Naval Air Station Whidbey Island will host a convention next week that has not been held on a military base or in Oak Harbor for more than a century.

Disabled veterans from across Washington, along with state Sen. Ron Muzzall, NAS Whidbey Commanding Officer Capt. Nathan Gammache and high-ranking organization officials, will gather for the annual Disabled American Veterans convention from June 25 to 27 at the Officers’ Club on base.

Founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, the Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, is a nonprofit with nearly 1 million members. The organization aids veterans in their transition back to civilian life by ensuring they can access benefits, assisting them with employment and fighting for their interests on Capitol Hill.

Annual DAV reports state that in 2024, the organization helped veterans access more than $30.4 billion in earned benefits, and their employment program brought in more than 13,059 job offers for veterans.

Muzzall, a North Whidbey resident, and Gammache will welcome convention participants early Thursday morning before day-long meetings take place over the next three days. Thursday’s meetings conclude with a banquet and auction, at which DAV National Sr. Vice Commander Coleman Nee will speak.

State-level DAV officer elections and subsequent installations will also take place Friday morning. Eight officer positions are up for election.

On the docket for the week’s meetings? Discussing updates in the DAV’s progress helping disabled veterans find jobs and medical care, identifying improvements to existing programs, mapping out goals for new programs, and reinforcing goals currently underway to assist disabled veternans in the state, according to DAV Department of Washington Commander Michael Riley.

Resolutions to be submitted to DAV’s annual national convention, to be held August in Las Vegas, will also be adopted.