PHOENIX — Local veterans sat down face-to-face with Congressman Abe Hamadeh this week for a rare, candid conversation about the challenges facing those who served. In a private roundtable—where ABC15 was the only media invited—veterans shared personal struggles and offered solutions, while Hamadeh pledged to take their concerns from Arizona directly to Washington.
The event, which brought together veterans with diverse backgrounds and experiences, provided a unique opportunity for open discussion. Congressman Hamadeh, who serves on both the House Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committees, highlighted the significance of listening to multiple perspectives.
“This was my first veterans' type of roundtable kind of a mastermind group, and it was so impactful, and I got to learn a lot from them," Hamadeh said. "It almost felt like a mini committee hearing right here in my own office."
Marine Corps Veteran Charles Dine shared with the Congressman the need to ensure the training and certifications in the military also fall in line with the civilian sector to help with the transition to life after the military.
“What we did in our profession is we tied our training to the civilian qualification. And in my case, it was firefighting,” Dine said.
He said in doing so, those working in water treatment, as an electrician, or in other fields could have a much easier transition and a more successful post-service life.
“So, during your entire time in the service, if you were logging hours in a journeyman’s program instead, or in addition to the military training, you could leave with something that's transferable,” Dine said. “I think it's absolutely doable, because we did it in our profession. I left with several firefighting certifications that I could leverage today, and it seems that all that's missing is just the top-down approach.”
Cynthia Olórtegui, a Marine Corps Veteran who works with Behavioral Health Connections, emphasized the challenges veterans face when trying to get into a residential treatment facility.
“They have to be sent to the VA first,” Olórtegui said. “They have to go through a pre-screening in order for the VA to grant the authorization.”
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She explained to Congressman Hamadeh that if a veteran goes to the VA on a Friday after 4 p.m., they have to wait until Monday to get the pre-screening to be authorized to have treatment outside the VA covered financially.
As for Marine Corps veteran Jezreel Ramirez, he felt the roundtable provided many voices to the issues facing veterans.
“I was struggling with some emotional issues and things in my mind, I sought spiritual care as my source of support,” Ramirez said.
Through his own journey, he now serves as a pastor at New Land Church in Goodyear and continues to help struggling or wayward veterans with their journey.
“Working with different organizations that help veterans gain employment, access education, access counseling,” he said. “I had friends that did not come back, I had people that came back that had various issues as well.”
Veterans in attendance expressed concerns about whether their messages and needs would be effectively communicated to lawmakers in Washington.
Hamadeh responded to the question, assuring that veterans’ voices would not be overlooked. “It depends on how you fight, and you need that type of courage to be able to extend what they’ve been saying and everything that we can align on and bring it back.”
He emphasized the power of collaboration and the importance of his committee assignments in amplifying veterans’ concerns.
“The committees that I’m on are what’s powerful because I’m on the Veterans Affairs Committee and Armed Services Committee,” Hamadeh said. “We’ve got a powerful voice right now.”
Hamadeh also noted the current political climate, with his party holding key positions in Congress and the White House, as an opportunity to advance veterans’ issues.
"A lot of their concerns, we’re going to share, not just to my colleagues, but also to the secretaries at the cabinet level as well,” he said.
The roundtable concluded with a sense of optimism, as veterans and advocates left with the assurance that their voices would be carried forward and that continued engagement would be key to driving meaningful change.
Congressman Hamadeh said he looks forward to continued dialogue with his fellow veterans as they work toward solutions that could impact not only Arizona veterans but veterans everywhere.
