2019 mental health and advocating for those in need of critical resources.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/for-our-wellness\/advocating-for-veterans-in-need\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Advocating for veterans in need - 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