This afternoon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen will discuss the Pentagon's plan to address the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee will be broadcast live on C-SPAN 3 at noon eastern time. For a live video link on C-SPAN's Web site, Click Here.
President Barack Obama asked Congress and the military to find ways to responsibly overturn the policy during last week's State of the Union address.
AMVETS delegates voted on a resolution at this summer's national convention--Resolution 10-17--calling for continued support to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" until Congress and the military addressed broader social issues associated with overturning the policy during a time of war. To read the resolution, Click Here.
AMVETS leaders demanded equitable treatment for all service members with regard to benefits and entitlements, should the policy be overturned--something that hasty legislative changes could not guarantee. To read AMVETS' full response to last week's announcement, Click Here.
Preliminary reports indicate that the Pentagon may seek a long-term solution to ensure the policy is changed in a responsible manner, taking into consideration many of the concerns voiced by AMVETS.
American Veteran will follow today's developments closely. Check back later for details.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, AMVETS Riders from Chapter No. 7 in Morristown, Tenn. joined the local Patriot Guard Riders and members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol to escort the body of Army Spc. Fred Greene back to his hometown of Mountain City, Tenn.
Greene, a 29-year-old Army combat engineer, was one of the 13 victims of the Nov. 5 shooting at Fort Hood, where Army Maj. Nadal Hasan opened fire on a crowded room of soldiers preparing to deploy.
Alan Sipe, president of AMVETS Riders Chapter No. 7, said the AMVETS Riders joined up for a 45-mile stretch of the journey, which passed through the mountains of eastern Tennessee on Sunday morning. Sipe said that entire congregations of small churches along the route lined the streets to pay their respects to Greene.
"The Tennessee Chapter No. 7 Riders were very moved at each and every moment of the ceremonies as they led one of their fallen brothers to his final resting place," said Sipe. "May he forever rest in peace."
Greene was laid to rest on Wednesday at his family church in Mountain City. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was in attendance to pay his final respects. Sipe said that Greene was buried with full military honors and treated as a KIA.
According to the Associated Press, Greene enlisted in the Army in 2008 and was assigned to the 16th Signal Company, which was heading overseas. Greene is survived by his wife, Christie, and his two adopted daughters, Haley and Allison.
(Photo: AMVETS Riders served as members of the Honor Guard when Spc. Greene arrived at the Tri-Cities Airport on Nov. 15. Photo courtesy of Alan Sipe. Video: TriCities.com news coverage of Spc. Greene's ride home and his funeral on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Embedded using HTML code provided by TriCities.com.)
On Veterans Day 2009, AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin joined President Barack Obama, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and leaders from the nation's other leading VSOs for a special breakfast in the East Room at the White House , followed by a memorial ceremony and a somber wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery.
That afternoon, AMVETS legislative and communications staff joined Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden for a veterans' luncheon at the Vice President's residence. Biden delivered a heart-felt speech acknowledging the sacrifices of not only America's military men and women, but also the parents, spouses, children and other loved ones who have stood by their service members throughout American history.
Biden recalled meeting a WWII veteran in Europe while commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landing. Biden said that when he thanked the man for his service, the man took his wife's hand and told then-Senator Biden that it was in fact his wife who made it all possible.
Biden went on to say that the only solemn obligation of our federal government is caring for the veterans who have fought in defense of our nation and that he was honored to be in a position to ensure that our nation upholds its obligation.
AMVETS leaders were on hand for other events around the nation's capitol for Veterans Day. American Veteran is in the process of collecting additional photos and details of the day's events. Check back on Monday for additional updates.
If your post or department would like to share its Veterans Day photos and stories, please let us know. American Veteran is eager to tell the story of AMVETS who commemorated the holiday nationwide.
(Photo: Vice President Joe Biden thanks veterans assembled at the Vice President's home for their service on Veterans Day. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)
President Barack Obama, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey joined hundreds of soldiers, military families, first-responders, and survivors at the Army III Corps Headquarters at Fort Hood for a somber remembrance ceremony in honor of the 12 soldiers and one civilian who were killed last Thursday in the brutal rampage at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Processing center.
Thirty-eight other soldiers were wounded in the cowardly act perpetrated by another American soldier.
"It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy, but this much we do know: No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor," said Obama in his remarks, "and for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice in this world, and the next."
Below is video of the Fort Hood memorial service in its entirety posted on the official White House blog:
Following today's somber ceremony, military leaders met with families of the fallen and soldiers who survived the brutal attack. Defenselink, the official Pentagon Web site, features in-depth multimedia coverage of the tragedy, including a tribute to the victims. To view the Pentagon's site, Click Here.
AMVETS leaders ask that this Veterans Day, Americans remember the 13 Americans who lost their lives in this cowardly act:
Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, Havre de Grace, Md. Maj. Libardo Caraveo, Woodbridge, Va. Capt. John P. Gaffaney, San Diego, Calif. Capt. Russell Seager, Racine, Wis. Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, Plymouth, Ind. Sgt. Amy Krueger, Kiel, Wis. Spc. Jason Hunt, Tillman, Okla. Spc. Frederick Greene, Mountain City, Tenn. Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, West Jordan, Utah Pfc. Michael Pearson, Bolingbrook, Ill. Pfc. Kham Xiong, St. Paul, Minn. Pvt. Francheska Velez, Chicago, Ill. Michael G. Cahill, Cameron, Texas
American Veteran will continue to follow this story. Check back regularly for updates.
