For Immediate Release: March 21, 2018

Media Contact: Anna Long (651) 757-1536 (651) 263-2640 cell anna.long@state.mn.us

St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) has been awarded the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  This award recognizes outstanding state programs that support Veterans within their states.

The 2018 awards were presented by Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin at a conference in Alexandria, Virginia. MDVA won for creation of a database of secure military discharge documents. The Discharge Access Database System (DADS) provides a searchable database used by County Veteran Service Officers (CVSOs) and MDVA staff to locate Veteran discharge documents, like DD214s, which are needed to access earned benefits. Although it is still expanding, it already houses discharge data for 82 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

“I am continually inspired by the commitment of our team here at MDVA, and I am very proud of this accomplishment,” said Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Shellito. “This program would not have been created without the dedication of Deputy Commissioner Brad Lindsay and his staff, along with our partners. They exemplify our mission of caring for Minnesota Veterans and their families.”

Prior to the launch of DADS in 2016, there was no state-wide database of military discharge documents on record with the County Recorders. Staff working with Veterans had to know which of Minnesota’s 87 counties the discharge documents were recorded in before they could make contact and request a secure transfer of the documents. This process was slow, and did not always produce results. A comprehensive, searchable database was needed. To date there are more than 500,000 military records indexed in this database.

The DADS database is especially critical for Veterans who served before discharge papers were provided in an electronic format. In 1973, an infamous and disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri destroyed more than 16 million official military records. In cases like these, the military discharge on file in a county, possibly forgotten by the Veteran, is the only existing record of that Veteran’s service and often the missing key to earned benefits. With DADS, staff can now find and request records through a secure, but simple, online search. 

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About MDVA
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is a cabinet level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit www.MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.