AMVETS Testifies Before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs about H.R. 1154, the “Veterans Equal Treatment for Service Dogs Act.”

Yesterday, was the first time I witnessed a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill. In case you've never been in a hearing room, imagine stepping back in time to the Victorian era. The room in which the hearing took place was intimidating to say the least, with extremely high ceilings painted white, with golden accents and pearl-like air vent covers. (At least they looked like pearls to me at like a million feet away)The window treatments were dramatic draperies in dark blue and white lace. There were three enormous windows that let in lots of natural light.
All set the perfect tone to get down to the business of passing H.R. 1154 into law.

H.R. 1154 was introduced by Rep. John Carter (TX) and gained overwhelming bi-partisan support since it's introduction on March 17, 2011. The bill's purpose is to give veterans utilizing Service Dogs the same access rights to VA Medical Centers and VA facilities already given to blind veterans using Guide Dogs. In March, more than 100 members of AMVETS, the sons of AMVETS and the AMVETS Women's Auxiliary stormed the Hill in an effort to let lawmakers know they were serious about the swift passage of H.R. 1154 and finally removing this hurdle to care disabled veterans are experiencing, such as AMVETS member Kevin Stone, and his Service Dog, Mambo.

AMVETS testified before the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on Health, focusing their oral testimony on H.R. 1154, the "Veterans Equal Treatment for Service Dogs Act", as well as another piece of legislation AMVETS has assisted in developing, H.R. 198, introduced by Rep. Grimm (NY).

Below is an excerpt from the oral testimony of Christina Roof, National Acting Legislative Director for AMVETS, on the two bills.

AMVETS strongly supports H.R. 1154, the “Veterans Equal Treatment for Service Dogs Act.” In 2009, I personally began to play an active role in AMVETS 30 plus years of work in the area of disabled veterans and Service Dogs. I could have never imagined that 2 ½ years later, I would be sitting here testifying on a piece of legislation that is in dire need of being signed into law and implemented without any further delay. This piece of legislation is HR 1154.

AMVETS believes this cost free piece of legislation will permanently eliminate an often overlooked and unwarranted hurdle to care disabled veterans are currently experiencing when seeking their necessary VA health care services. To date, Title 38, Part 1, § 1.218 (a)(11) states:

“Dogs and other animals, except seeing-eye dogs, shall not be brought upon property except as authorized by the head of the facility or designee”.

AMVETS finds the aforesaid language of Title 38 to be inconsistent and outdated when compared to the sections of Title 38 it is to govern. While numerous parts of Title 38 are constantly updated to reflect the health care needs of today’s wounded warriors, this section of Title 38 has been overlooked and has thus failed to be updated since July of 1985.

This outdated law is resulting in disabled veterans utilizing VA approved Service Dogs as a prosthetic device, to be denied entrance into the VAMCs and CBOCs they depend on for life sustaining care. One of the veterans who has personally experienced this barrier to care is AMVETS member, Kevin Stone and his Service Dog, Mambo, who are in attendance today.

AMVETS believes disabled veterans, such as Mr. Stone, using Service Dogs as a prosthetic device must have the same access rights to VA care and facilities as currently afforded to blind veterans using Guide Dogs.

AMVETS supports H.R. 198, the “Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act.” AMVETS lends our support to the updated language of H.R. 198 that will be submitted in committee markup. AMVETS believes the updated language will help ensure that H.R. 198 provides veterans the highest quality care and vocational training.

By way of background, AMVETS has worked with Paws With A Cause, an ADI -accredited agency, to help provide Service Dogs to disabled veterans for over 25 years. Through this partnership, AMVETS has witnessed first -hand the incredible changes that occur in a veteran’s life when introducing a dog into their overall treatment plan. These changes are often illustrated through a veteran’s ability to maintain a higher quality of life and greater mental health improvements, when compared to veterans undergoing clinical care alone. HR 198 and the dogs it will use, have the ability to break down barriers in a veteran’s world by shattering public stigmas and increase a veteran’s overall wellbeing by reigniting purpose through allowing the veterans to continue their service to their country by assisting their comrades.

AMVETS is aware of VAMCs that have used programs similar to the structure of H.R. 198 with great success for both the veteran trainers and the veteran Service Dog recipients. Furthermore, AMVETS believes H.R. 198 will be beneficial to VA by developing stronger policies and procedures regarding Service Dogs within the VA health care system. AMVETS is happy to lend our support to H.R. 198.

Gearing up for Convention

Things around the AMVETS National Headquarters have been busier than ever, as we get ourselves and everything we need to bring with us together to take down to St. Louis for the AMVETS 67th Annual National Convention.

This will be my first convention, and I am looking forward to meeting all of the members out there who read the magazine and comment and respond to posts on Twitter and Facebook. I am eager to put faces to names and dive right into the mix.

I plan to take lots of pictures to post online, and cover stories that will go into the Fall issue of American Veteran magazine.

History will be made, and I am anticipating a good time to be had by all.


Hope to see you there! Only a couple weeks to go.


