Danielle Applegate

As a Camp Lejeune dependent and Veteran, Danielle was instrumental in providing subject matter expertise on the Camp Lejeune Community Action Panel, which provided guidance and intense advocacy in developing and passing the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, the groundbreaking first law to require healthcare coverage for dependents sickened by DoD contamination. The larger victory came a few months later, when the Department of Veterans Affairs recognized eight Camp Lejeune diseases for presumptive service connection. She continues her efforts serving the Veteran community as the lead executive of a 70 year old nationally-accredited Veteran service organization, VetsFirst, which focuses on policy, advocacy, and direct services to support Veterans with disabilities, and their families and caregivers.