���� The Veteran – A Digital Magazine with Purpose
“More than a publication — it’s a mission in print.”
Overview
The Veteran is a quarterly digital magazine published by Palm Beach Media Studio, LLC, founded and led by Thomas “Tomas” Coles-Reyes, a United States Air Force Veteran and lifelong advocate for those who served.
Created under the guiding principle “To serve those who have served,” the magazine shines a spotlight on the lives, struggles, and triumphs of America’s veterans — from the front lines of combat to the challenges of civilian life. Each edition blends storytelling, information, and inspiration — merging hard truths with hope, advocacy with artistry, and history with heart.
T H E
Mission Statement
The Veteran exists to educate, empower, and uplift those who wore the uniform — and the families who stood beside them. It celebrates the courage of the American veteran while addressing the real issues they face: housing, healthcare, employment, education, and identity.
“Our goal is not just to tell stories about veterans — it’s to tell stories for veterans.”
Thomas “Tomas” Coles-Reyes, Editor-in-Chief
H E
TOur Audience
U.S. military veterans, active-duty personnel, and their families
Veteran service organizations and nonprofits
Civic leaders, educators, and employers who support veterans
The general public seeking an authentic, veteran-led perspective
Readers range from newly discharged service members to retirees, from small-town heroes to high-profile advocates — all united by shared experience and respect for service.
Editorial Focus
Each issue centers on themes of service, transition, and community, featuring:
Veteran news, benefits, and resource updates
Spotlights on veteran-owned businesses and organizations
Health, wellness, and mental-health advocacy
History and legacy pieces honoring past generations
Arts, culture, and entertainment through a veteran lens
Humor and humanity via the recurring comic strip “Vet & The City”
Disclaimer
The views expressed in “The Veteran” are those of the authors and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Editor-in-Chief, the editorial team, or Vet’s Place. While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee the completeness or timeliness of the information presented. Content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional, medical, or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult qualified professionals for individual guidance. “The Veteran”, its Editor-in-Chief, and Vet’s Place assume no liability for reliance on published content. All written and visual contributions remain the property of their creators and are used with permission. If you believe any content infringes on your rights, please contact us for resolution.
2025 VETERANS DAY DEALS & FREEBIES PARADES & OTHER EVENTS
Across Florida and the nation, communities are saluting those who served with gratitude you can see and feel from free meals and museum entry to hometown parades and military tributes
This Veterans Day, restaurants, retailers, and organizations are opening their doors to say “thank you” in tangible ways
WOMEN VETERANS APPRECIATION DAY
From World War II nurses to today’s combat commanders, Women Veterans
Appreciation Day isn’t just about medals it’s about memory, resilience, and equality In Florida, ceremonies and spotlights across the state are shining brighter than ever, reminding us that when women serve, the whole nation moves forward
504,000+ FLORIDA VETERANS LIVING WITH SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITIES
Florida ranks among the nation’s largest veteran populations, with over 504,000 service-connected disabled veterans
Behind each number is a story of endurance, courage, and the daily mission to rebuild The Veteran stands with them because healing is a form of service too
SNAP BENEFICIARIES AMID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
As Washington stalls, millions of Americans including thousands of veterans hold their breath A prolonged government shutdown threatens to disrupt SNAP benefits, the lifeline that keeps food on the table for families who’ve already given so much CAN-RESERVISTS-GET-VA-
Florida’s Women Veterans — Strength, Safety & Access
�� “More Than 172,000 Strong — Florida’s Women Veterans Make Their Mark”
Florida is home to more than 172,000 women veterans, one of the largest populations in the United States. They represent every branch of service and every era of conflict — from Desert Storm to Iraq and Afghanistan. But beyond the uniform, many still fight for access, recognition, and the care they earned.
Challenges They Face
Transition Gaps: Many women veterans exit the service without peer networks or mentoring tailored to their experience. Health & Safety: Military Sexual Trauma (MST) affects nearly one in three women veterans in VA care.
