Sandusky resident Lori Abrams dedicated nine years of her life defending the United States. Now Abrams, along with hundreds of thousands of Ohio veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars, will get a bonus for their efforts.

When voters approved Issue 1 on the November ballot, they made Ohio veterans eligible for the Ohio Veterans Bonus.

HOW TO GET YOUR VETERAN'S BONUS

To qualify for one of the bonuses, military veterans must have been Ohio residents during active duty and continue to be an Ohio resident when applying for the bonus.

Eligible veterans may receive $100 for each month -- up to a $1,000 maximum bonus -- of active duty service during these dates:

*Persian Gulf: Between Aug. 2, 1990 to March 3, 1991. Eligible veterans may apply for a bonus until Dec. 31, 2013.

*Afghanistan: Since Oct. 7, 2001. Eligible veterans may apply for a bonus for up to three years after the president declares an end to United States involvement in Afghanistan.

*Iraq: Since March 19, 2003. Even though President Barack Obama announced Tuesday the end of American involvement in Iraq, no deadline has been set for applications. The deadline will most likely be sometime in late 2013 or early 2014.

Eligible veterans serving on active duty -- except active duty for training -- anywhere else in the world during the specified dates may receive $50 a month up to a maximum bonus of $500. To be eligible for the bonus:

* The veteran must have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions.

* The veteran remains on active duty service.

* After active duty service, the veteran remains in any reserve component of the armed forces, including the Ohio National Guard.

Eligible veterans may combine their service bonuses for a maximum payment of $1,500.

CLICK HERE to see if you are qualified or to fill out an application. Then print the application, sign and mail a copy to:

Ohio Veterans Bonus

P.O.Box 373

Sandusky, OH 44871

Applications are not final until they are mailed in. Final applications cannot be submitted on the Internet because the signed application must be notarized or acknowledged.

For more specific questions, call 877-OHIO-VET

Source: Gov. Ted Strickland's office