-Sha'ahn

National Commander Hotop's Address during the Women's Memorial Reception Dinner July 15, 2011

Let me begin by thanking the folks who thought enough of me to have me speak to you this evening. I am truly honored and humbled after visiting the Women Veterans Memorial. I would like to recognize Secretary Shinseki and those at the VA Center for Women Veterans for the outstanding work they have been doing to get our women veterans the healthcare they need and deserve. There is still much progress to be made, but I am encouraged that they are on the right track, particularly with their latest campaign of surveying women veterans to learn how to better service them. I applaud your new efforts at community outreach.

Friends and veterans, thank you for gathering here to recognize the contributions of women veterans. I know I speak for all of us here when I say you are important figures in the history of our nation – as well as important role models for our future.

The choice you made was not an easy one. You chose to place your personal needs behind the needs of your country. It takes a selfless person to do that, and I on behalf of AMVETS extend the warmest, most sincere, “Thank You,” for your service.

You are truly diverse, dynamic women who play many roles in your lives. To your families, you are Mothers, daughters, wives, aunts, sisters… And to your unit or shop, you are Gunny, Chief, or Top. You sure do wear many hats, but that’s the beauty of being a woman. I am not taking away anything from the men, because they sacrifice too, but there is a special strength with which God has blessed a woman. It’s tough to explain, and only He knows why, but you all are like chameleons. You do the work in the field alongside your brothers-in-arms without batting an eyelash. And then just that quick you can turn around to comfort your baby boy who just skinned his knee! You are respected and deserve this night of recognition. You deserve this “Thank You” for all that you do.

By celebrations such as this, we are highlighting your contributions to this great nation, and in doing so also helping to guarantee good services for the women who don the uniform in the future.

Whether you are a Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor or Coast Guardsmen, You are the driving force behind the American Dream. Your sacrifices in service allow us the freedoms we enjoy every day. AMVETS is committed to constantly reminding our leaders on Capitol Hill of the promises they made to you. We will continue to fight for legislation that makes life a little easier for those who serve and have served, and WILL serve in this country’s armed forces in the future.

I am pleased that not only does the VA seem committed to equality in its service, but it also intends to close the information gap about the benefits you have earned through your valiant sacrifices on behalf of our nation. AMVETS is here to help VA close that gap as well. Our service officers can help you file a claim, and educate you about the benefits to which you are entitled.

Now, I cannot, in good conscience, leave you all without extending an invitation to learn more about the fine organization that I lead. Unlike other VSOs, membership in AMVETS is open to anyone who is currently serving, or has honorably served, in the U.S. Armed Forces from World War II to present, to include those in the National Guard and Reserves.

I know that VSOs have been wrongly perceived as a club for men, of sorts, and that we do not welcome women. But that is a myth that I have strived to help eradicate during my year as National Commander. AMVETS welcomes ALL, regardless of gender, race and ethnicity.

With women making up at least 15% of our military personnel today, we at AMVETS want to be sure that you, our veterans, know that you can turn to us for help. If you know a veteran, male or female, who needs help, tell them to visit AMVETS.org, or contact our National Programs Department to learn more about our programs.

In closing, I want to say one last thank you to the women veterans here today. Even though you may not have always known it, you were moving stones and creating a path for the women who will serve after you. This nation owes you a great debt of gratitude.

Your pride in your service is a tremendous source of patriotism in our communities. I am so proud of you. You are doing great things, and I know you will continue to provide outstanding leadership in your communities. I, and every one of our 180,000 AMVETS members are here to help in any way we can.

Because you made the vow, “I will serve, too,” – our nation is stronger. I am proud to be an American.

AMVETS, Veterans Community, Condemn DoD for Breaking Sacred Promise with POW/MIA Families

WASHINGTON (July 13, 2011) — President Obama is a strong supporter of our nation’s veterans, military and their families, as well as the families of almost 88,000 missing servicemen and civilians, yet some within his Administration do not share that same level of commitment.

They would instead disregard White House guidance and abandon a Presidential Commission that was created in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin — and supported by every American president since — to help determine the fates of Americans who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. They would also recall a multiyear budget submission for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), whose worldwide mission to recover and identify America’s fallen is stretched thin by manning constraints and laboratory space.

After nine months of broken promises, we cannot sit quietly and allow senior officials in the Department of Defense to redirect funding, transfer researchers and linguists, and jeopardize any possibility of mission success for the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. The Defense Department had previously agreed to reinstate by the end of June what it had taken from the Joint Commission, but to date, DOD has chosen to ignore the policy and funding recommendations made by the White House Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.

Such actions will negate 19 years of slow but increasingly steady progress that has permitted U.S. investigators to access Russia’s central military archives and to interview potential eyewitnesses. Such actions will also contradict a show of support by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who last month appointed a new co-chairman and more than 30 commissioners to their side of the Joint Commission.

