
Fa’alagiga Nina Tuā’au-Glaudé, a US Air Force female veteran from Amanave Village, has been honored by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for her outstanding service to our Veterans. VA Secretary Denis McDonough has appointed her as a member of his US Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States Advisory Committee (FAS).
The VA Secretary has named Tuaau-Glaude as Vice Chair of the Committee, where she will serve as a designated Special Government Employee, (SGE). Members of the Committee will be sworn in by the VA Secretary at an inauguration ceremony to be held in Washington DC, this coming December.
This 15-member committee reports directly to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on how to improve programs and services to better serve Covered Veterans living in the Outlying Areas of the United States. “Covered Veteran is defined as a Veteran residing in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, The US Virgin Islands, The Federation States of Micronesia, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.”
Nina was chosen because of her diverse background and expertise in assisting Veterans with obtaining the benefits, and compensation that they have earned through service to our Country. The Secretary recognized that she could.
Tuaa-Glaude’s responsibilities to the FAS Committee include advising the Secretary on matters relating to Covered Veterans, including how the Secretary may improve the programs and services of the Department to better serve these special Veterans. She is responsible for identifying evolving issues of relevance to Covered Veterans and proposing clarifications, recommendations, and solutions to address issues that they may raise.
She will provide a forum for Covered Veterans, Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) serving Covered Veterans, and the VA Department to discuss issues and proposals for changes to regulations, policies, and procedures of the Department. She will help identify priorities for and provide advice to the Secretary on appropriate strategies for consultation with VSO’s serving Covered Veterans.
She will encourage the Secretary to work with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies, and US Congress to ensure Covered Veterans are provided the full benefits of their status as Covered Veterans. Finally, she will highlight contributions of Covered Veterans in the Armed Forces and conduct other duties as determined appropriate by the Secretary.