The American Legion Department of Colorado Blog

The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, in its 57th year, has awarded $506,683 to 18 non-profit organizations. These grants, determined during the annual meeting of the Board of Directors, held at the Sheraton Hotel City Centre in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, October 9, 2011, have been awarded to support worthwhile projects through the dissemination of information to the general public and specific target groups. The following is a brief summary of the grants awarded for 2012:

Alstrom Syndrome International of Mount Desert, Maine was awarded $13,125 for their project, “The Alstrom Syndrome Handbook.” This grant will produce a soft cover binder with 12 topic dividers and approximately 40 pages of content, (photographs, figures, graphs, timelines, and supporting materials).

American Humane Association of Englewood, Colorado was awarded $35,250 for their project, “Family Group Decision Making Docutraining.” This grant will fund production and distribution of 3,500 Docutraining workbooks, 100 Facilitator Guides and DVDs and marketing materials.

Angel Flight Soars, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia was awarded $16,564 for their project, “Angel Flight Soars ‘Broadcast Outreach Campaign’.” This grant will fund production and dissemination of information for pilot recruitment and outreach to the general community through medical and other facilities.

Autism Speaks, Inc. of New York, New York was awarded $22,500 for their project, “100 Day Kit for Newly Diagnosed Families.” The 100 Day Kit for Newly-Diagnosed Families puts critical information on autism directly in the hands of the people who need it most – parents.

Be The Match Foundation of Minneapolis, Minnesota was awarded $16,050 for their project, “Super Sam vs. the Marrow Monsters: A Guide to Bone Marrow Transplant for Children.” This grant will produce 3,000 copies of the DVD “Super Sam.”

Birth Defect Research for Children of Orlando, Florida was awarded $18,500 for their project, “Birth Defect Research for Children’s Accessibility & Outreach Project.” This grant will purchase software to allow website visitors to hear the website’s content. Grant will also purchase three ads in the “Healthy Mom and Baby” magazine.

Children’s Institute, Inc. of Rochester, New York was awarded $9,500 for their project, “Building Strong Military Families Through Play.” This grant will disseminate nationwide the DVD package (1,000) to National Guard and reserve centers, and other centers serving military children and families.

Mercy Medical Airlift of Virginia Beach, Virginia was awarded $43,400 for their project, “Child Health Program – Info Dissemination Upgrade.” This grant will provide for five modernized and upgraded websites and a full social media presence providing information to the public and pediatric medical world regarding child patient long-distance medical transportation.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) of Minneapolis, Minnesota was awarded $41,000 for their project, “Voices for Homeless Students.” This grant will produce a redesigned website, “Advocate’s Toolkit” and PSA.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of Alexandria, Virginia was awarded $25,500 for their project, “Child ID App.” This grant will fund the development of an iPhone Child ID application.

Organization for Autism Research of Arlington, Virginia was awarded $49,355 for their project, “Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary Teachers.” This grant will produce a video based learning module to provide educators with a working understanding of autism.

Second Wind Fund, Inc. of Lakewood, Colorado was awarded $23,724 for their project, “Teen Suicide IS Preventable: Campaign to educate school gatekeepers about suicide prevention and how Second Wind Fund, Inc. can help reduce the teen suicide rate in their communities.” This grant will allow the Second Wind Fund to develop a short multi-media presentation to be used as a practical guide for school mental health staff, showing the success of the SWEF model’s success in lowering teen suicide rates.

Starr Commonwealth- National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC) of Albion, Michigan was awarded $20,000 for their project, “Trauma Informed and Resilience Focused Virtual Resource Center for Military Parents.” This grant will produce a web-based service entitled “Trauma Informed and Resilience Focused Virtual Resource Center for Military Parents.”

Texas National Guard Family Support Foundation (TXNGFSF) of Austin, Texas was awarded $40,000 for their project, “”My Parent Is Deploying To Combat”.” This grant will provide brochures for children in schools that will explain to teachers, counselors, and administrators what it means to have a parent deployed.

