Living in a small town such as Prentiss means long car rides for doctor visits and services such as the ones a VA Center has to offer. When those services come to you on wheels, life gets a little more convenient.

The Mobile Vet Centers (MVCs) of the Department of Veterans Affairs provide readjustment counseling and information resources to Veterans across the country. Like community-based Vet Centers, Mobile Vet Centers focus on services that help Veterans make the difficult transition between military and civilian life.

The 70 motorized vehicles resemble super-sized recreational vehicles and are driven to far-reaching rural areas to provide Veterans with services that would be available to them at a VA Center, but might be far from their home. These services include counseling for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Military Sexual Trauma, bereavement counseling, marriage and family counseling, and resources like VA benefits information and suicide prevention referrals.

Mobile Vet units are equipped as “offices on wheels,” with the capacity to provide emergency support for natural disasters. Each motor coach houses a satellite dish that connects to communications and audio-visual equipment, six phone lines, a fax line, notebook computers, four encrypted computer lines and WiFi gear.

Two dividers separate the motor coach into private counseling rooms. The cushy blue seats, tables fit-for-two, and couches allow for either individual or small group counseling sessions.

For emergency situations, the vehicle comes with a medical exam table, a defibrillator (AED), first aid kit, beds, a shower, refrigerator, microwave, and a long list of amenities useful in severe situations.

The 70 Mobile Vet Center units travel across the country, reaching Veterans in every county of the lower 48 states. Readjustment counseling services are provided for Veterans who served in combat as well as their families.

For more information about Vet Centers and Mobile Vet Centers, go to www.vetcenter.va.gov.