Joseph Battito, State Veterans Service Officer for Somerset and Middlesex Counties, was responsible for helping veterans and their family members receive more than $3 million in benefits from March 2002-March 2003.

He has assisted veterans in requests for increases in disability compensation, filing appeals for denied claims and also informed veterans about other non-veteran benefits that the state offers.

Battito's office is located at 711 Jersey Avenue, 2nd floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. The phone number is (732) 937-6347/6348. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; it is suggested that you call for an appointment.
To qualify for most services a veteran must have completed at least 90 days of active duty in the Armed Forces (except for training purposes) and have a discharge other than dishonorable. Veterans who were discharged before 90 days due to service-connected disabilities are also eligible. Additionally, spouses, widows, widowers and parents of members of the military killed during time of war and certain merchant seamen may be eligible for certain federal entitlements.

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has Veterans Service Officers for every county. These men and women are trained to provide assistance to veterans and their families to obtain state and federal entitlements, provide the latest information on entitlements, assist in completing paperwork required for disability, pensions, education, home loans or to request a replacement of discharge papers.