Ongoing DOD actions will make it nearly impossible for our government to locate information and/or remains to help determine the fates of hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans who may have perished in the former Soviet Union or in the lands of their allies during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War. The Defense Department’s actions will help ensure mission failure, which will render the Joint Commission expendable, all because DOD wants to control a Presidential Commission instead of strongly supporting it.

We also cannot acquiesce to a relook of JPAC’s budget, which in these austere fiscal times means reduced funding. Congress has mandated that JPAC begin recovering and identifying 200 or more MIAs annually by 2015. This is more than double their current success rate, and without increased funding, it will be an impossible goal to reach.

When President Obama spoke at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, he reminded us of the debt America and the entire world owes to our military — for their benevolence as well as their resolve. He honored the memory, service and sacrifice of those men and women who gave their all, and he offered assurances to thousands of Americans who continue to seek answers — the families of almost 78,000 missing and unaccounted-for from World War II, 8,000 from Korea, 1,680 from Vietnam, and one each from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the countless veterans who served by their side.

Our nation’s fullest possible accounting mission is a national priority that the president is committed to, a mission that other nations wish they could emulate, and a mission in which success can only be measured by recovering, identifying, and returning those we send to war back to their families and to their country.

On behalf of millions of members of our nation’s largest, oldest, and most influential veterans and POW/MIA family organizations, we call upon President Obama to immediately direct DOD to restore funding and personnel to the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission, and to protect JPAC’s proposed budgets. We also urge our fellow veterans and their families, as well as all Americans, to contact the president and their members of Congress to urge them to live up to our nation’s sacred obligation to never leave a service member behind.

//signed//

James B. King, National Executive Director, American Veterans
Barry A. Jesinoski, Executive Director, Disabled American Veterans
Herb Rosenbleeth, Col., USA-Ret., Executive Director, Jewish War Veterans of the USA
Michael A. Blum, Executive Director, Marine Corps League
Ann Mills-Griffiths, Executive Director, National League of POW/MIA Families
Peter S. Gaytan, Executive Director, The American Legion
Robert E. Wallace, Executive Director, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Richard F. Weidman, Executive Director for Policy & Government Affairs Vietnam Veterans of America

Contact information:
AMVETS, Jay Agg, 301-683-4035; DAV, Thom Wilborn, 202-314-5221; Jewish War Veterans, Herb Rosenbleeth, 202-265-6280; Marine Corps League, Mike Blum, 703-207-9588; National League of POW/MIA Families, Ann Mills-Griffiths, 703-465-7432; The American Legion, Craig Roberts, 202-263-2982; VFW, Joe Davis, 202-608-8357; and Vietnam Veterans of America, Mokie Porter, 301-585-4000

ATTENTION MD/VA/DC Job Seekers: DC VA MEDICAL CENTER HOSTS JOB FAIR FOR VETERANS, ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND THEIR SPOUSES

DC VA MEDICAL CENTER HOSTS JOB FAIR FOR VETERANS, ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND THEIR SPOUSES



WHAT – Washington DC VA Medical Center Compensated Work Therapy Program is sponsoring a free job fair for Veterans, active duty military personnel and their spouses. Interviews may be conducted on site. Some of the participating employers are FBI, USDA, Homeland Security, SOC Enterprises, Computer Science Corporation, CW Resources, America Works, US Secret Service, ABLE Forces, and the National Housing Corporation Learning Center.

WHEN – Monday, July 11, 2011; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

WHERE – Washington DC VA Medical Center, Abraham Lincoln Auditorium, 4th Floor, 50 Irving Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20422

WHO – Veterans, military personnel and their spouses.

WHY – To link Veterans, military personnel and their spouses seeking employment with employers who have vacant positions.


The Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWT) is a Department of Veterans Affairs clinical program designed to prepare qualified Veterans for employment. The CWT Program is sponsoring this event as a community service effort and to provide direct support to Veterans, military personnel and their families in the DC metropolitan area in locating employment.

Parking at the DC VA Medical Center is limited. All Job Fair attendees are encouraged to use public transportation. Free shuttle service is available to and from Brook land/CUA, McPherson and the Columbia Heights Metro Stations. For more information on DC VA Medical Center shuttle service visit: http://www.washingtondc.va.gov/PatientInformation/transportation.asp



If you have questions, please contact the Office of Public Affairs, 202-745-4037. For directions to the Medical Center please visit the Medical Center website at http://www.washingtondc.va.gov/

AMVETS SUPPORTERS BIKE TO BRING AWARENESS TO VETERANS HOMELESSNESS AND AMVETS

Erick and Monica Barfield, both military veterans riding bicycles across the country for AMVETS and to raise awareness of the nation's homeless and disabled veterans, have embarked on a 4,500 mile journey to champion their cause.

U.S. Army veteran Monica and Coast Guard veteran Eric left their home state Florida on Feb. 15 and plan on arriving in San Diego in February 2012. They are traveling with their 5-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Lily. They have been supporting their trip through private donations. They said the purpose for their AMVETS ride is raising awareness of and donations for homeless and disabled veterans.

