Department of New Hampshire

Taking Pride in the Nation

Posted at 02:38 PM on Friday, July 3, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

by Glen Gardner, VFW National Commander

Patriotism is in the air especially this time of year, and we should embrace all it stands for. Those who guarantee our freedoms must not be forgotten.

June and July contain two very important holidays—Flag Day and Independence Day. Both symbolize what it means to be an American. As veterans, these special days may have added meaning. Actually fighting for the values the flag represents and the liberty we celebrate on July 4th has a way of leaving lifelong impressions.

While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have largely receded from the collective public mind, military families and those of us concerned for their welfare still pay close attention. Proudly flying the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, singing along with the national anthem and revering the Founding Fathers are traditions worth maintaining, particularly to this segment of the population.

Other than voting, a USA Today/Gallup Poll last year found that 87% of Americans see serving in the military as the most patriotic act. Obviously, to these Americans, patriotism is not an abstract virtue. It means demonstrating it in a tangible way. Patriotism without sacrifice is hollow, no matter how one defines it.

At the core of this creed is a cause greater than self-interest, something bigger than one's self. Today, only a tiny minority of Americans bear the burden of defending the frontlines against enemies who would destroy everything the nation represents. And GIs have paid a steep price in loss of life, physical and psychological wounds, disrupted family lives and postponement of personal aspirations.

As VFW members, we owe it to them to not allow their immense sacrifices to be forgotten in the rush of backyard barbecues and fireworks displays. Respecting the symbols of our country is essential. But remembering those who have preserved the values they represent is equally, if not more, important.

Continue reading...

VA News - Week of June 29, 2009

Posted at 02:16 PM on Friday, July 3, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

VFW Washington Weekly - June 29, 2009

Posted at 09:29 AM on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

In This Issue:

1. GI Bill Hearing

2. GI Bill Transferability Rules

3. House Passes Defense Bill

4. Congress on Recess

1. GI Bill Hearing: The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held another hearing on VA's implementation plans for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The GI bill benefit is scheduled to be fully implemented on Aug. 1, 2009. The application process to determine eligibility opened on May 1. VA has reported over 100,000 applications filed for the education benefit. Keith Wilson, Director of VA's Education Services, testified that VA has a two-part IT strategy that relies on short- and long-term goals for processing the claims. He updated committee members on VA's partnership with the Navy's SPAWAR Systems Center, which is contracted to design, develop, and deploy an end-to-end solution that utilizes rules-based, industry-standard technologies. VA is currently working with SPAWAR on the long-term IT solution, and expects the program to be completed no later than December 2010. For more on the hearing, visit the House VA website at: http://veterans.house.gov/.

Read more Washington Weekly

VFW National Commander Visits Iraq

Posted at 11:49 AM on Thursday, June 25, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009 — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. returned home after spending almost four days visiting American troops stationed in Iraq. His overall assessment: "This war is nearing its end, which has our troops pumped with anticipation and the Iraqi people increasingly hopeful for their future."

Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas, entered Iraq on Sunday with the leaders of four other veterans' service organizations for a first-hand view of the progress that has occurred in Iraq. He is the fourth consecutive VFW national commander to visit Iraq.

"Iraq is a different country today because of the tremendous effort of our military to make the surge work," he said. "The assessment that everything is on target for the upcoming handover of the cities was made by everyone I met, from Multi-National Force-Iraq Commanding Gen. Raymond T. Odierno to his officers and enlisted soldiers, all of whom have served multiple tours in-country."

Gardner's trip comes a full year after the conclusion of a three-prong surge strategy that focused on security, the economy and political reconciliation. He said the changes on the ground were most noticeable in the eyes of six amputee veterans who returned to Iraq for the first time since being wounded. Their trip was sponsored by the Troops First Foundation, which has a program that allows wounded troops to return to where they were stationed to help close the loop on their wartime service. Gardner called the program "a great initiative, because departing a warzone strapped to a stretcher is not the last memory anyone should have to carry for a lifetime."

Read more

VA News - Week of June 22, 2009

Posted at 11:33 AM on Thursday, June 25, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

Va Benefit Phone Numbers

Posted at 10:14 AM on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

VA Benefits Phone Numbers

Bereavement Counseling	1-202-461-6530
Education	1-888-442-4551
Headstones and Markers	1-800-697-6947
Health Care	1-877-222-8387
Homeless veterans	1-877-222-8387
Home Loans	1-877-827-3702
Life Insurance	1-800-669-8477
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline	1-800-273-8255
Pension Management Center	1-877-294-6380
Special Health Issues	1-800-749-8387
Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD)	1-800-829-4833
VA Benefits	1-800-827-1000

What is the VFW?

Posted at 05:58 PM on Monday, June 22, 2009 by New Hampshire Blog Master

Great article on the www.vfw.org website on Why Join the VFW. It provides a great recruiting message!

What is the VFW?

By Dave Rowland

As I talk to some of my peers that are either still on active duty or recently separated from the Army and tell them I am volunteering at the VFW, they commonly respond by asking, “So what are you doing? Sitting around drinking beer?”

This is still a common misconception that many young veterans who’ve served in Iraq and Afghanistan have of the organization. I was also one of them until I became an active member. At one point in the VFW’s history, it was one of the few places where veterans could go and talk to other veterans about some of the experiences they had in Europe, the Pacific, Korea, Vietnam and a host of other countries scattered throughout the world. There weren’t any clinics, doctors or other official support networks established that focused on the mental trauma experienced by veterans.

The VFW is much more than a place for fellowship with other veterans or to connect with previous generations that have answered our Nation’s call to duty. Many veterans and members of the armed services don’t know how active and supportive the VFW is for those of us who have served or are serving our country overseas.

I’ve learned that the VFW was the main veteran’s service organization that ensured the passage of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. This new GI Bill will benefit us veterans and our families for years to come. Veterans can now return from fighting in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with the ability to go back to school full-time, even with a family, and then re-enter the work force. I never knew about the tremendous amount of work and commitment it took the VFW to get the bill passed in Congress.
One of the most important components of the VFW is that it assists wounded and disabled veterans in receiving the VA benefits they deserve. I had no idea about the complexities involved when determining the category of a wounded or disabled veteran. I quickly learned that the VFW has an entire department dedicated to assisting veterans navigating the VA bureaucratic process, which might otherwise overwhelm a young returning soldier or even a hardened NCO. The VFW has Field Representatives throughout the country and scattered around the world specifically to assist veterans once they leave the military.

When I put one of the NCOs whom I used to work with in touch with one of the Field Representatives, he was shocked that the VFW had programs like this. I must admit, so was I.
The VFW makes sure that the veteran is never taken for granted and provides the assistance needed when he or she does not know where to turn.

Of course none of this would be possible without the grassroots membership of individual veterans that join their local VFW post. Many young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are reluctant to join the VFW for various reasons. I say to them, “Go and join!” There are many local posts that are active in their local communities and do a variety of community service and sponsor programs that promote further service to our Nation. Where else will you find a group of individuals welcoming you at 2 o’clock in the morning when your plane arrives at the airport in the States for R&R or as you are coming home from deployment?

If only older veterans compose the VFW, then who will change and evolve the VFW to meet the needs of our generation or future challenges? Who will greet the next generation when they come home from serving the United States overseas? We must take the torch from the older veterans and bear the responsibility to take care of our fellow veterans and continue community service.

Dave Rowland is a volunteer at the VFW National Headquarters Legislative Branch in Washington D.C. He is an active duty infantry officer with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dave is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Georgetown University.

Previous Page | Home | Next Page