New York State Dept of Veterans’ Services Unveils Navy SEAL Museum Kiosk to Expand Assistance for Long Island Veterans

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Photo from today’s DVS Digital Kiosk unveiling at the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum in West Sayville.

DVS Executive Deputy Commissioner Joel Evans & DVS Commissioner Viviana M. DeCohen are pictured next to a DVS Digital Kiosk during today's unveiling at the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum in West Sayville, NY.

DVS Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosk Installed at LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum Will Bring Benefits & Support to Long Island’s Military Community

WEST SAYVILLE, NY, UNITED STATES, July 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- WEST SAYVILLE, NY – The New York State Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) today unveiled its newest Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosk located inside the lobby of the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum in West Sayville, Long Island. During the installation, DVS paid tribute to the enduring legacy of courage of Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy, the U.S. Navy SEALs, and all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who serve and sacrifice.

The DVS Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosks are interactive digital portals located statewide, providing convenient, 24/7 access to over 60 state programs and services, offering Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families a contemporary, user-friendly way to connect with essential benefits and support. Today’s digital kiosk installation at the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum is a continuation of the statewide initiative by DVS that has become a model for several other states wishing to replicate New York’s innovative and successful Veterans’ outreach initiative.

Initially launched during Veterans Month 2021, the Digital Kiosk program was highlighted in Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State addresses in 2022 and 2023. The kiosks are the result of a collaborative partnership between DVS, the New York State Office of Information Technology Services, Empire State Development, and multiple state agencies, including the Office for the Aging, Office of Mental Health, Office of General Services, Department of Labor, and SUNY. Since 2023, the DVS digital kiosks have been installed at high-traffic, easily accessible locations across the state, including airports, welcome centers, malls, train stations, museums, and government facilities.

In February 2024, at the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) conference, former Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, honored DVS with the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award, recognizing the widespread success of DVS’s Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosk initiative. Recently, Florida, Maine, Nevada, California, and Missouri have reached out to DVS and formally requested its assistance in their efforts to emulate New York State’s Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosk success.

Viviana M. DeCohen, Commissioner, New York State Department of Veterans’ Services, said, “Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy’s extraordinary valor reminds us that true leadership is defined by courage, sacrifice, and relentless service. By placing a Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosk in this sacred space, we honor his legacy not with words alone, but with action that connects Veterans to the care, benefits, and dignity they have earned. These kiosks reflect our enduring mission: to serve all who have served, wherever they are.”

Joel Evans, Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department of Veterans’ Services, stated, “Every time Veterans walk up to one of our digital kiosks, they are met not with bureaucracy, but with empowerment. These innovative tools break down barriers and build up trust—offering swift, secure access to benefits across more than 60 programs. To launch one at the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum here on Long Island is to reaffirm our respect for bravery and our belief in commitment through service.”

DVS Veterans Welcome Center Digital Kiosks are currently located at the following statewide locations:

• Tompkins County International Airport;
• Long Island Welcome Center;
• Adirondack Welcome Center;
• Mohawk Valley Welcome Center;
• Empire State Plaza Concourse;
• North Country Welcome Center;
• Woodbury Commons Shopping Center;
• Grand Central Terminal;
• Palisades Center Mall;
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport;
• Niagara Falls State Park (in partnership with NASDVA);
• Southern Tier Welcome Center;
• Western New York Welcome Center;
• National Purple Heart Hall of Honor; and
• LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum.

Long Island Veterans Service Organization leaders who joined DVS for today’s unveiling included Marcelle Leis, Director, Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency; Chad H. Lennon, Vice-Chair, Suffolk County Legislature Veterans Committee; Joe Cognitore, Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6249 (Bronze Star recipient, Vietnam War combat Veteran, inductee into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame); Thomas Ronayne, Past Director, Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency (and co-founder of the Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program, and a board member of the Navy SEAL Museum); Brent Russell, Director of Veterans Services, The Mental Health Association of Long Island; Justin Berbig, Veterans Outreach Coordinator, Long Island Cares; Shannon O’Neill, Director of Veterans Services, Suffolk County Community College, and Jennifer Jaikaran, Director of the Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, SUNY Old Westbury.

About the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum

The LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum tells the story, sacrifices, and legacies of the Special Operators of Naval Special Warfare Command from the frogman and Underwater Demolition teams of WWII and Korea to the birth of the SEALs in Vietnam, the War on Terror, Operation Redwings, and an exhibition hall dedicated solely to the SEAL Training program. There are seven exhibition halls including a movie theater and a SEAL simulation ride to give the public a glimpse into the stories and lives of these very special men and heroes. Learn more about the courage and commitment of these incredible heroes at https://murphsealmuseum.org/.

About the New York State Department of Veterans’ Services

The New York State Department of Veterans’ Services proudly serves New York’s Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families, connecting them with benefits, services, and support. All who served should contact the Department at 888-838-7697 or via its website – veterans.ny.gov – to meet in-person or virtually with an accredited Veterans Benefits Advisor to receive the benefits they have earned. Follow DVS on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Joshua Fitzpatrick
New York State Department of Veterans' Services
+ +1 518-419-4206
joshua.fitzpatrick@veterans.ny.gov
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