Veterans Disability Attorney Eric Gang Featured in Foreign Affairs Observer on National Guard Deployments and Veterans' Benefits

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Veterans disability attorney Eric Gang, founder of Gang & Associates, was recently featured in Foreign Affairs Observer discussing the growing expansion of National Guard deployments and the critical distinction between state and federal activation.

As National Guard units are increasingly mobilized in response to domestic crises, Gang underscores that whether a guardsman is called up by a governor or the president determines their eligibility for lifelong federal benefits. "If a guardsman is injured in the line of duty under federal activation, he is considered a veteran, and that opens the door to VA benefits, from disability compensation to education support and home loans," Gang explained in the feature.

Gang, recognized as one of the nation's leading veterans' disability attorneys, has long advocated for clarity in the law regarding when Guard service counts as federal duty. He successfully argued Watkins v. McDonough (2022), a landmark case establishing that a service member is considered on active duty starting at 12:01 a.m. on the date listed in their orders. This ruling ensures that guardsmen injured even en route to their duty station are covered by VA benefits.

With Guard units now being deployed to urban areas facing violent crime, Gang warns that the risks for service members are significant. "It's one thing to support disaster relief," he noted. "It's another to be placed in the middle of unrest, where guardsmen may be shot at, assaulted, or exposed to infectious diseases."

Gang stressed that the men and women serving should not be caught in political crossfire: "They are innocent parties. They don't decide where they are sent or who sends them. They deserve clarity about their status and the assurance that, if they are harmed in service, their country will take care of them."

As deployments expand, Gang continues to be a leading national voice on the legal protections and benefits owed to guardsmen.

About Eric Gang, Esq.

Eric Gang is the founding partner of Gang & Associates, a law firm dedicated exclusively to veterans' disability law. With decades of experience and a track record of precedent-setting cases, Gang has established himself as one of the nation's foremost advocates for veterans seeking the benefits they have earned.

Contact:

Eric Gang
(908) 850-9999
https://www.veteransdisabilityinfo.com/

SOURCE Gang & Associates LLC