The two from Plant City, Fla., met while both were at an avionics seminar regarding Army Blackhawk and Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopters at Fort Campbell, Ky., Monica’s base. She specialized in aviation supply and served two tours in Iraq during five years in the Army. He responded with the Coast Guard after the World Trade Center attacks, and he was wounded in a drug raid between Cuba and south Florida.

According to the couple's official Biking Across America for Homeless and Disabled Veterans Facebook page, the couple plans to help educate others about the struggles veterans face when trying to receive the healthcare they need and deserve, take part in fundraising to help get some veterans "off the streets," and make donations to AMVETS, which supports their efforts.

Currently, the Barfields are heading toward Cheyenne, Wyo., and will stop at AMVETS Post 10.

The Barfields are Members at Large in Florida.

VA Creates Women Veterans Call Center

I receive press releases every day announcing various initiatives and campaigns that are pertinent to veterans. Today, I learned about the Department of Veterans Affairs' major outreach effort targeting women veterans. I guess it caught my eye because I am a veteran myself (and a woman) and I understand how important it is to reach this small but rapidly growing segment of service members.

According to the release, the VA is interested in soliciting input on ways to enhance health care services VA provides to women veterans. In order to accomplish this goal, representatives at VA's Health Resource Center are placing calls to women veterans nationwide asking them to share their experiences with VA and suggest potential enhancements that will further VA's mission to provide to provide the best care possible.

Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services.

VA estimates by 2020 women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran population and 9.5 percent of VA patients. The HRC, which started placing calls on June 1, is contacting women Veterans who have enrolled, but have not begun using VA services.

“Through this contact center, we are placing friendly, conversational calls to women Veterans,” said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. “We want these Veterans and their caregivers to talk candidly about why they are not using VA, whether they are aware of the gender-specific services we offer, and what additional services they would like to see VA offer.”

The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women Veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care. Veterans who have complaints about VA are connected to a patient advocate who helps resolve issues.

The Women Veterans Health Care program has made significant changes in the last few years to enhance the health care offered to eligible women Veterans.
This progress includes:

Adopting key policies to improve access and enhance services for women Veterans;
Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans;
Conducting cutting-edge research on the effects of military service on women’s lives;
Improving communication and outreach to women Veterans; and
Providing mental health, homelessness and other services designed to meet the unique needs of women Veterans

For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans, please visit: www.va.gov/womenvet and www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth.

TODAY Legislative Update: AMVETS bill, S. 769 (VETS Dogs)

AMVETS bill, S. 769 (VETS Dogs) is scheduled for committee markup TODAY at 11 am. Please call your Senator and let them know you support removing any barrier to care disabled veterans experience.

Today, June 27, is National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day

In an attempt to promote public understanding of PTSD, Congress last year designated today, June 27, as National PTSD Awareness Day. AMVETS encourages members to help increase awareness of PTSD and its devastating consequences by informing employers, workmates, neighbors, friends and relatives of the realities of PTSD. The better we understand PTSD, the better we can support our veterans battling this condition.

The organizations and departments listed below are all working together to create awareness of PTSD and effective treatments that can help.

(From the Department of Veterans Affairs)

Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
This VHA site provides access to apply for health benefits. Read real stories from Inside Veterans Health, or access the MyHealthIVet portal.

VA Office of Mental Health Services
Provides a range of information on depression, substance abuse, and other mental health problems, to improve the health and well-being of Veterans through excellence in health care, social services, education, and research.

VA MIRECCs
The Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) generates new knowledge about the causes and treatments of mental disorders, applies new findings to model clinical programs, and widely disseminates new findings through education to improve the quality of Veterans' lives and their daily functioning in their recovering from mental illness.

For a more comprehensive list of organizations and departments visit the VA PTSD web page.

AMVETS to Give Oral Testimony at Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Oversight Hearing

Today, at 2:30 PM EST, Ms. Christina M. Roof, AMVETS National Acting Legislative Director, will give testimony during the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Oversight Hearing entitled, “Arlington National Cemetery: An Update from the New Administration.”

The Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, has legislative, oversight and investigative jurisdiction over compensation; general and special pensions of all the wars of the United States; life insurance issued by the Government on account of service in the Armed Forces; cemeteries of the United States in which veterans of any war or conflict are or may be buried, whether in the United States or abroad, except cemeteries administered by the Secretary of the Interior; burial benefits; the Board of Veterans' Appeals; and the Court of Appeals for Veterans' Claims.

In June 2010, the Army released a report from its inspector general that found widespread problems at the Arlington National Cemetery, including 211 graves that were unmarked or mislabeled on cemetery maps and at least four urns that had been unearthed and dumped in landfill piles. The probe also found that cemetery officials with limited expertise in federal contracting regulations and little outside supervision improperly paid millions of dollars to companies that failed to create a digital database of the cemetery's records. Since that time, a new administration has taken charge of the cemetery's affairs and are now conducting a hearing to solicit feedback from and share updates with those the cemetery's former mismanagement directly affects - veterans and their families.

