Spring Issue of American Veteran Now Online

The latest issue of American Veteran magazine is now available online, featuring Sen. Al Franken, HBO's "The Pacific," the landmark veterans' caregiver bill, post highlights and more! To read the spring issue, Click Here.

For the first time, the online edition of American Veteran features an audio option, allowing visually-impaired veterans to enjoy the magazine from cover to cover.

(Image: Cover art for the spring issue courtesy of Owen Franken.)

New Issue of American Veteran Magazine Available Now

The latest issue of American Veteran magazine has shipped to subscribers around the country and will be available online this week.

In this spring's Outside the Wire, we sat down with comedian and Minnesota junior Senator Al Franken. Franken, who has visited troops serving in harm's way nearly every year since 1999 was elected to the Senate in 2008. After being seated, his first piece of legislation centered on caring for today's veterans and he continues to be a critical voice on issues affecting America's heroes.

This spring we also highlight the recent HBO miniseries "The Pacific," which chronicled the experiences of the Marines who served in the Pacific theatre of WWII. The miniseries, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, follows a similar format as the 2001 "Band of Brothers" miniseries and is the latest Hanks/Spielberg collaboration to preserve the storied history of America's Greatest Generation.

In this issue we also discuss new Pentagon programs designed to help veterans reintegrate from combat life. In light of daunting suicide and unemployment statistics among today's veterans, AMVETS made reintegration one of its top legislative priorities for 2010, and American Veteran was able to speak with military leaders tasked to assist today's veterans in the transition--specifically Army's Yellow Ribbon Program and the post-deployment health reassessment, or PDHRA.

AMVETS National Legislative Director also discusses the upcoming AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans, and we hear from Denise Anderson, the Gold Star mother of Army Spc. Corey Shea, who was killed in Iraq in 2008. Anderson is calling on VA to allow her to be buried with her son.

Finally, we also discuss the recent signing of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Service Act, which offers unprecedented benefits to family caregivers for today's wounded warriors and establishes new programs for underserved veteran communities. We also discuss the goings-on at AMVETS posts and departments around the country, including the Gold Star license plates and Spirit of '45 campaigns in California.

Be on the look-out for the latest issue of American Veteran magazine in your mailboxes today, and, as always, let us know what you think.

(Photos: Top: Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) pets Tuesday, AMVETS member Luis Montalvan's service dog during a meeting on Capitol Hill with AMVETS to discuss veterans' service dog legislation. Photo by Ryan Gallucci. Middle: Tom Hanks addresses hundreds of Pacific Campaign veterans at the National WWII Memorial during a recent Honor Flight visit hosted by HBO in honor of the Hanks/Spielberg miniseries "The Pacific." Photo by Ryan Gallucci. Bottom: President Barack Obama signs the veterans' caregiver bill at the White House, while AMVETS Executive Director Jim King and other leading veterans' advocates look on. Photo courtesy of the White House.)

President to Sign Historic Veterans' Caregiver Bill

This afternoon, AMVETS National Executive Director Jim King will join President Barack Obama and the nation's other leading veterans' organizations at the White House for the signing of the historic Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act.

The landmark bill, for which AMVETS has advocated for more than a year, establishes a new program for VA which will finally offer training, living stipends and respite care for veterans' family members tasked with caring for their wounded loved one.

The bill also includes new provisions providing improved care for women veterans and rural/remote veterans--two of AMVETS' top legislative priorities for 2010.

Though the bill represents a compromise between the House and Senate, only offering caregiver assistance for Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans, AMVETS leaders see the bill as a critical first step in ensuring comparable care for all generations of veterans.

AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley said AMVETS will continue to push for equity in the new benefit, but that the current caregiver plan represents a significant step in improving the quality and effectiveness of care that VA offers to today's wounded warriors.

As always, please let us know what you think of today's historic signing and the continued fight to improve care for America's veterans.

(Video: President Barack Obama signs the landmark veterans' caregiver bill at the White House. Official White House video, released.)

BREAKING: Senate Passes Landmark Caregiver Bill

Tonight the Senate passed the Caregivers and Veterans Health Services Omnibus Act, offering groundbreaking aide and benefits for family caregivers of wounded veterans. The bill also includes significant improvements in care for female veterans and rural/remote veterans--two of AMVETS' top legislative priorities for 2010.

AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin applauded yesterday's passage of the bill in the House, calling it a "significant innovation in how VA cares for our wounded veterans and our underserved veteran populations."

AMVETS leaders were on hand at the U.S. Capitol yesterday for a press conference by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) alongside wounded warrior Ted Wade and his wife, Sarah, and other House veterans' advocates.

Since Ted was severely injured in Iraq, suffering a severe traumatic brain injury and losing his right arm, Sarah left school, quit her job and took on the role of caring for her husband.

"I was going to do whatever it took for Ted to live in the community, out of institutional care," said Sarah during the press conference, "but I would lay awake at night wondering how we'll get through this."

Sarah, who now telecommutes for the Wounded Warrior Project, said the new caregiver benefits will allow more than 2,000 other military families in similar situations to make ends meet while properly caring for their loved ones thanks to living stipends, formal caregiver training, available health care, and respite care.

The caregiver bill will now go to President Barack Obama for signing and American Veteran will be following closely. Check back regularly for updates.

(Photo: Wounded warrior Ted Wade and his wife, Sarah, discuss what the passage of the veterans' caregiver bill means to them. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)