Governor Sandoval to honor Carson City veteran Kevin Burns, Douglas veterans support group

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval will honor a distinguished area veteran and a veteran's support group in a ceremony this coming Monday, August 21. The public is invited to attend as United Veterans Legislative Council Chairman Kevin Burns and the Douglas County non-profit, Welcome All Veterans Everywhere will be recognized and honored.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. inside the Old Assembly Chambers, located on the 2nd floor inside the Capitol Building in Carson City.

Burns will be named "Veteran of the Month" in the ceremony. When the Nevada Legislature is in session, Major Kevin Burns, United States Marine Corps, Retired, goes into high gear.

As one of the founders of the United Veterans Legislative Council (UVLC), he lobbies lawmakers and testifies on behalf of legislation benefiting veterans. He also keeps the veterans' community informed on bills and votes impacting them.

But Burns' passion for helping veterans extends beyond the Nevada State Legislative Building. He's the coordinator of the Veterans Resource Center at Western Nevada College, which he helped establish in January 2013. He also helped implement the Veterans Integration Program at the Warm Springs Correctional Center.

The special ceremony for Burns recognizes his continuing contributions to his fellow veterans and the community. In the 79th Legislative Session, Burns served as Chairman for the UVLC testifying on more than 32 bills. Some of his accomplishments include getting veterans' support for full funding of the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home, tuition waivers for veterans, and veteran suicide awareness training requirements. In the session prior, Burns served as Vice-Chair for the UVLC in the 78th Legislative Session.

In addition to serving as coordinator of the Veterans Resource Center at Western Nevada College, Burns is also the Faculty Adviser for the Student Veterans Club. His stated mission is to assist veterans and their families in the transition to the civilian world and the world of higher education. He has emphasized to his student veterans the importance of getting involved in the community. He regularly provides counseling to active duty military and National Guard members about educational opportunities when they are separating from service.

Burns' Veterans Integration Program at Warm Springs was launched in January 2016. The program allows inmates to work towards an Associate of General Education while incarcerated. To help the inmates pay for the courses, Burns assisted in organizing a Memorial Day Barbeque in May 2016 raising nearly $4,500, supporting courses for 15 veterans.

Burns is a member of the Carson City American Legion Capitol Post 4 and the Marine Corps League 630 Silver State Detachment in Carson City. Through those service organizations, he annually participates in the Nevada Day Parade, Memorial Day events and Veterans Day activities. He is also a supporter of endeavors such as the Suicide Awareness March as well as the American Legion High School Oratorical contest.

The Governor will also recognize and honor WAVE of Douglas County as the "Veteran Supporter of the Month." WAVE is a veterans' outreach program that provides a "one-stop-shop" point of contact for any issue that affects a veteran or his or her family. WAVE helps veterans receive all the benefits that they deserve from the VA, Douglas County, State and federal governments. WAVE also transports veterans to appointments at the Reno VA hospital, eye center and provides local transportation to the VA clinic, grocery store and food closet. They also help veterans find apartments and move them to their new quarters.

The WAVE Committee meets on the second Monday of every month at 1 p.m. at the Douglas County Community Center, located at 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville, NV. 89410. If you're hungry, the committee members invite you to lunch prior, but say you have to arrive by 11:30 a.m. because the cafeteria fills up quickly.

The "Veteran of the Month" and "Veteran Supporter of the Month" awards are provided through the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. The awards are part of the Governor's commitment to make Nevada the "friendliest State in the nation" to its military community and veterans.