The American Legion Department of Arizona/ Detachment of Arizona of Phoenix, Arizona was awarded $49,500 for their project, “Deployment Josh Development Program.” This grant is for a portion of start-up costs for the “Deployment Josh” Program.

The American Legion, Department of Kansas of Topeka, Kansas was awarded $32,000 for their project, “Drug Free America – Ruler – Bookmark.” This grant will produce a six-inch ruler/bookmark containing an anti drug message on one side and the Pledge of Allegiance on the other.

ThinkFirst Foundation (ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation) of Naperville, Illinois was awarded $25,715 for their project, “ThinkFirst Campaign to Prevent Childhood Injuries.” This grant will fund ThinkFirst For Kids Curricula (grades 1-3, 4-5, and 6-8) 100 sets for each grade level. Additionally, it would fund posters and brochures.

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS) of Washington, DC was awarded $25,000 for their project, “TAPS Grieving Children’s Care Kit – “Klinger: A Story of Hope”.” This grant will fund a second printing of “Klinger” and purchase stuffed horses.

By: Marty Callaghan

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told the House Armed Services Committee that he supports the current military retirement system.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on Oct. 13, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that no decisions had yet been made by the Department of Defense (DoD) on future changes to America’s military retirement system, but that he “can’t break faith with those in the service … we’re going to stand by the promise that was made to them …. we are going to protect those who are in the service today.”

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that he rejected characterization of the military retirement system as “gilt-edged,” and that it should not be compared to retirement systems in the private sector.

Panetta and Dempsey made their remarks in response to a question by Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who had recently met with military families and heard their concerns about proposals by the Defense Business Board to reduce military retirement benefits. Reyes asked if America had arrived at the point where reforming military retirement was necessary.

Later in the hearing, Rep. John Kline of Minnesota spoke about “the tyranny of personnel costs” and praised Panetta’s pledge to “keep the faith with those who have served.” He mentioned his recent visit to Ft. Lewis, Texas, where servicemembers and their families worried that their retirement benefits “were going to be yanked away.”

Then Kline asked Panetta and Dempsey if they would state, for the record, that “you are adamantly opposed to changing the currently military retirement system.” While Dempsey said he was “adamantly opposed” to any current proposals, he was also “open to look at changes” in the future.

Panetta replied to the same question: “Absolutely. We cannot break faith” with armed forces serving today and deploying overseas in America’s defense.

Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine also voiced her opposition to any plan that sought to reduce benefits for the country’s military retirees.

In his opening remarks to the committee, Panetta said that “we are at a turning point … with regard to the military as a whole” because of DoD’s requirement to cut more than $450 billion from its budget over the next decade.

DoD is confronting such a monumental fiscal challenge, Panetta said, at the same time America continues to face global terrorism, nuclear proliferation and cyberattacks. Therefore, he said any budget-cutting decisions must be based on key guidelines:

• America must maintain the finest and best military in the world.

• Congress must avoid creating a “hollow force” with excessive budget cuts.

• A balanced approach must be taken that examines all areas of the DoD budget for potential savings, including procurement, personnel and modernization efforts.

“All of that needs to be on the table if we’re going to do a responsible job here,” Panetta said. “We cannot break faith with our men and women in uniform.”

One way DoD plans to reduce spending is to achieve the ability to audit its entire budget by 2014 – which it is currently unable to do. Panetta said a plan will be developed in the next 60 days, and that such audits would track spending, identify waste and improve the way the Pentagon does business.

“We owe it to the taxpayers to be transparent and accountable,” Panetta said. He also warned the committee that any automatic, across-the-board cut to defense spending “is a blind, mindless formula” that is sure to weaken America’s military.

“What I’m urging the supercommittee to do, is do the right thing,” Panetta said, “and make the right decisions for the federal government’s entire budget, not just the one-third that includes the DoD budget and other discretionary spending. If you’re going to be responsible in dealing with the deficit, you’ve got to consider mandatory programs.”