During the hearing, Ms. Roof will share AMVETS' views and recommendations regarding the Army Office of the Inspector General's detailed investigation into the activities of Arlington National Cemetery last year.

Here is an excerpt from her prepared statement:

"AMVETS was saddened and upset over the numerous disgraceful wrongdoings the IG outlined in their report. Furthermore, AMVETS is still at a loss for words as to how Arlington National Cemetery's sacred grounds could have ever been so blatantly mismanaged in a way that showed absolutely no respect or care for the remains of this nation’s fallen heroes. While AMVETS is eager to read the IG’s follow-up report to the investigation, we still believe that we must voice the concerns, recommendations and problems experienced by our membership last year, if only in an effort to give our members the comfort of knowing their experiences are understood. Moreover, AMVETS believes that it is important to preface our statement with the fact they we are not aware of all of the improvements already in place at Arlington National Cemetery, as we too are awaiting the Army’s new report. However, the concerns we share with you today are still just as important and personal as they were one year ago."

Ms. Roof went on to say that the happenings at the cemetery were a direct result of mismanagement, outdated technology and a blatant insubordination of Army Regulation 25-30,issued in 2006. Many AMVETS members are concerned whether their loved ones are being properly cared for at the cemetery and what measures have been taken to prevent further problems and confusion.


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NEWS RELEASE: VA to Expand Housing for Homeless Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to develop housing opportunities for homeless and at-risk veterans by adding 34 VA locations across the country.

According to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs released June 8, the VA plans to develop unused and underused buildings at existing VA properties across the country to increase the Department's available beds by more than 5,000. VA currently has 15,000 transitional beds available to homeless veterans.

“This initiative will significantly support our efforts to eliminate Veteran homelessness and improve quality of life for Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We have a moral obligation to ensure that Veterans and their families have access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet.”

Culminating two years of work to end homelessness among Veterans, a recent strategic study, the Building Utilization Review and Repurposing (BURR) initiative, identified unused and underused buildings at existing VA property with the potential to develop new housing opportunities for homeless or at-risk Veterans and their families through public-private partnerships and VA’s enhanced-use lease (EUL) program. Under the EUL program, VA retains ownership of the land and can determine and control its reuse.

Additional opportunities identified through BURR will include housing for returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and their families, assisted living for elderly Veterans and continuum of living residential communities.

The project will support VA’s goal of ending Veteran homelessness by providing safe, affordable, cost effective, and sustainable housing for Veterans on a priority basis.

To expedite the project, contractors will be asked to develop multiple sites in a region. VA will hold a one-day national Industry Forum in Chicago for interested organizations on July 13, 2011. For information regarding the forum mail to: VA_BURR@va.gov.

Supportive housing projects are planned for homeless Veterans and their families at 23 VA sites: Tuskegee, Ala.; Long Beach and Menlo Park, Calif.; Bay Pines, Fla.; Dublin, Ga.; Hines and North Chicago, Ill.; Danville and Fort Wayne, Ind.; Leavenworth, Kan.; Perry Point, Md.; Bedford, Brockton and Northampton, Mass.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minn.; Fort Harrison, Mont.; Castle Point, N.Y.; Chillicothe and Dayton, Ohio; and Spokane and Vancouver, Wash.

Under the enhanced-use lease agreements, Veterans will receive senior and non-senior independent living and assisted living at eleven VA sites: Newington, Conn.; Augusta, Ga.; Marion, Ill.; Topeka, Kan.; Togus, Maine; Grand Island, Neb.; Big Springs and Kerrville, Texas; Salem, Va.; Martinsburg, W.Va.; and Cheyenne, Wyo.

Army Clarifies Purple Heart Criteria for Concussions

Recently the Department of the Army clarified its criteria for awarding the Purple Heart to soldiers suffering from blast-related concussion wounds like traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

In a letter to AMVETS from the Army Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Richard P. Mustion, the Department of the Army clarified its policy toward concussion injuries that did not result in loss-of-consciousness, which was often considered a defacto criterion for rating the Purple Heart.

In the letter, Mustion encourages soldiers who may have been previously denied the Purple Heart for the injury to resubmit their paperwork through the first general officer within their chain of command for review.

The policy is retroactive for concussion injuries sustained on the battlefield through contact with the enemy dating back to Sept. 11, 2001.

Mustion was clear to note that the memorandum was not a change in policy, but rather a clarification. The Marine Corps recently amended its policy to conform with other service standards, dropping the caveat for loss-of-consciousness and leaving discretion for awarding the Purple Heart to battlefield doctors who could diagnose the injuries properly.

AMVETS supported the Marine Corps adopting its new standard for the Purple Heart that was in line with the standard of the other uniformed services.

"As a veterans’ advocacy group, AMVETS’ primary concern is delivery of proper care for combat injuries," said AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop in response to the change in Marine Corps policy. "A Purple Heart automatically entitles combat-wounded veterans to receive requisite care from VA. In the case of TBI, the old Marine Corps policy may have actually created an unnecessary roadblock to care for veterans exposed to blast injuries. Like broken bones or internal bleeding, you can’t always necessarily see the physical damage caused by roadside bombs. This is particularly true with TBI, which is why AMVETS believes the Marine Corps is making the right decision by deferring to its doctors to make that call."