Visibility: Women veterans often say they feel invisible in a system built for men a quiet challenge that needs louder voices.
Access Barriers: Rural areas still lack local women’s clinics or female VA providers.
Disabilities”
From hearing loss to PTSD, chronic pain to mobility issues — over half a million Florida veterans carry visible and invisible wounds of service. These heroes deserve a system that heals, not hinders. Here’s what they need to know in 2025.
The Facts
Claims Backlog: Though VA says wait times are down, some veterans still face 12-18-month delays.
Common Conditions: Tinnitus, knee injuries, spine issues, PTSD, hearing loss.
Housing Risks: Veterans with disabilities are twice as likely to face housing insecurity.
Employment: One in three disabled veterans works in government; others seek flexible, inclusive opportunities.
Florida Resources & Support (Place in blue or tan sidebar box)
Checklist
☑ Gather your DD-214 & rating letter
SNAP Benefits
Snap Benefits Get Court-Ordered Relief Amid
Government Shutdown
A federal court ordered the USDA to use emergency funds to pay November SNAP (food stamp) benefits because of the government shutdown. There’s confusion and debate about how this funding works, who has authority, and what this means for SNAP recipients.
• Federal judges ruled USDA must use emergency funds for SNAP in November, avoiding a lapse in benefits during the shutdown.
• Many comments express doubt judges or the president can allocate funding without Congress because of laws like the Impoundment Control Act.
• Some commenters are frustrated about government spending, taxes, and dependence on federal aid.
• Others emphasize unity and helping those in need, especially children, during tough times.
• Discussions include worries about potential abuse of local food aid and whether emergency funds are sufficient.
• Several comments offer opinion or misinformation about how emergency funding and separation of powers work in the U.S.
• Suggestions for public action include calling senators and urging Congress to reopen the government.
Palm Beach County Restaurants Offer Free Meals to SNAP Beneficiaries Amid Government Shutdown
By Alec Novak
Published on November 01, 2025
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NEW SECTION: Veterans & Families Health Insurance Open
Enrollment 2025–2026
“Open Enrollment: Protecting What You’ve Earned”
Subhead:
It’s that time of year again — when veterans and their families can review, renew, or change their health coverage. Don’t wait until it’s too late. ��
Enrollment Dates
Open Enrollment Period:
�� November 1, 2025 – January 15, 2026
�� Why It Matters
Many veterans rely on a combination of VA health care, private insurance, or Medicare.
Reviewing your plan ensures coverage for prescriptions, mental health care, and family services.
Some veterans’ spouses and dependents may qualify for Marketplace subsidies, Tricare, or CHAMPVA — but must act before January 15.
If your life circumstances changed (new job, retirement, disability rating increase, etc.), this is your time to update your coverage.
Open Enrollment Period:
�� November 1, 2025 – January 15, 2026
�� Why It Matters
Many veterans rely on a combination of VA health care, private insurance, or Medicare.
Reviewing your plan ensures coverage for prescriptions, mental health care, and family services.
Some veterans’ spouses and dependents may qualify for Marketplace subsidies, Tricare, or CHAMPVA — but must act before January 15.
If your life circumstances changed (new job, retirement, disability rating increase, etc.), this is your time to update your coverage.
Vet’s Place Recommended Insurance Agent
Insurance Agent: [Insert Agent’s Full Name]
Licensed Health Insurance Advisor, Veterans Specialist
Agency: [Insert Agency Name]
Phone: [Insert Phone Number]
Email: [Insert Email Address]
Website: [Insert Web Link]
Specialization:
Historic Sunset Lounge Reopening in West Palm Beach
By Neil Cooney, 9 days ago
A historic lounge and music venue is about to come back to life in West Palm Beach.
