An executive order signed this week by Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee aims to make the state one of the leading states for military families and veterans.
“As we gather with friends and family to celebrate our great nation this Independence Day, we must also remember that freedom is not free – it has been hard-won and hard-kept by veterans and members of our armed forces,” said Gov. Lee. “These brave men and women deserve our highest respect and strongest support, and today, I’m signing an executive order that will continue our work to make Tennessee the best state in the nation for service members, veterans and their families to thrive.”
The council will have its work cut out for them as recent rankings place Tennessee as average in terms of attractiveness to military retirees in particular.
Support During and Post-Service
Lee, in a July 4 video announcement, said the council’s primary objective is to offer unwavering support to both current and former service members, focusing on veteran transition, employment, workforce development, and essential resources for military families.“To be ‘America At Its Best,’ Tennessee must lead the nation in meeting the needs of service members, veterans, and their families while maximizing their skillsets and experiences for a more prosperous Tennessee,” the order states in part.
The council, comprising 13 members, will bring together representatives from the Lee administration, the state legislature, local leaders, key veterans service organizations, and a military family representative.
Together they are charged with accomplishing several key objectives to aid veterans and their families in Tennessee.
Goals include an increase in coordination among all state agencies related to military and veterans affairs, ensuring seamless collaboration between crucial public and private military and veterans programs, and promoting Tennessee as the preeminent state in the nation for military and veterans by pursuing strategic initiatives that enhance their quality of life.
The comprehensive strategic plan they will submit to Lee will serve as a roadmap for Tennessee’s future efforts to provide the best possible support and opportunities for service members, veterans, and their families, he said in a press release.
Room for Growth
Tennessee is currently ranked 43rd out of 51 when it comes to the best and worst states for military retirees in particular, according to an analysis by WalletHub.WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of economic environment, quality of life and health care in their rankings of best and worst states for military retirement.
Tennessee’s ranking is heavily impacted by poor quality of life, according to the analysis, with the state ranking as having the third worst quality of life.
Tennessee ranks well in terms of having the 16th best economic environment while showing room for growth in the health care category coming in at the number 40 spot.
The economic environment category includes important items such as tax friendliness, tax on pensions, and job opportunities for veterans.
Quality of life consists of the state’s total share of veterans, the share of VA health facilities per number of veterans, the share of homeless veterans, and weather.
Health care also includes the number of VA health facilities per number of veterans, hospitals overall, mental health counselors per capita, the veteran suicide rate, the and presence of veteran treatment courts.
The best states, according to WalletHub, are Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Minnesota, and Connecticut while the worst areas are Oregon, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Mississippi, and Vermont.