Gen. Dempsey then made some brief comments to the committee, noting that more than two million servicemembers had deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas locations during the past decade.

In that time, Dempsey said the military had developed its ability to adapt and to learn. Some lessons learned are that we are living in an “increasingly competitive security environment;” that “shared command responsibilities” with our allies “matter more than ever;” and that America wants to expand the “envelope of cooperation.”

Dempsey said the country’s armed forces are “truly outstanding but must be cohesive.” Innovation will continue to be instrumental in the future of America’s military, but “leadership remains at the core of our military profession.” He told the committee that indiscriminate budget cuts will cause substantial harm to our forces. “These choices need to be deliberate and precise.”

Meanwhile, on Oct. 13, The American Legion National Executive Committee passed

Resolution No. 1: National Defense Funding encouraging Congress and the White House “to cease all efforts to reduce the defense budget from its current level.”

By: Alan W. Dowd

What many Americans seem to forget is that what began on Flight 93 continued in earnest on Oct. 7, 2001 – the day U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan.

We all know that the first counterstrike against al-Qaida came on 9/11 itself, when an ad hoc militia of citizen-soldiers stormed the cockpit of Flight 93. What many Americans seem to forget is that what began on Flight 93 continued in earnest on Oct. 7, 2001 – the day U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan. This is the other anniversary, the one that most Americans overlook.

It’s difficult to understand why. After all, Oct. 7 marks the beginning of the longest shooting war in American history. It has claimed some 1,800 American lives. But the sacrifice has not been in vain – Oct. 7 also marks the beginning of the end of an untenable status quo in the Middle East.

Think about it: ten Octobers ago, dictatorships – too many of them backed by the United States – dominated the greater Middle East. From North Africa to Afghanistan, a toxic mix of monarchs and madmen, tyrants and terrorists, held the reins of power. No one in the region looked to the democratic examples offered by Turkey or Israel. And the region’s reformers, if there were any, kept quiet.

Ten years later, the reformers are shouting. And they aren’t chanting “Death to America!” or “Long live bin Laden!” Most are demanding freedom, opportunity, justice and an end to corruption. In Libya, they are even demanding American flags, American fast food and American cars.

Contrast that with ten Octobers ago, when Libyans were not permitted to express anything at odds with Qaddafi’s diktats and fiats, and certainly were not permitted to wave Old Glory. In fact, ten Octobers ago, Qaddafi was stockpiling WMDs, providing refuge to terrorists and erasing political opponents. Today, Qaddafi’s regime of fear is toppled and the Libyan people are trying to build a free society.

Ten Octobers ago, the Egyptian government had the veneer of stability, and even tried to foist itself off as a democracy. In truth, Egypt was neither stable nor democratic. Today’s Egypt may not be stable, but it is on the path toward democracy. If the Egyptian people make it, they will be a beacon within the Arab world.

Ten Octobers ago, the Afghan government was run by terrorists and allowed its territory to be used as a training ground for 9/11’s mass murderers; today, the Afghan government is fighting terrorists and offers its territory as a base for counterterrorism operations across south Asia.

Ten Octobers ago, Saddam Hussein menaced the region, brutalized his people, made common cause with terrorists and plotted revenge on America; today, Iraq is free, fights terrorism and stands with America. Best of all, Iraq’s Purple Thumb Revolution showed Iraq’s Arab and Persian neighbors that self-government is possible. The lesson came at a high cost: 4,800 coalition troops (mostly Americans), tens of thousands of Iraqis, and hundreds of billions in treasure. Whether Iraq’s freedom was worth that sacrifice will be debated for decades, but whether that sacrifice had an impact on the region’s political landscape is beyond debate. Long before there was an Arab Spring, Middle East scholar Fouad Ajami gazed at post-authoritarian Iraq and announced “the autumn of autocrats.” America, he concluded, had “helped usher in this unprecedented moment.”

As Lebanon’s Walid Jumblatt adds, “This process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq. I was cynical about Iraq, but when I saw the Iraqi people voting … it was the start of a new Arab world.”

Indeed, ten Octobers ago, the fall of dictators in Tunis and Tripoli, Cairo and Kabul, seemed unlikely; today, dictators remaining in power seem unlikely.

The campaign of campaigns that began on Oct. 7 was a key factor in this transformation. After all, when U.S. forces swept into Afghanistan and then Iraq, they not only toppled two horrific regimes, but they pulled the plug on the old order that relied on strongmen to deliver stability.

Among the lessons of 9/11 was that the stability those strongmen offered was nothing more than a mirage.

To be sure, upending the status quo has brought uncertainty and setbacks:

• In Lebanon and proto-Palestine, for instance, the ballot box has paradoxically empowered enemies of freedom.

• Saudi Arabia reminds us that when our vital interests are at stake, there are limits to how hard we will push for reform. Iran’s failed Twitter Revolution – especially when contrasted with Libya’s NATO-aided revolution – reminds us that freedom sometimes needs a helping hand.

• Pakistan is schizophrenic at best and duplicitous at worst. Afghanistan’s ability to stand on its own is an open question. In Libya, Egypt and Iraq, the world is anxiously monitoring the struggle between liberals and Islamists. And freedom’s hold is fragile all across the liberated lands. But there is a sense, finally, that freedom has a fighting chance in the Middle East.

It all began 10 Octobers ago.

The board of directors of the nation’s largest veterans organization is warning that proposed cuts to the Department of Defense and veterans benefits would not only hurt the economy.

The board of directors of the nation’s largest veterans organization is warning that proposed cuts to the Department of Defense and veterans benefits would not only hurt the economy but they would also do “irreversible and irreparable harm to the military capability of the U.S. to defend the nation…”

The American Legion’s National Executive Committee unanimously passed an official statement today that the Legion “encourages Congress and the administration to cease all efforts to reduce the defense budget from its current level.”

Officials in both The American Legion and the Department of Defense are extremely concerned about the work of the congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. The bi-cameral “supercommitee” is charged with coming up with $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion in overall federal deficit reductions over 10 years. If the bi-partisan group does not agree to a plan by Nov. 23, automatic spending cuts are triggered, including $1 trillion in defense spending.

Those cuts “would leave us with the smallest Army and Marine Corps in decades, the smallest Air Force in history, and the smallest Navy since (William) McKinley was president,” former Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said last week to the Center for American Progress. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called the potential cuts “catastrophic.”

“It is unconscionable to consider cuts to defense while we are engaged in three wars,” American Legion National Commander Fang Wong said. “Throughout our nation’s history, every time we cut defense we have paid for it with American blood.”

Lynn pointed out that the first engagement of the Korean War, “Task Force Smith,” came after a major drawdown following the defeat of the Axis Powers in World War II.

“Teenagers fresh from basic training, led by officers who lacked combat experience, found themselves facing a numerically superior North Korean force. With only 120 rounds of ammunition each, two days of C rations [and] six antitank shells, our forces were simply unable to stop the North Korean advance.

“Each time we reduced the defense budget, we created holes in our military capabilities that we had to buy back later at great cost,” Lynn continued. “When we were lucky, that cost was in dollars. When we were not lucky, that cost was in the lives of our troops.”

The official statement by the Legion, Resolution 1, points out that Panetta stated a $1 trillion cut in national defense would increase unemployment by one percent. “Even if this unemployment increased by only one-third of one percent, it would equate to approximately 500,000 jobs lost,” the Resolution states.

Wong, a Vietnam War veteran, warned that proposed cuts to the military’s retirement pension and health care systems will also hurt America’s ability to retain the forces that it needs. Some have proposed that future military pensions be converted into 401-k plans.

“Comparing military retirement benefits with what is available in the private sector isn’t comparing apples to oranges. It’s comparing apples to peanuts, which are what our troops are paid,” Wong said. “If our leaders in Washington are intent on making military life like the private sector, then that’s the path our young people will choose – the private sector!

‘Grandfathering’ benefits for today’s military, while cutting benefits for tomorrow’s warriors, guarantees that America will be less prepared to fight the next war. As it is, only about one-half of one-percent of the U.S. population is currently serving in the military, meaning that veterans are already making a disproportionate sacrifice in fighting the Global War on Terrorism.

“We all understand that America has an enormous national debt,” Wong continued. “Yet, we have no debt larger than what is owed to our veterans and those still serving in uniform. They have already paid their share. Cut the budget elsewhere.”

By: Marty Callaghan

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed several bills that The American Legion has been pushing, including the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed several pieces of American Legion-supported legislation on Oct. 11 and 12 that – if enacted by the Senate and signed by the president – will affect veterans and servicemembers. These bills were to provide job retraining for older veterans, to prevent sexual assault at VA medical facilities, to extend provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to surviving spouses, and to address the improvement of training for workers at the Veterans Benefits Administration.

After American Legion National Commander Fang A. Wong urged Congress to “collaborate and bring your parties together to get a job’s bill for America’s veterans passed,” the House passed the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act (H.R. 2433). The legislation directs the VA Secretary of Labor to provide veterans aged 35-60 with funding for up to 12 months of job retraining assistance. Veterans applying for the funding must be unemployed, have honorable discharges, and be ineligible for GI Bill education benefits.

The VOW Act would also extend the military’s Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) to virtually all servicemembers. In congressional testimony last July, the Legion strongly supported the bill and told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) that TAP should be “mandatory for all servicemembers exiting the military,” and that “this provision is essential to give all transitioning servicemembers the tools and resources they need to successfully integrate into the civilian workforce.”

The jobless rate among veterans is currently 8.1 percent nationwide.

The Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 2074) directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive policy for reporting and tracking sexual assaults at VA medical facilities. This includes surveillance cameras, panic alarms, clearly defined criteria for reporting sexual assaults, procedures for VA law enforcement officials to investigate such incidents, and clinical guidance for treating sexual assaults reported more than 72 hours after they occur.

Last June, The American Legion testified before the HVAC’s Subcommittee on Health hearing, “Preventing Sexual Assaults and Safety Incidents at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities.”

“There are veterans who do not feel safe using the facilities provided for them for health care, and they don’t feel safe for a reason,” the Legion testified. In the last three years alone, nearly 300 incidents of sexual assault were reported to the VA police. Staggeringly, the vast majority of these incidents were not reported to VA leadership and/or the Office of the Inspector General.

Noting that VA already had regulations and policies in place to counter unwanted sexual advances, the Legion said “it is abundantly clear these policies are not being consistently enforced, if enforced at all. Actions speak louder and more convincingly than words. VA’s actions must show their commitment to a policy geared towards ending the sexual assaults and other security incidents.”

Another bill passed by the House, H.R. 1263, would give surviving spouses the same protections afforded to servicemembers under the SCRA. These include prohibitions against the sale, foreclosure and seizure of property if the spouses “are unable to meet an obligation on real or personal property.”

Testifying last July before the HVAC’s Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, The American Legion urged Congress to extend SCRA protections to spouses, saying that military families “serve our country with pride, honor and quiet dedication. We know that every member of a military family sacrifices just as much for this country.”

Reminding the subcommittee that spouses of deceased servicemembers have no mortgage protections, the Legion said that “leaving grieving families vulnerable to losing their home and being put on the streets” could be avoided by extending mortgage foreclosure protection to surviving spouses.

The Veterans’ Benefits Act (H.R. 2349) – previously titled the Veterans’ Benefits Training Improvement Act – directs the VA Secretary to annually assess the skills of workers who process benefits claims and implement training plans related to those skills. If VA finds an employee’s skills to be deficient, then it would “take appropriate disciplinary actions with respect to individuals failing to receive a satisfactory result after being given two opportunities for … remediation.”

The American Legion told the HVAC’s Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs last July that “veterans and veterans alone bear the lion’s share of consequences from faulty decision-making. This is fundamentally unfair in a system ostensibly designed to compensate them ….”

While the Legion supported H.R. 2349, it also noted that VA already had a skills-testing program “and perhaps the real question is a lack of enforcement or consequences for testing already in place.

“As The American Legion has previously stated on numerous occasions, there is a fundamental flaw in (the) error reporting system in that it does not have a mechanism to direct training. If there is to be testing of skills, this also should naturally flow into directing a training mechanism.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking its internal culture-change message to the public with a new video about the vital role women play in the military and the importance of providing women Veterans with high quality health care.

VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group recently completed a 60-second public service announcement (PSA) that challenges viewers to rethink pre-conceived notions about women Veterans. This dynamic video features images of women in service to our country: they drive supply trucks, participate in reconnaissance missions, walk safety patrols, and operate helicopter machine guns.

“When these brave women complete their service and become Veterans, we want them to know that VA is there to meet their health care needs,” said Dr. Patricia Hayes, Chief Consultant of the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. “At the same time, we want the public to recognize the contributions of women Veterans and the benefits they have earned through their service to the Nation.”

The PSA is available for viewing on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=BOP5DCgjxPE and www.va.gov. Broadcast organizations interested in obtaining a broadcast-quality version of the PSA should contact VA’s Office of Public Affairs (202-461-7600).

The number of women using VA has doubled in the past decade, and that increase is expected to continue into the next decade.

More than half of the women using VA health care have a service-connected disability. These range from combat PTSD to missing limbs. The PSA gives a sampling of the service-connected disabilities women Veterans must cope with on a daily basis.

The PSA was developed for nationwide release from a new employee orientation video-available at www.womenshealth.va.gov-created as part of VA’s ongoing efforts to change its culture to be more understanding and accommodating of women Veterans and honor the important service they have given our country.

“VA’s goal is to provide the highest quality care for every Veteran, regardless of gender. Part of this initiative has been educating staff so they understand and appreciate that it is their job to make sure women Veterans receive the best care anywhere,” said Hayes.

In addition to new employee orientation, VA is spreading its culture-of-change message to current employees through posters, conferences, and e-mail messaging. VA health care providers are all given the opportunity to participate in a ground-breaking mini-residency program in Women’s Health for Veterans. This program has already educated more than 1,100 VA providers on the latest knowledge in gender-specific health care.

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

Legionnaires are encouraged to participate in and raise awareness of events that will take place in 24 cities.

In 2009, nearly 149,000 veterans spent at least one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. That statistic spurred the Department of Veterans Affairs’ mission to end veteran homelessness by 2015.

VA has transformed its programs for at-risk veterans and their families by providing comprehensive, coordinated access to health care, housing, employment, education, job counseling and training, and justice system assistance and benefits. VA expects to spend $3.4 billion this year to provide health care to at-risk veterans and $800 million in specialized homeless programs. Now, VA is kicking off a nationwide campaign to involve individuals at the local level in 28 events across the country.

The events will raise awareness of the VA benefits and community-based support and resources that veterans and their families have earned. They include heath, housing, employment, and job training, not only for veterans who are homeless, but also for those who are at risk of losing their housing. Veterans and their families and friends can access these services through a one-stop hotline, at (877) 424-3838, and an online chat at http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. Both are staffed by trained counselors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The American Legion encourages Legionnaires to get involved by spreading the word. If you know someone who is homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless, encourage them to make the call today. If members of your post are interested in supporting one of the 28 events to end veteran homelessness, below is a list of cities and event dates, along with the contact person.

Oct. 12

Anchorage, Alaska – Marcia Hoffman-Devoe, (907) 257-5460

Canandiagua, N.Y. – Dan Ryan, (585) 393-7209

Chicago – Maureen Dyman, (708) 202-5627

Cleveland – David Bachman, (216) 701-4269

Detroit – Alysse Mengason, (313) 576-1000, Ext. 63340

Fayetteville, N.C.: – Ed Drohan, (910) 488-2120, Ext. 5991

Lebanon, Pa. – Scott Harman, (717) 228-6079

Los Angeles – Ralph Tillman, (310) 268-3671

San Diego – Cynthia Butler, (858) 552-4373

Seattle – Jeri Rowe, (206) 764-2589

Sioux Falls, S.D. – Shirley Redmond, (605) 333-6889

Oct. 14

Denver – Jordan Shupbach, (303) 393-5205)

Washington, D.C. – Michelle Spivak, (202) 745-4037

Oct. 17

Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii – Patricia Teran-Matthews, (808) 433-0100

Phoenix – Paula Pedene, (602) 200-6279

St. Louis – Contact: Marcena Gunter, (314) 289-6325

Oct. 18

Dallas – Contact: Monica A. Smith, (214) 857-1158

Oct. 19

San Francisco – Judi Cheary, (415) 750-2250

Oct. 20

Boston – Diane Keefe, (857) 203-5879

Oct. 21

Houston – Bobbi Gruner, (713) 794-7349

Miami – Shane Suzuki, (305) 575-3399

New York – Jennifer Sammartino, (718) 836-6600, Ext. 2804

Oct. 22

New Orleans – Amanda S. Jones, (504) 565-4852

Oct. 29

Atlanta – Gregory Kendall, (404) 417-5385

I am working with Nick Del Calzo to put together a photo shoot of female veterans for his poster and card project. I wondered if you could put out a request for anyone interested in a project to show women veterans in patriotic settings on tribute cards or posters to contact me??? Currently, the shoot is scheduled for Dec 10th and the veteran needs to have and look good in their uniform.

I appreciate anything you can do to help out with this.

Paula Sarlls

Women Marines Association – Immediate Past National President – WMA CO-1 President

Marine Corps League, Frank J Carroll Detachment – Chaplain

303-766-9023

As part of a national commitment to prevent veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Veterans Denver Medical Center and multiple community partners will host a Homeless Forum on Oct. 14. Local VAs work with community-based resources nationwide to provide collaboration between programs that deliver food, shelter, clothing and health screenings to veterans confronting homelessness.

W. Todd Grams, VA Executive in Charge for the Office of Management and Chief Financial Officer, will speak at the Homeless Forum, to be held at the VA Medical Center, 1055 Clermont Street, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Other community leaders will also be present and addressing the attendees prior to “break out” sessions in which all attendees can brainstorm ideas for collaboration and improvement of programs for homeless veterans.

In keeping with President Obama’s vision to honor and support the men and women who have preserved our freedom, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki has established a priority goal of eliminating homelessness among veterans by 2015. VA chose Denver as one of 28 locations to spearhead this mission. “Those who have served this nation as veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope,” Shinseki said.

In addition to providing housing, employment and healthcare services to veterans who are homeless, VA’s campaign aims to prevent homelessness by connecting veterans and their families with support before they lose their housing. Veterans lose their homes when financial, employment, health or legal challenges overwhelm them. VA is integrating access to services for all of these issues in a one-stop hotline through the VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, 877-4AID-VET, staffed by trained counselors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

VA’s homeless programs constitute the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country, offering a wide array of services that help veterans get back on track toward self sufficient and independent lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The attached memo dated 5OCT11 announces an expansion of free tutoring services that have been available to our Active Duty or Mobilized Soldiers.

Beginning on 3OCT11, “National Guard and Reserve families can now receive online tutoring and homework assistance from http://www.tutor.com/military at no charge. This program allows K-12 and adult students to connect to a live tutor online at anytime for help with homework, studying, exam preparation, college coursework and more.”

This collaborative effort between DoD, MWR and the Yellow Ribbon Integration Program is designed to provide resources to our Soldiers and their families “to focus on the health, well-being and education of students and children.”

Please get the word out to all our Soldiers and family members!!

In an environment of shrinking resources, this is a bit of really good news!!

At your service,

Scott

National Guard Bureau Education Services Officer TA Program Manager Arlington Hall Readiness Center

111 S. George Mason Dr.

Arlington, VA 22204

703-607-3989