“A landmark in African American music and entertainment, the Sunset Lounge was one of the most significant venues in the South during the 1940’s and 1950s,” says the West Palm Beach website “Located in the heart of the Historic Northwest neighborhood of West Palm Beach, it played host to legendary artists such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong during the era of segregation, when Black performers were often denied access to mainstream venues More than just a nightclub, the Sunset Lounge became a cultural beacon and gathering place for the local community, fostering a sense of pride and artistic expression.” Now, the Sunset Lounge is coming to the end of a major renovation and is preparing to reopen. This week What Now came across plan review paperwork submitted by the City of West Palm Beach for the Sunset Lounge, which will open at 609 Eighth Street. With the renovations completed, the reborn Sunset Lounge will occupy “a new two-story, 7,200 square-foot building featuring a fullservice restaurant, bar, rooftop space, and event amenities ushering in a new era for this historic venue while honoring its rich legacy”
Once open, the Sunset Lounge will be operated by the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which is “committed to preserving the venue’s historic significance while bring high-quality music and cultural performances to the community.”
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Veterans Day Deals
Veterans Day Parades & Events
Thousands of vets saddled with false criminal histories, lawsuit says
By Rachel Fobar, The War Horse
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025
The Federal Bureau of Investigation lists thousands of veterans and service members as being potential criminals, despite none of them having been arrested, a new lawsuit alleges. (Ernest Kroi/The War Horse)
Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service, under the headline “They’ve Never Been Arrested. Why Does the FBI List Thousands of Service Members as Potential Criminals?” Subscribe to their newsletter. Denise Rosales has never been arrested.
She’s never been handcuffed. She’s never spent a night behind bars, never stood before a judge to profess her innocence. And yet, if you perform a background check, a criminal database maintained by the FBI will say that she was “arrested or received” into custody and charged with three crimes in January 2021.
While deployed in Kuwait, Rosales, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, threw a birthday party for her husband. Some of the guests allegedly brought alcohol, according to the Army, “in a nation where such substances are illegal.” She was investigated and fingerprinted by an Army investigator, but received nothing more than an administrative reprimand.
Still, more than four years later, the Texas mother of two is fighting to clear her name. She’s been forced out of her full-time position with the National Guard on a multiagency counterdrug task force, lost job opportunities, and even denied the chance to chaperone her kids on school field trips.
Rosales’ saga is the result of a perplexing record-keeping process the military justice system calls “titling”—and it’s one that’s left potentially thousands of veterans saddled with false criminal histories, according to a lawsuit against the Army and Department of Defense.
The term sounds nonthreatening enough. But in the military, “titling” isn’t about taking ownership of a car or property. It’s what happens when a service member’s name is simply listed as the “subject” in a military criminal investigative report. “Titling does not mean an individual has been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime,” a legal assistance document on the Army’s website explains.
But here’s the problem: Every branch of the military shares titling records in criminal databases with more than two dozen agencies, including the FBI, even if the case was dropped. The fallout can be devastating because the records are retrievable for decades. Veterans can be passed over for promotions, rejected on apartment applications, and denied firearms clearance, advocates say. With the stain on their record, some struggle to get a job for years.
“Who will take my word over the plain text of the FBI’s criminal history?” Rosales, 39, asks in an affidavit in her lawsuit.
Denise Rosales was a Texas Army National Guard staff sergeant in 2017 when she graduated from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Basic Intelligence Research Analyst Training at DEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Sgt. Michael Giles/Army National Guard via The War Horse)
She feels betrayed, thinking back to the day when a military recruiter came to her school when she was 17. “I was told the military would guide me in the right direction and have my back,” Rosales told The War Horse.
With the Army refusing to budge, Rosales’ case has become a showdown over the military’s system of titling. Veterans and civil liberties advocates are calling for reforms while victims’ groups stress the need for the military to alert civilian law enforcement and employers of the danger among their ranks. But during a hearing in the ongoing lawsuit, a judge posed a fundamental question about the service members and veterans like Rosales being wrongfully tagged by the military justice system that even the government’s attorney was unable to answer:
Why “is this that big a deal to the Army?”
How big a problem is titling?
It’s hard to know how many people have been caught up in the quagmire, because there is no requirement to notify service members they’ve been titled, and many don’t find out for years until it turns up, for example, when someone tries to buy a gun, travel abroad, or apply for a job.
