This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we welcome new National Commander Jerry Hotop to AMVETS National Headquarters in Lanham, Md. Hotop, a life member of Perryville AMVETS Post No. 94 in Missouri, was recently elected as AMVETS National Commander for 2010-2011 at the AMVETS National Convention in Louisville.

This week, we will also discuss VA's publication of Agent Orange regulations for the latest presumptive conditions for exposure to the dangerous defoliant during the Vietnam War. VA plans to publish the new rules on Tuesday in the Federal Register.

Congress remains on recess for the district work period, meaning AMVETS legislative team continues to use this time to compile AMVETS' legislative agenda for 2011 and the upcoming report from the 2010 AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans.

We will also continue to follow the latest developments on recent court rulings in favor of funeral protests and framing Stolen Valor as free speech. AMVETS recently issued statements on both rulings, calling the decisions "misguided" and demanding appeals. To read the statement on Stolen Valor, Click Here. To read the statement on funeral protests, Click Here.

As always, we're eager to highlight what's going on at AMVETS posts and departments around the country, so please send us your stories and photos for consideration, and please comment on anything we post.

This Week at American Veteran

After a very successful AMVETS National Convention and 2010 Symposium for 21st Century Veterans, American Veteran Online is back in action this week.

Through all of the work in Louisville, AMVETS managed to compile significant information about the ever-changing needs of today's veterans community, which will now be used to compile a final report to be published in October.

This week, American Veteran will also bring you reaction to two recent court rulings that rattled the veterans' community--the Missouri ruling striking down the state's ban on military funeral protests and the Colorado ruling striking down the Stolen Valor Act. AMVETS leaders have advocated for both the protection of grieving military families and the prosecution of phony veterans.

This week, we will also highlight recent efforts of AMVETS Legislative Department pressing VA to codify service dog guidelines for health care facilities nationwide. AMVETS National Deputy Legislative Director Christina Roof worked with the office of Congressman Ron Klein (D-Fla.) to draft a letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, asking VA to close a loop hole that only allows "seeing eye dogs" on VA facilities. We will bring you updates as this story develops.

We will also discuss the latest issue of American Veteran magazine, which is now available online. The latest issue brings with it new digital features, such as RSS feeds and podcasts of the full text. We will highlight each of these new features, plus preview this summer's stories.

As always, we're eager to hear from you, our readers. We hope to continue highlighting the work of AMVETS posts and departments around the country, so please keep sending your submissions and post your comments.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran we will continue to follow hearings on Capitol Hill, including Wednesday's roundtable discussion on post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and a hearing on healing the physical injuries of war, both in the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs will also host a hearing on Post-9/11 G.I. Bill improvements. Details on each hearing will be available later in the week.

We will also discuss this weekend's ruling in U.S. District Court, deeming the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 unconstitutional. AMVETS issued a statement this afternoon, calling for an appeal to uphold the critical law, which roots out fakers exploiting the veterans' community. AMVETS was the first major veterans' organization to tackle the Stolen Valor issue when it launched ReportStolenValor.org in December 2009.

This week we will also bring you updates on the 2010 AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans, taking place during this year's AMVETS National Convention in Louisville. AMVETS leaders are finalizing details for the event and we will bring you highlights here.

As always, we're eager to hear from you and hear what's happening at AMVETS posts and departments around the country for our Keeping Posted Online section. We will also keep you up to date on the latest news in the veterans' community. Finally, we also encourage you to comment on our stories whenever possible. Details on how to publish your comments can be found on the right hand tool bar.

AMVETS Launches ReportStolenValor.org

This afternoon, AMVETS will roll out ReportStolenValor.org, a first-of-its-kind national resource to help citizens to expose and prosecute phony veterans.

To view AMVETS' official announcement, Click Here.

AMVETS leaders made the announcement during this fall's meeting of the AMVETS National Executive Committee at the BWI Hilton in Linthicum, Md.

Legion of Valor Past National Commander and retired Marine Lt. Col. George Malone, a Vietnam Navy Cross recipient, was on hand for the announcement, along with VA officials and Republican staff from the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

After AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin discussed why AMVETS commissioned the Web site, AMVETS National Communications Director Jay Agg answered questions from media and AMVETS members. Agg also walked guests through the features of the Beta site and discussed how it will evolve as a resource in the coming weeks.

Emmy-award winning investigative reporter Alan Cohn of ABC Action News joined AMVETS to cover the roll-out. Cohn's recent story about phony veteran Angel Ocasio was one of the latest in a slew of Stolen Valor cases that prompted AMVETS to take action.

Check out these stories about the launch of ReportStolenValor.org, and let us know what you think.

Fox News

Military Times

ABC Action News

Stars & Stripes

(Photo: AMVETS National Communications Director Jay Agg explains ReportStolenValor.org during Friday's press conference. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

This Week at American Veteran

Business is back on at AMVETS National Headquarters after the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and kept our brave men and women fighting overseas in their thoughts and prayers.

This week at American Veteran, we will discuss Dana Bowman's first jump with the AMVETS parachute at last weekend's nationally-televised NCAA football game between New Mexico and No. 4-ranked Texas Christian University (TCU) in Texas.

American Veteran will also cover this weekend's fall meeting of the AMVETS National Executive Committee at the BWI Hilton in Linthicum, Md. AMVETS leaders will discuss progress since the national convention and critical issues for the organization such as Stolen Valor and the upcoming 21st Century Veterans Symposium this summer at the AMVETS National Convention in Louisville.

Congress is back to work, which means we will continue to follow AMVETS Legislative Department, advocating for our veterans on Capitol Hill in Washington. Critical issues continue to be veteran-owned small business contracting, VA family caregiver plans, and the VA budget for FY2010, which is now two months late.

If you have stories you would like to share with American Veteran, please let us know. And, as always, feel free to leave your comments.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will highlight AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin's recent visit to the Far East. On the recent visit, alongside AMVETS Ladies' Auxiliary National President Patty Piening, Miskulin visited with American troops stationed in South Korea, allied leaders in South Korea and the Republic of China (Taiwan), and visited the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii.

We will also discuss the recent AMVETS Americanism Program visit to the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, where 92 high school students from across the country came together to learn about American history, American government, and to visit historic landmarks in the original nation's capitol, Philadelphia.

American Veteran will also continue to follow developments on Capitol Hill, including Wednesday's hearing in the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs concerning veterans' employment. We will also keep you up to date on critical pending legislation, such as the VA budget for FY2010 and the Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act, which is currently stalled in the Senate.

In recent weeks, AMVETS leaders have taken up the cause of Stolen Valor, which has become much more prevalent in the current conflicts. More and more reports have come into AMVETS National Headquarters in the last few months documenting incidents where people pose as decorated combat veterans in an effort to curry special treatment. AMVETS takes these accusations very seriously, considering the negative affects Stolen Valor can have on the legitimate veterans' community, which has earned reverence in our society through tremendous sacrifices.

In 2005, AMVETS supported strengthening the Stolen Valor Act beyond the Medal of Honor, meaning those who wear other unauthorized military decorations or otherwise pose as veterans for personal gain can be charged with a federal crime. American Veteran is following each of these incidents very closely--some of which have garnered national media attention--and we will keep you posted in the coming days.

As always, we're eager to hear from you and if you have a story you would like us to highlight on the blog, just let us know.