In reaction to the Army's clarification of its policy, AMVETS leaders encourage any soldier who suffered a blast injury in combat who was previously denied the Purple Heart to resubmit their paperwork in a timely manner.

"We applaud the Army's outreach on this critical issue," said Hotop. "No veteran who needs care for a blast-related injury should be allowed to slip through the cracks, and we're encouraged to see Army leadership taking the necessary steps to ensure their soldiers receive the care that they need."

Proper identification and treatment for polytraumatic blast injuries like TBI is one of AMVETS top legislative priorities for 2011, as outlined in the 2011 Legislative Priorities book. American Veteran will continue to follow this issue closely. Check back regularly for updates.

(Image: Letter from the Army Adjutant General to AMVETS clarifying the Army's policy for awarding the Purple Heart for concussion injuries.)

AMVETS Moves Forward on VETS Dogs Act

Last week VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich sent a letter to AMVETS outlining VA's plans to enact a new directive that would allow veterans utilizing service dogs as prosthetic devices access to VHA facilities.

The target date for all VHA directors to implement new policies is June 30, 2011.

Under the directive--which expires in March 2016--VA facilities must create new policies allowing veterans who utilize VA-sanctioned service dogs for physical disabilities the same access afforded to seeing-eye and guide dogs.

In the past veterans like AMVETS members Kevin Stone and Sue Downes have been denied access to VA facilities while accompanied by their service dogs Mambo and Leila. Meanwhile, both Stone and Downes receive VA compensation for the proper upkeep of their service dogs, which assist with mobility and independence for both veterans, who sustained serious injuries in the line of duty.

In response to the letter, AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof sent a reply to Gingrich, applauding VA's efforts, but clarifying that AMVETS must continue to pursue a permanent legislative solution to the access issue through the Veterans Equal Treatment of Service Dogs Act, or VETS Dogs Act, which was introduced in the House by Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, during the recent LZ:DC, and subsequently introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.

"AMVETS sincerely appreciates your personal attention to the issue of access to VA facilities for disabled veterans utilizing service dogs as prosthetic devices," said Roof in her letter to Gingrich. "However, AMVETS still maintains that the new VA directive is only a temporary solution to ensuring disabled veterans access VA facilities."

In the letter, Roof clarified that the legislative solution was not an attack on VA or on Gingrich, who gave personal attention to the veterans' service dog issue last summer during AMVETS National Convention, but rather a prudent course of action to ensure that VA policy toward service dogs does not change in the future.

The House and Senate committees on Veterans Affairs intend to address the VETS Dogs Act in the coming months, and Roof said she invites VA's insight on the potential regulation change, when that time comes.

American Veteran will continue to follow the VETS Dogs Act closely. Check back regularly for updates.

To learn more about the VETS Dogs Act, Click Here.

To see video of the press conference announcing the VETS Dogs Act, Click Here.

(Images: Top: Letter from VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich to AMVETS addressing health care access for veterans utilizing service dogs. Bottom: AMVETS' response to the Gingrich letter.)

Thoughts on Bin Laden's Death, Photos, and a 5/2 World

Yesterday AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop and I sat down to formulate AMVETS' reaction to the death of Osama Bin Laden at the hands of U.S. Navy SEALs in the Pakistani suburb of Abbottabad.

Needless to say, there was such overwhelming emotion behind our discussion. I served a year in Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror, and Cmdr. Hotop is a veteran and a Blue Star Father whose son, Dean Hotop, also served in Iraq.

Thankfully, we were able to keep our thoughts fairly concise, as you can read here, but to me, this doesn't even scratch the surface on what this means for our nation.

Over the last day we've seen hundreds of analysts and pundits discuss how this most certainly is not the end of Al Qaeda or transnational terrorism as the network's weapon of choice. However, I feel this is a major symbolic victory for our nation that strikes at the heart of Al Qaeda's ideology.

September 11, 2001 has in many ways come to define my life and the lives of those closest to me--whether it was pulling emergency guard duty in the days after 9/11, deploying to Iraq for a year, working here in Washington, or losing friends and watching lives change forever. Though I never questioned whether or not our military was succeeding in the War on Terror, I had lingering doubts about whether we could translate our incremental success on the battlefield to success in the public eye, which seemed to be growing increasingly weary of the open-ended commitment. By hunting down Osama Bin Laden and putting a bullet through his skull, we've conveyed that ever-important message of success.

It was always a sore spot for me that we failed to catch Bin Laden. To me, he was going to be the one who got away, only emboldening our enemies. All the "key lieutenants" or "masterminds" that we've caught or killed over the years never seemed to resonate with the American public, and ongoing operations and successes in Afghanistan seemed to be continually buried in the headlines.

