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Between flights, shifts and the quiet recalibration that follows a deployment, there’s a moment every Airman reaches where the noise fades and the next question surfaces: What now?
During the January Unit Training Assembly, representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) will be on hand at the 911th Airlift Wing to help answer that question—connecting recently deployed Airmen with health care, benefits and support services designed to carry them through the long haul, not just the homecoming.
Heather Steele, community outreach coordinator with Pittsburgh VA Medical Center since 2009, said the visit is about meeting Airmen where they are—on base, between responsibilities, and before they realize they need help. “The goal of visiting the base is to encourage recently deployed service members to enroll for healthcare and learn about VAPHS services and programs available,” Steele said.
For many Veterans, enrollment is the step that gets postponed. Steele said VA health care can go underutilized because service members assume private insurance is enough.
“They should be encouraged to enroll for VA healthcare even if they use their private health insurance through their employment,” Steele said. “A lot of veterans will wait to enroll for care when they can be utilizing VA healthcare alongside their private insurance.”
The Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, serving 9.1 million enrolled Veterans each year across 1,380 facilities, including 170 medical centers and more than 1,100 outpatient clinics. In the Pittsburgh region, VA services are anchored by two medical centers—University Drive in Oakland and the H.J. Heinz III campus in O’Hara Township—supported by seven outpatient clinics across a 13-county area. Airmen who may drill in Pittsburgh but live outside of the area can also search for a variety of nearby VA Facilities on their website.
During the January UTA, VA representatives plan to support Airmen in an educational capacity. Services are expected to include information on eligibility and enrollment applications, Military2VA support, Women’s Health, research opportunities, Suicide Prevention and Veterans Benefits Administration assistance.
While on-the-spot enrollment is not available during the UTA, application packets will be provided, enrollment itself is straightforward. It requires a completed VA Form 10-10EZ and a copy of a DD214. Reserve Airmen and Guardsmen must have served either 24 continuous months or have been called to active duty by a federal order and completed the full period for the active duty order. Those who have active-duty status for training purposes only, do not qualify for VA health care. However exceptions do exist for hardship discharges, service-connected disabilities, or for individuals with service dates prior to 1980.
Mental health support will be a visible priority. VA Pittsburgh’s suicide prevention team will be onsite, offering connection to a broader safety net that includes care coordinators, case managers, community partnership specialists and COMPACT Act support.
The Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act, passed into law on December 5th, 2020, and implemented by the VA on January 17th, 2023, aims to prevent Veteran suicide by increasing Veteran access to Emergent Suicide Care for an acute suicidal crisis at both VA and non-VA facilities. Under the COMPACT Act payment authority, an eligible individual in an acute suicidal crisis can go to any VA or non-VA facility to receive emergent suicide care at no cost to them.
“At VA Pittsburgh, we offer same-day access to mental health care when you need it,” Steele said. “Our emergency department on our University Drive campus is also open 24/7 for Veterans with urgent mental health care needs outside of regular business hours.”
The Suicide Prevention Program operates weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can be reached at 412-360-6515.
Other programs expected during the January UTA include Military2VA, which supports Post-9/11 Veterans transitioning from active service. The program connects Airmen with case managers who help navigate health care, rehabilitation, mental health services, family counseling and specialized care support for polytrauma— severe, life-threatening injuries affecting two or more body systems, often resulting from high-energy events like car crashes or explosions.
Women Veterans can also access dedicated care through VA Pittsburgh’s Women’s Health Program, which provides comprehensive services ranging from primary care and gynecology to maternity care, mental health counseling and wellness services, coordinated through a Women Veteran Program Manager.
Beyond care delivery, VA Pittsburgh plays a major role in advancing medical knowledge. In fiscal year 2022, the system supported more than 350 research projects led by 133 investigators, funded in part through the Veterans Health Foundation—a congressionally authorized nonprofit that supports VA research and education programs nationwide.
Information regarding the Veterans Benefits Administration will also be available during the January UTA effort, helping Steel Airmen understand and access benefits such as the GI Bill, home loans, disability compensation and service-connected claims. VA-accredited representatives can assist with filing claims, requesting service records, managing benefits online and avoiding unlawful fees.
For Steel Airmen fresh off deployment—or those who’ve been carrying the weight a little longer—the VA’s presence is less about filing paperwork and more about learning what you don’t yet know: how health care, benefits and support services can work together to strengthen your next chapter in service. It’s encouragement to ask questions, to enroll early and to make use of a system built to serve Veterans during and after a job well done.
Sometimes the most important step isn’t knowing what you need, but knowing where to go, sit down and start the conversation.
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2025 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 554621 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
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