ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – As Memorial Day takes place this coming Monday, the City of Albuquerque says it will open its first field office to help veterans in the Duke City. The new Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) field office will be located at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial park site near Gibson and Louisiana.
Previously, the office was located downtown, within City Hill as part of the Albuquerque Mayor’s Constituent Services Division. This is the first time the office will have a presence outside of City Hall.
City leaders hope the new location makes the VMA’s services more accessible to veterans and military members who need help. Along with a new office near the Kirtland Air Force Base, the city has also hired its very first VMA Coordinator position in early 2022.
In a prepared statement, the city’s newer Veteran and Military Affairs Coordinator Thomas Tozier said, “My role is to assist our community so they have access to services they need and a direct connection to the City.” The city believes the new location will also help with partnerships between the city and fellow veterans organizations, including the federal U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, also the state’s departments of Veterans Services and Workforce Solutions.
On Monday, Memorial Day, the city will hold an annual commemoration event. That will take place at the Veterans Memorial park at 9 a.m. The event will mark the first gathering since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The city says this year’s event is dedicated to Gold Star Mothers.
For more information on veterans resources and upcoming events, the city says you can visit cabq.gov/veterans-resource-center