I was honestly concerned that we would soon learn that Bin Laden died back in 2007 of natural causes, surrounded by loved ones and criminal cronies. To know now that he died at the end of an American rifle, facing those he victimized, makes me feel as though justice has been served.

With that said, I feel it's time to release the photos. I'm confident that Bin Laden's corpse is already feeding the fishes at the bottom of the Arabian Sea, but one can already see conspiracy theories floating around the internet about whether it was really Bin Laden, or whether this was some kind of publicity stunt. I know this is garbage, but much like we saw with the death of Saddam Hussein, his sons, Mussaub Al-Zarkawi, and others, our enemies need to see proof to believe it's true.

To me, this proof cuts off the head of our enemy and strikes deeply at the morale of those who have sworn allegiance to Bin Laden. Over the last few months we've seen Al Qaeda significantly weakened ideologically by the nonviolent secular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia and the ongoing secular uprisings across the Arab world. The death of Bin Laden proves once-and-for-all that the end game for Al Qaeda is not the empty promise of a path to overthrowing nebulous tyranny, but rather brutal, violent, and meaningless death.



I am extremely proud to be an American today. I feel as though my sacrifices and the sacrifices of those closest to me who served in the military have been validated. Our decade of hard work has yielded the results our nation needed.

When Americans started to gather at the White House and Ground Zero, it was easy to see that the crowds were largely young and mostly college students. What surprised me, though, was how many had American flags readily available; and I was particularly moved when the crowd belted out the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic staples. These young Americans are much more patriotic than I ever gave them credit for and I think it's a testament to our nation's pride and unity--despite what we may have seen and read in the news in recent months.

Though I know this does not bring an abrupt end to our operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Horn of Africa, and elsewhere, I believe that this is the most significant victory for the United States since the demise of Adolf Hitler. This was justice. This brings closure to the families who lost their loved ones on 9/11 and the families who lost loved ones subsequently on the battlefield.

As President Barack Obama said in his address to the nation, this demonstrates that we, as Americans, can accomplish anything. To me, that means we can vanquish our enemies in preservation of the ideals that we cherish. Though we must still be vigilant, I'm personally looking forward to a post-Bin Laden world--a 5/2 World--where our nation no longer lives in fear and uncertainty, but once again prospers off of the ingenuity, pride and unwavering dedication of our citizens.

(Image: U.S. Marine Corps veterans Mike Demo, center, and Bill Cortese, right, drove 30 minutes to New York's Ground Zero, May 2, 2011, to mark the news of Osama bin Laden's death. Two of Cortese's cousins were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Randall Clinton. Video: Official White House video of President Obama's address to the nation on the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.)

Live from Capitol Hill: AMVETS to Testify Before House Subcommittees

Today AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof will testify before both the House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

Live Web casts from both hearings can be viewed at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. by Clicking Here.

The first hearing before the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee came to order this morning in the Veterans Affairs committee chambers in Cannon 340, and will focus on seven pieces of legislation potentially affecting veterans. To view a full list of participants and to read their prepared remarks, Click Here.

Roof's remarks this morning will focus on four of the bills, which AMVETS supports; the Providing Military Honors for our Nation's Heroes Act, or H.R. 811, which would offer travel reimbursement to organizations that provide military honors for veteran funerals; the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, or H.r. 1407, which will set rates for COLA adjustments for veterans in 2011; H.R. 1627, an act to support uniform definitions for monuments at Arlington National Cemetery, and H.R. 1441, an act which would prohibit the long-overlooked practice of reserving space at Arlington National Cemetery.

In the afternoon, Roof will once again appear in Cannon 340 to testify before the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, addressing four additional pieces of legislation related to veterans' educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. To view a full list or participants and to read their prepared remarks, Click Here.

Roof's remarks will focus on two pieces of legislation before the subcommittee which AMVETS supports, H.R. 1657, an act which would revise the penalties for small businesses misrepresenting themselves as "veteran-owned" to secure set-aside government contracts; and
H.R. 1383, an act which would temporarily preserve higher tuition reimbursement rates under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill for student veterans attending private institutions of higher learning.

During her remarks, Roof will also address an overlooked inequity in last year's G.I. Bill improvements act, which stripped nearly 400,000 enrolled veterans of living allowance payments during academic break periods.

American Veteran will follow both hearings closely. Check back for highlights.

National Commander Hotop Visits Walter Reed

This morning AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop and AMVETS National Programs Director Beryl Love made their way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. to visit with wounded warriors recovering at the facility.

Hotop, whose schedule routinely takes him out of the Washington area, wanted to take a few moments to meet with troops recuperating at the facility.

During the visit, Hotop was able to meet with troops in various stages of the recovery process from all across the country and offered words of gratitude and encouragement on behalf of the 250,000 AMVETS, AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary, and Sons of AMVETS nationwide.

Hotop also received a briefing from hospital brass on the forthcoming merger between Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the nearby National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to form the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The two facilities are slated to merge between September and October, when the current Walter Reed facility is scheduled to close permanently. The majority of patients transferred to the new facility in Bethesda will be amputees and those suffering from severe traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Remaining patients will be transferred to the new state-of-the-art Army hospital at Fort Belvoir, Va.

