Message from the Commissioner
Welcome to your Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) website! We would like to thank you for your service to our country. We are committed to providing you with the information you need and invite you to look through our site for information on benefits, services and programs. Additionally, feel free to visit the federal VA website at www.va.gov for the complete spectrum of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits or programs. Please e-mail or call if you or someone you know needs assistance.
Our mission is to provide comprehensive care and quality service to Alabama’s veterans, and their families, with regard to health care, education, disability benefits, long-term care, and burial honors. Our staff are experts on the VA claims process. I ask for your help in getting the word out to veterans to seek their benefits and services. You can assist in this effort by telling fellow veterans to visit their local ADVA county offices and discuss their benefits with the veteran service officers. To locate the nearest veterans service office, visit https://va.alabama.gov/serviceofficer/.
The Veterans Crisis Hotline is available 24/7 at 988 for veterans with a crisis regarding safety, health and well being situations. Also, for those veterans and family members who are homeless, or are at risk of becoming homeless, they are encouraged to call the VA Homeless Veterans Hotline at 1-877-4AID-VETS (1-800-424-3838). For additional information regarding benefits and referral services for homeless veterans, the ADVA homeless veterans coordinator can be reached at 334-242-5084.
I thank you once again for your personal sacrifice in military service to our country. We look forward to serving you in turn.
Jeffrey L. Newton
ADVA Commissioner
Jeffrey L. Newton
Commissioner
Brigadier General (Ret.) Jeffrey L. Newton became the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) on March 19, 2025. He previously served as the Assistant Commissioner for Operations and Chief of Staff for the ADVA, with the primary mission of assisting the nearly 400,000 Alabama Veterans, families, and survivors to receive from the state and federal government all benefits to which they may be entitled to under current laws.
Prior to joining the ADVA in February 2021, he was the Director of the Joint Staff of the Alabama National Guard responsible for joint military operations relating to State and National emergencies. His 41-year military career with the United States Air Force and the Alabama Air National Guard included numerous overseas deployments with the 117th Air Refueling Wing located in Birmingham, Alabama, supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle.
His major military awards include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Air Force and Army Commendation Medals, and the Alabama Distinguished Service Medal. In November 2021, he was inducted into the United States Air Force’s Enlisted Heritage Hall – Wall of Achievers. He is a graduate of Samford University and Auburn University.