(Photos: Top: President Obama speaks at today's Fort Hood memorial service honoring the victims of the Nov. 5 shooting rampage. DoD photo by Cherie Chullen, released. Bottom: Adm. Mullen with Army 2nd Lt. Brandy Mason, who was shot in the hip during the horrific rampage that left 13 dead and 38 wounded. DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, Released. Video: Tuesday's memorial service in honor of the Fort Hood victims from the official White House blog.)
Yesterday VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and Defense Secretary Robert Gates opened the first-ever VA and Department of Defense summit on mental health at the Capitol Hilton in Washington. The summit brings together leaders across both departments, medical practitioners, and military and veterans' advocates, including AMVETS, to discuss mental health issues related to military service.
Since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the invisible wounds of war have become a major concern for the veterans' community. A recent RAND report shows that up to twenty percent of all service members who deployed in support of the conflicts have exhibited some symptom associated with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.
Pentagon and VA have come together in an effort to better serve those affected by service-related mental health issues at the summit, which runs through Thursday.
In his opening remarks, Shinseki tasked the summit with three goals: Build on current levels of mental health care; maintain advances by promoting psychological health, resilience and prevention; and establish a mental health care model that leverages national resources beyond the military.
AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin has made military and veterans' mental health his top priority since taking office in September, making this summit critical to the work of AMVETS and its partners.
AMVETS National Deputy Legislative Director Christina Roof was on hand for the first day's activities, listening to a variety of speakers who brought a wealth of expertise in the mental health field to the summit.
American Veteran will be following the summit closely over the next three days. Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for updates.
(Photos: Top: VA Secretary Shinseki addresses the VA/DoD mental health summit at the Capitol Hilton. Hyperlink to official DoD story by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen, released. Right: Defense Secretary Gates addresses the summit. Photo by Christina Roof.)
President Obama, alongside VA Secretary Erik Shinseki and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, announced a new unified electronic health and service record system for all service members during a press conference at the White House this afternoon. AMVETS and leaders from the nation's top veterans' service organizations were on hand for the landmark announcement.
AMVETS and the veterans' community applauded the Administration's decision to implement a new electronic system, which will help close the gap in care many veterans experience between leaving the military and entering the VA health system.
The President said that the records would follow troops throughout their lives from the moment they enter service in the U.S. military and into the VA system.
AMVETS Legislative Director Ray Kelley said AMVETS has been calling for a unified health record for DoD and VA for more than a decade.
"Historically, the onus for enrolling the VA system has fallen on the service member one they come off active duty," Kelley said. "Now, troops' medical records will automatically make it into the VA, ensuring the most times and sufficient health care for all veterans."
The President, who returned from a surprise visit to Iraq yesterday afternoon, also praised America's service members for their sacrifices and promised to deliver "the care they were promised and the benefits they deserve."
Obama also addressed the issues of homelessness, education and mental health during his press conference, saying that the proposed VA budget will include new programs to help alleviate the transitional stressors on many of our nation's vets.
As these stories develop, check in with American Veteran Online for more details. And as always, please let us know what you think.
AMVETS Executive Director Jim King will be at the White House this morning for a special announcement on veterans' health care from President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and VA Secretary Erik Shinseki.
Check back with American Veteran Online for updates throughout the day.
(Photo: President Obama meets with leaders from the nation's top veterans' service organizations at the White House in March, including AMVETS Executive Director Jim King. Photo courtesy of the White House.)
A new day is dawning on the war in Afghanistan, as President Barack Obama presented his new strategy to achieve victory in the central conflict to the Global War on Terrorism.
"To the terrorists, our message is the same. We will defeat you." said Obama this morning, as he outlined the Administration's plan during a press conference alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Obama reiterated that the U.S. military must focus on the top threat to American security: Al Qaeda operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Though the Taliban was swiftly removed from power in 2001, 2008 was the deadliest year for U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda's operations remain fully operational across the region. To view an excerpt from the speech, check out CNN's video from the press conference, which we have included here:
The President outlined that the current U.S. policy is not to control the government of Afghanistan, but, rather to "disrupt, dismantle, and defeat" Al Qaeda, which operates with impunity in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He went on to say that U.S. intelligence indicates that Al Qaeda is planning additional attacks on the United States, and Al Qaeda forces are chiefly responsible for most of the world's deadliest terrorist attacks over the last eight years.
Obama officially announced an additional increase of more than 4,000 American troops for the region, asked Congress to approve increased aide to allies in Pakistan, and tasked the Pentagon to focus its resources on the conflict. Obama also appointed Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure that each nation's government is included in the process to dismantle Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Obama also called on the international community to provide grassroots support to the people of Afghanistan to ensure that the Taliban and their promises or prosperity do not take root within the traditionally tribal culture.
Obama's tough stance on Afghanistan is a welcome announcement to veterans' community, which has clamored for a viable victory strategy on Afghanistan. Though the conflict in Iraq has turned a corner, the United States must not lose focus on a brutal, reconsolidated enemy that continues to threaten our way of life.
In the coming months, check back regularly with American Veteran for continued coverage of our mission in Afghanistan.
To view the Obama Administration's white paper on the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Click Here.
(Media: Photo: Army Sgt. Robert Newman watches the sun rise while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini, released. Video: Embedded video courtesy of CNN.com, used with permission.)
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Andrew Keirn, National Publications Editor, Marine Corps veteran
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