Fort Monmouth Could be Site for a Facility to Assist Veterans Post-Deployment

A resolution urging the federal government to establish a post-deployment assistance facility at Fort Monmouth was approved on Monday by the New Jersey State Senate.

Sponsored by Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth) and Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth/Mercer), the resolution (SR-82) urges the U.S. Congress and Dept. of Justice to establish a federally funded facility to assist veterans returning home from combat at the site of a military school located on Fort Monmouth that is slated to close this year. The program would be administered by local veterans groups and appropriate medical staff, according to a release from Kean’s office.

The United State Military Prep School (USMAPS) was established in 1946 and prepared candidates for the rigors of the United States Military Academy at West Point, according to the school’s Web site.

“The Congress and the Department of Defense have a unique opportunity to create some good out of the closing of Fort Monmouth for both our veterans returning from service and our community at large,” said Kean. “The U.S. Military Prep School or one of the nearby buildings are an ideal location to establish a facility that serves a critical need: post deployment support for service men and women returning from combat.”

Over 1.6 million American soldiers have been deployed to combat in the Middle East since October 2001, according to Kean’s office. Many of those who have returned have required counseling and other services to help transition back to civilian life.

“It is both fitting and logical to locate such a program at this site as part of a larger plan to repurpose Fort Monmouth,” said Beck.