Montana Veterans: Are We Taking Good Care Of Them?

Here in Montana, we love America.

We're about as red, white, and blue as they come. As you travel down Montana highways and backroads, you'll see many houses flying "Old Glory" and it's always something to see when those stars and stripes are waving in the wind.

You'll also find a large number of veterans here in Montana. The Treasure State is one of four with a population above 10 percent that served their country in the military. (Alaska, Virginia, and Wyoming are the other three)

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So with such a high population of vets, Montana is more than likely to be near the top in states that care the most about veterans, right? According to one source, the answer is no.

Where does Montana rank compared to other states for caring about veterans?

Smile Hub says Big Sky Country isn't even in the top half. The website ranks Montana at 36th out of 50 when it comes to caring about those men and women who served our country. When it comes to community support for vets, Montana ranks 48th according to the report.

What factors did they use to determine the results?

The following factors were used to determine the rank of each state.

• Veteran Community Support
• Veteran Health and Wellness Rank
• Veteran Employment and Finances Rank

I'll be honest, I'm not sure I agree with the findings. Especially the one about community support.

Montana has a ton of love for our veterans and there are several different organizations that not only help our vets, but their families as well. Warriors on Quiet Waters, Big Sky Bravery Foundation, and Heros and Horses to name a few. Not to mention all of the different American Legion and VFW posts around the state, I would say Montana is vet-friendly no matter what the "data" suggests. 

As the son of a Vietnam veteran, I would like to say thank you to each of you who have put on the uniform and represented this great country and state. I appreciate your sacrifice and your service.