The War Horse has filed Freedom of Information Act requests for records from the Department of Defense and National Archives, which houses military criminal files, to reveal how many people have been titled but not court-martialed, but the agencies are not responding to requests during the government shutdown. Frank Rosenblatt, a former Army prosecutor and an associate professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, estimated the number is at least 10,000 service members and veterans. The problem is, our military justice system doesn’t “always easily translate over into civilian terms,” said Rosenblatt, who has represented titled veterans.
The problem is, our military justice system doesn’t “always easily translate over into civilian terms,” said Rosenblatt, who has represented titled veterans.
In the military, titling only requires the existence of “credible information” that a crime was committed. “Legally, this is a very low standard, far below the standard required at trial by a court of law,” according to Fort Leonard Wood’s Army legal assistance office.
“In the vast majority of cases, these [investigators] are young soldiers who don’t have any significant level of criminal justice experience, but are somehow vested with tremendous authority to make determinations that follow people for the rest of their lives,” said Doug O’Connell, an Austin, Texas-based attorney who is representing Rosales.
Yes, reservists can qualify for VA disability benefits under certain conditions.
Eligibility Requirements:
Reservists must have sustained a service-connected injury or illness during their active duty or reserve training periods.
The injury or illness must have been aggravated or worsened by their military service.
Reservists must have served for at least 90 days on active duty or have completed at least 6 years of service in the Guard or Reserves.
Application Process:
To apply for VA disability benefits, reservists must submit a claim to the Veterans Affairs (VA).
The claim must include medical documentation, service records, and any other relevant evidence.
Reservists may also need to provide witness statements or other supporting documentation.
Challenges:
Proving service connection can be challenging for reservists, as they may not have served full-time active duty.
Junior enlisted reservists may have a lower approval rate than officers or warrant officers.
Additional Considerations:
Reservists who are injured or become ill during periods of active duty for training (ADOT) may be eligible for VA disability benefits.
Reservists who receive a disability rating from the VA may still be able to serve in the reserves, depending on the severity of their disability.
Conclusion:
Reservists can qualify for VA disability benefits if they meet the eligibility requirements. The application process may be challenging, but it is possible to receive benefits if they can prove a service-connected injury or illness. It is recommended to consult with a VA benefits counselor or attorney for assistance.
To get a Florida Real ID with a veteran designation, visit a Florida driver license service center or tax collector's office with your proof of identity (like a U.S. passport or birth certificate) and your DD-214 to prove honorable discharge. You will need to provide the standard REAL ID documents in addition to your military discharge papers to get the veteran status added to the card.
�� Advertise or Sponsor with The Veteran Partner with a publication that serves those who served.
���� Why Advertise in The Veteran
The Veteran is more than a magazine it’s a movement. Each issue reaches thousands of readers across Florida and beyond: veterans, families, community leaders, and businesses who value service, integrity, and impact.
Your ad or sponsorship helps us continue our mission to empower veterans through awareness, resources, and storytelling — while putting your brand in front of a loyal and growing audience that believes in giving back.
�� Advertising Options
Placement Description Rate (per issue)
Full Page Feature position, premium visibility $400
Half Page Strong visual presence $250
Quarter Page Compact, effective ad space $150
Business Card Ad Perfect for small businesses $50 (Nonprofits receive a 10% discount.)
T H E V E T E R
Closing – The Call to Action for 2026:
As 2026 dawns, I want every veteran reading this to hear me clearly: You still have a mission. Maybe it’s mentoring a younger vet, finishing that degree, healing an old wound, or simply showing up for another who needs you. The uniform may be gone, but the oath remains.
So stand tall, soldier. Adjust your focus, sailor. Hold the line, airman. Because this new year isn’t a finish line — it’s just the next chapter in our duty to each other and to this country we love.
From my desk to yours thank you for your service, your strength, and your faith in tomorrow. Happy New Year, and God bless our veterans and their families.
(Signed)
Thomas “Tomas” Coles-Reyes Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The Veteran Magazine
