Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Great Seal of Oklahoma

Agency overview
Formed| June 6, 1986
Headquarters| 2311 N. Central
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Employees| 1998 (FY2011)
Annual budget| $130 million (FY2011)
Minister responsible|

* Ben T. Robinson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Child agency|

* Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs

Website| Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on veterans healthcare and benefits.

The current Secretary is Major General Ben T. Robinson, USAF (ret.).

## History

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The position of Secretary of Veterans Affairs was established in 1986 to provide greater oversight and coordination to the energy activities of the State government. The position was established, along with the Oklahoma State Cabinet, by the Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986. The Act directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to advise the Governor on policies and operations of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs.

Unlike any other Cabinet Secretary, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is the only Cabinet position to have statutory requirements in order for an individual to hold that office. Under Oklahoma state law, any person the Governor appoints to serve as the Secretary must be an honorably discharged veteran and be eligible to receive benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Oklahoma state law always for Cabinet Secretaries to serve concurrently as the head of a State agency in addition to their duties as a Cabinet Secretary. Historically, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has never served in any such dual position.

## Responsibilities

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The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is responsible for overseeing the provision of financial assistance, vocational rehabilitation, survivors' benefits, medical benefits and burial benefits to all honorably discharged veterans of the United States military or their dependants or survivors.

As of fiscal year 2011, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs oversees 1998 full-time employees and is responsible for annual budget of over $130 million.

## Salary

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The annual salary of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is set by state law at $65,000.[1]

## List of secretaries

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#  | Name  | Branch  | Rank  | Took office  | Left office  | Governor served under  | Refs

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  |  |  | 1987  | 1991  | Henry Bellmon |
2  | John Willis | USAF |  | 1991  | 1995  | David Walters |
3  | Norman Lamb | USA | Colonel | 1995  | 2003  | Frank Keating
2003  | 2011  | Brad Henry |
4  | Rita Aragon | USAF | Major General | January 10, 2011  |  | Mary Fallin |
| Ben Robinson  | USAF | Brigadier General | April 15, 2019  | 2022  | Kevin Stitt | [2]
| John Nash  | Army |  | March 2022  | Present  | Kevin Stitt | [3]

## See also

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* United States Department of Veterans Affairs

## References

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1. ^ Paragraph 10, Section 10.5, Title 74, Oklahoma Statutes
2. ^ Forman, Carmen (16 April 2019). "Stitt taps Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Military". Retrieved 29 March 2022.
3. ^ McCarville, Mike (28 March 2022). "Nash Appointed Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs". The McCarville Report. Retrieved 29 March 2022.

## External links

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* Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs website

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Leaders of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet

* Agency Accountability
* Agriculture
* Commerce and Workforce Development
* Digital Transformation and Administration
* Energy and Environment
* Health and Mental Health
* Human Services and Early Childhood Initiatives
* Military
* Native American Affairs
* Public Safety
* Science and Technology
* State and Education
* Tourism and Branding
* Transportation
* Veterans Affairs

* * *

* Past Cabinet members: Commerce and Tourism
* Energy
* Environment
* Finance and Revenue
* Health and Human Services
* Human Resources and Administration

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State military agencies of Oklahoma

* Governor of Oklahoma

* Secretary of the Military
* Secretary of Veterans Affairs

* Department of the Military
* Department of Veterans Affairs

* National Guard
* Army National Guard
* Air National Guard
* State Guard

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