Veteran to veteran
The Veteran Muster: All Present and Accounted For
A veteran-only gathering created and hosted by VETTED founder Evan Shelline, held in senior living communities across Southeast Michigan.
What a Muster is
In the military, a muster is when everyone falls in and is accounted for. The Veteran Muster borrows the idea. Veterans who live in the same community come together in one room, veterans only, for about an hour.
It is built around five things: camaraderie, remembrance, storytelling, Buddy Checks, and preserving the experiences of the men and women who served.
Any veteran is welcome, from any branch and any era, whether they served stateside or overseas, in peacetime or wartime.
Why it matters
Aging veterans often have fewer chances to be around people who understand what military service was like. Many have never talked about it with anyone who was not there.
Evan Shelline, who served about a decade in the U.S. Navy, including about six years with the SEAL Teams, put it this way in a 2025 interview:
“What everybody in the mental health space understands is that peer to peer support is the highest quality support you’re going to get.”
On why Vietnam-era veterans in particular often hold back: “They weren’t treated very well. And so sometimes they just have a little bit of a boundary, a little standoff.”
A Muster is one hour where that boundary is not needed.
How it works
- Who leads it. Evan leads each Muster in person.
- Who is in the room. Veterans only, so the conversation can be candid.
- What happens. Veterans share stories and remember the people they served with.
- Buddy Checks. Veterans check in on one another, and on those who could not make it.
- How often. Some communities host a Muster every month.
Host a Muster
Musters are held in senior living communities in Southeast Michigan. If veterans live or gather at your community, Evan would like to hear from you.
The host usually provides a room, invites its veterans and sets out refreshments. Evan does the rest.
To schedule one, email evan@vettedvc.com or call 248-794-9292.
For families: a separate benefits meeting
Many communities pair the Muster with a separate information meeting for veterans and their families about VA home care. It covers how a veteran asks the VA care team for help at home, and how that differs from Aid & Attendance.
These meetings are education only. VETTED does not file or charge for benefit claims. For a claim, we point families to an accredited veterans service officer, who helps for free.
Start with our guide: Does the VA pay for home care?
What a Muster is not
A Muster is fellowship among veterans. It is not counseling or treatment, and it is not a sales presentation.
If you are a veteran in crisis, or you are worried about one, call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.
Common questions
Who can come to a Veteran Muster?
Veterans of any branch and any era, whether they served stateside or overseas, in peacetime or wartime. The gathering itself is for veterans only.
Is a Muster counseling or therapy?
No. A Muster is fellowship among veterans. It is not counseling or treatment. A veteran in crisis, or anyone worried about one, can call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.
How does a community host a Muster?
Email evan@vettedvc.com or call 248-794-9292. The host community usually provides a room, invites its veterans and sets out refreshments, and Evan Shelline leads the gathering.
Independent and veteran-owned. VETTED is not part of, and does not speak for, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA alone decides eligibility and authorized hours. Page last updated October 6, 2026.