While at Walter Reed, Hotop also had the opportunity to visit with three of the Federal Recovery Coordinators who have been assisting service members and their families in requests for financial assistance through the AMVETS Healing Heroes program. To date, AMVETS Healing Heroes has given more than $500,000 in grants to 256 requesting families, with more aid still available.

(Story with contributions from Beryl Love.)

AMVETS at the White House for Roll-Out of "Joining Forces"

Yesterday AMVETS National Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof joined President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, the nation's top military brass and leading veterans' advocates at the White House for the roll-out of a new program by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to serve military families called "Joining Forces."

Joining Forces is the latest in a string of initiatives from Obama and Biden designed to meet the needs of military men and women and their loved ones who have borne the burdens of war for nearly a decade.

During the announcement, Obama said she felt that Americans were grateful for the sacrifices America's military families have made over the years, but that many civilians were simply disconnected from the rigors of military life.

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal was tapped by the White House to head the new initiative, designed to help Americans connect with military families and offer support while their loved ones continue to defend the American way of life.

The fledgling "Joining Forces" Web site currently includes an overview of the program, ways for Americans to become involved, and a link where visitors can send personal messages to troops.

Roof said she was honored to represent AMVETS at such a critical announcement and looks forward to working with the White House and her colleagues in veterans' advocacy to support the initiative.

Below is the official White House video explaining "Joining Forces":



(Photo: President Barack Obama discusses the importance of serving America's military families during yesterday's roll-out of "Joining Forces" in the East Room at White House. Photo by Christina Roof. Video: Official video explaining "Joining Forces," courtesy of the White House, released.)

AMVETS Says 'No' to TRICARE Increases

This week AMVETS took a stand on proposed increases in military health care premiums, voicing support for legislation that would keep premiums for TRICARE at the current rate.

The Military Health Care Affordability Act, H.R. 1285, was introduced by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof sent a letter of support to the Congresswoman, expressing the importance of the bill.


At the 2010 AMVETS National Convention in Louisville, Ky., AMVETS members voted on a resolution to fight increases in military health care premiums. The resolution is included in the 2011 AMVETS Legislative Priorities book and has guided AMVETS' legislative department in its decision-making on proposed TRICARE increases.

AMVETS is one of the few veterans' organizations to put its foot down on the issue of TRICARE increases, calling health care an earned entitlement for military service.

AMVETS leaders call the proposal particularly unconscionable during a time of war, and encourage AMVETS members around the country to reach out to their representatives in Congress, voicing their opposition to the proposed increases.

To find your representative and to voice your opinion on TRICARE increases, Click Here.

Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans

Yesterday, the nation recognized the sacrifices of all Vietnam veterans with Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.

The Senate passed a resolution on March 7, declaring March 30 "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day," and organizations around the country, including AMVETS, hosted events throughout the week to honor those who served in Southeast Asia during the conflict.

In California, Irwindale AMVETS Post 113 also worked closely with local Vietnam veteran Jose Ramos to support his Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans, Inc., which hosted its "Welcome Home" ceremony on Sunday, March 27. To learn more about Ramos' work, Click Here.

To read about Post 113's support to the event, Click Here.

In Vinton, Iowa, AMVETS Post 218 helped to organize their local "Welcome Home" cermony and AMVET Denny Miller spoke at the event. To read about AMVETS' support organizing the ceremony, Click Here. To read highlights from the event, Click Here.

If your post or department has highlights from a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony that you would like to share with American Veteran, please send digital photos and details to rgallucci@amvets.org for possible publication on this blog and the print edition of the magazine.

March 30, 1973 was the last day marking the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam. However, an ungrateful American public chose not to delineate politics of the day from the brave American men and women tasked with fighting the war.

American service members were greeted with hostility and disdain by the very country they had sworn to protect and defend.

In nearly 30 years since the conflict officially ended, groups like AMVETS have consistently sought out ways to right the tremendous injustices done to America's Vietnam veterans.

The Senate's resolution honoring the sacrifices of the Vietnam generation was the latest step in ensuring that all American war heroes receive the honor and recognition they have earned.

Call of Duty Endowment Polls Public of Veterans' Unemployment

Activision's Call of Duty Endowment, or CODE, recently conducted a man-on-the-street poll outside of the Washington, D.C.'s Union Station to gauge public awareness and public opinion on the current employment situation facing American veterans.



In 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that one in five young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were unemployed.

CODE decided to do something to address the unemployment crisis facing American veterans by awarding $500,000 in grants to veterans' groups devoted to addressing the issue.

AMVETS received $100,000 from CODE to support the expansion of AMVETS Career Centers beyond Ohio, where the state program has helped more than 1,000 veterans find jobs.

To view highlights from CODE's check presentation to AMVETS from the recent LZ:DC, Click Here.

To learn more about CODE, Click Here.