A recent study ranked South Carolina the 10th best place for veterans in the nation - a number officials are happy with, but believe can improve if the state legislature finalizes a key bill.
The study was conducted by WalletHub, a company launched by Evolution Finance. In honor of Memorial Day, WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics, ranging from job opportunities for veterans to number of veterans affairs' health facilities. Spokesperson Jill Gonzalez said the data speak collectively to three areas: the economic environment, health care services and overall quality of life in each area.
South Carolina ranked particularly well in two of the three areas. The Palmetto State ranked second in quality of life for veterans and third in economic environment. A problem area for the state is health care, where it fell to 43rd in the nation.
Still, Gonzalez said, South Carolina does exceptionally well with employment, stating it ranks eighth in job opportunities and number of veteran-owned firms per 1,000 inhabitants.
"Keep in mind that most new veterans are looking to return to the workforce," Gonzalez said. "So that not only means there are job opportunities, but there are chances for growth in South Carolina, as well."
Jim Harris, a veterans affairs service officer for Aiken County, said the state is successful because it has in place a service officer for every county.
"Our system is probably one of the best in the U.S. because other states only do it by region," Harris said. "So in other places, you would have to travel or use a service group like the American Legion."
In Aiken, the office provides professional counseling and assistance to more than 15,000 veterans and their 40,000 dependents who apply for various state and federal benefits.
That assistance was not lost on military retiree Bruce Butler, the president of the Aiken chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. Butler said Aiken proudly boasts one of only a few Memorial Day parades left in the state.
"Keeping the parade alive shows a lot of commitment from the community and military organizations, so that's one reason Aiken is a great place for vets," Butler said.
Moving forward, Butler said, the Palmetto State still has work to do to ensure veterans continue finding homes in South Carolina. A bill that would phase in the elimination of the state income tax on veterans' retirement benefits is still in the Senate, but Butler is hoping it will get to Gov. Nikki Haley's desk for her signature.
"When you start looking at places to retire, that's a big issue, especially when we're surrounded by states that do exempt retirement like Georgia and Florida," he said. "It's an important bill that would only make South Carolina better."
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard.