New Orleans honors military leaders and veterans as Bastion readies new wellness center
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Summary
The City Council’s Military Appreciation Day included remarks from senior service leaders about local economic impact, a video honoring Colonel Terry Ebert as veteran of the year, and Bastion’s announcement that a veteran wellness center will open next month to expand services citywide.
The New Orleans City Council chambers opened its Dec. 18 meeting with the city’s annual Military Appreciation Day program, where senior military officials described local base contributions and veterans’ services and a veterans group announced a new wellness center.
In introductory remarks, the mayor’s military advisory committee highlighted the region’s military presence and its partnerships with local institutions including the National World War II Museum and Bastion, the veteran support nonprofit. "New Orleans is positioned to become a national leader in maritime resilience, dual use innovation, and strategic industrial capacity," Lieutenant General Lynn Anderson told the council, noting the Marine Corps’ economic footprint in the metro area.
A video and remarks recognized Colonel Terry Ebert as the 2025 veteran of the year for his Vietnam service, leadership after Hurricane Katrina and work founding the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy. The program then heard from local commanders including the head of the 370th Theater Sustainment Command and the commanding officer of Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, who described the bases’ volunteer efforts, local hiring and regional economic impact.
Jackson Smith, CEO of Bastion, described the nonprofit’s work providing intentional communities and announced that the organization will open a veteran wellness center next month. "This building is only intended to be the tools that they need to do that," Smith said, saying the center will provide accessible, integrated services to veterans citywide. Smith also cited sharply rising veteran suicide rates in the state and framed the center as a way to scale Bastion’s model.
Council members and attendees applauded the presentations and the council recessed briefly after the program. The Military Appreciation Day presentations were primarily ceremonial and informational; no formal council action was taken on the program itself.
The council’s meeting resumed with routine business and several agenda items that resulted in votes later in the session.