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In the spirit of his continuing mission to make Nevada “the most military and veteran friendly state in the nation,” Governor Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services honored a veteran and a veteran support group in Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 23rd. Honored as the Veteran of the Month is Kenneth Roberts of Henderson, and the Veteran Supporter of the Month are the Southern Nevada Patriot Guard Riders. The ceremony is held every month to celebrate the accomplishments of Nevada’s heroes that have faithfully served their country, and have gone on to greatly benefit their communities. 
Roberts, a 21 year Air Force veteran, has been practicing law in the Las Vegas area since 1992. He was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Children’s Attorneys Project, which has given abused and neglected children legal representation since 1999. He has volunteered as the Special Assistant Public Defense Counsel for the Henderson Veteran Treatment Court (VTC) for the past three years, working pro bono for veterans who cannot afford their own private attorneys. He compiled and edited the mentor’s handbook for the VTC, and offers simple will services at low cost to veterans. Most recently, he has volunteered for the Attorney General’s new Office of Military Legal Assistance (OMLA), which provides civil legal services to active duty, guard, and reserve members, also at no charge.  
As regular attendants to unaccompanied burials at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, the Southern Nevada Patriot Guard Riders have been offering comfort to forgotten veterans since 2012. To date, they have stood at services for over 500 veterans of all branches. They consistently provide Flag honor Guards for service members being interred, offer comfort to the bereaved, and send care packages to deployed veterans despite having no financial backing. In February, in conjunction with other local biker organizations, they served as escorts for the participants of the Wounded Warrior Games held at Nellis Air Force Base, and every year create a flag line for the annual Windy 25 Run held in Las Vegas. Their stated mission “is to honor the men and women of our armed forces, show our deepest respect for the families of our fallen heroes, and support their families in times of grief.” Their website states, ” We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your income is. The only prerequisite is Respect.”  
The ceremonies are open to the public and free to attend. If you would like to nominate a veteran or veteran supporter, or for more information on outreach efforts and available programs for veterans, visit http://veterans.nv.gov/benefits-and-services/veteran-of-the-month-program/, or call (702) 486-3830.