VFW Washington Weekly

December 17, 2010

In This Issue:
1. Congress Improves GI Bill
2. New Defense Bill Introduced
3. DHS Expands Security Awareness Campaign
4. WWI, Korean War MIAs Identified

1. Congress Improves GI Bill: Congress passed S. 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. Though VFW did not support all of its provisions, the bill does fix a number of shortcomings in the current Post-9/11 GI Bill. It will cover vocational and technical education courses, provide benefits to Guard and Reserve members, clarify tuition and fee reimbursement rates at private schools, and provide a living stipend to students taking classes from home (distance learning). The President is expected to sign the bill soon. For more on the bill provisions, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S3447:. For information on GI Bill benefits, go to http://www.gibill.va.gov/.

2. New Defense Bill Introduced: A new defense bill has been introduced that omits some controversial provisions that held up the passage of the previous version — mainly the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and military hospital abortions. HR 6523 will provide $725 billion in funding on a range of items, to include war funding and weapons systems modernization programs, as well as extend Tricare healthcare coverage to dependent children up to age 26, and provide a 1.4% across-the-board military pay raise. The defense bill is expected to be voted on before the 111th Congress adjourns. For a full summary of the bill, go to the House Armed Services Committee website here.

3. DHS Expands Security Awareness Campaign: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has expanded her department's “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign to more than 9,000 federal buildings nationwide. The security awareness campaign — originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority — is a simple and effective program to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report threats and suspicious activities to law enforcement officials. Read the DHS press release here.

4. WWI, Korean War MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced the identification of remains of two soldiers who had been missing-in-action from World War I and the Korean War. Army Private Henry A. Weikel, of Mt. Carmel, PA, was killed on Sept. 16, 1918, when his unit came under attack east of Paris near Jaulny, France. He was assigned to the 60th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division. Army Sgt. First Class Wallace L. Slight, of Yates City, IL, was killed on Nov. 1, 1950, when enemy attacks collapsed their defensive position in North Korea, along the Nammyon River. He was was assigned to M Company, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Read about their recovery and identification, and that of others, on the DPMO website here.

Sport Clips Provides $400,000 Gift to VFW's Operation UplinkTM

Picture (left to right): Sport Clips CEO and VFW lifetime member, Gordon Logan, Sport Clips Store Managers Kathleen Hartnett & Tina Kucinsky & VFW Commander-in-Chief, Richard Eubank.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., December 13, 2010 - Sport Clips presented a $400,000 gift to VFW's Operation UplinkTM “Free Call Day” program which will provide hundreds of thousands of calls home for military personnel over the next year.

Sport Clips' donation is the single largest corporate gift to the program to date and will provide a Free Call Day for deployed and hospitalized American military personnel each month in 2011, including Christmas, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

The donation exceeds Sport Clips' 2010 goal of $300,000 and represents funds raised by company team members and clients from the franchise's 740 locations across the country.


Sport Clips Founder/CEO and VFW lifetime member, Gordon Logan, presented the gift to VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard Eubank. VFW Senior Vice Commander, Richard DeNoyer, and Junior Vice Commander, John Hamilton, also attended.

“We remain strong in our commitment to the men and women who are serving our country as well as their family and friends. We appreciate all those who worked to make this landmark donation possible,” Logan said. “The memory of wanting to call home during my days overseas is one that stays with me.”

“Sport Clips’ contribution is a remarkable expression of gratitude to all the brave men and women of our armed forces for their sacrifice and dedication. Our thanks go out to everyone who played a part in this wonderful and magnanimous endeavor,” said VFW National Commander Eubank.

VFW’s Operation Uplink is the premiere calling program for deployed service members. It provides free phone time to active-duty military personnel and hospitalized veterans. Since 2006 the program has provided more than 4.7 million free phone calls home to loved ones.

Sport Clips began supporting Operation Uplink in 2007 and has donated more than $850,000 total, making them the largest corporate donor to the Free Call Day program. Sport Clips is the "Official Haircutter" of the VFW and supports military throughout the year with special in-store pricing and ownership options through the International Franchise Associations Vet Fran program. For more information about Sport Clips, visit SportClips.com.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans' service organization composed of combat veterans and those who currently serve on active duty or in the Guard and Reserves. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 193,the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and is one of its oldest veterans' organizations. With 2.1 million members located in 7,700 VFW Posts worldwide, the VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to "honor the dead by helping the living" through veterans service, legislative initiatives, youth scholarships, Buddy Poppy and national military service programs. The VFW and its Auxiliaries contribute more than 11 million hours annually in community service to the nation. For more information or to join, visit the organization's Web site at www.vfw.org.

Contact: Jerry Newberry, 816-756-3390, jnewberry@vfw.org

VFW Washington Weekly

December 10, 2010

In This Issue:
1. House Committee Chairmen Named for 112th
2. Emergency Relief for Vets/Seniors Fails
2. Medicare Fix Extended
3. Defense Bill Update

1. House Committee Chairmen Named for 112th: House Republicans named their committee leaders this week for the 112th Congress. VFW looks forward to working with Congressman Jeff Miller of Florida who will chair the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Howard “Buck” McKeon of California who is set to chair the Armed Services Committee. Other noted chairman include Harold Rogers (Kentucky) who will hold the gavel for Appropriations and Paul Ryan (Wisconsin) who will head up the Budget committee. Subcommittee chairs will be named when the new Congress convenes in January.

3. Emergency Relief for Vets/Seniors Fails: VFW–supported legislation, S. 3985 the “Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act,” which would have provided $250 for veterans receiving disability compensation failed to pass the Senate this week. The bill, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) would have given a one-time payment of $250 to veterans and seniors as a substitute for the COLA.
2. Medicare Fix Extended: Congress passed a one year extension on Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians who see patients with Medicare. The bill, HR 4994 extends through 2011 the current reimbursement rates for physicians and delays a 25 percent cut scheduled for Jan. 1, 2011. The extension is the fifth and longest Medicare rate extension enacted this year. The legislation also extends several expiring Medicare programs, including protections for rural doctors and hospitals.
For complete information on the bill go here

2. Defense Bill Update: The Senate failed to pass the FY 2011 Defense Authorization bill this week. The 57-40 cloture vote on the bill (S 3454) fell three votes short of the 60 needed to advance the legislation. The delay came when Senate leadership was unable to come to an agreement on amendments including the don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT) provision. Senators supporting passage have not given up on passing the bill before adjournment but say that given tight time constraints, the bill probably would have to be stripped of not only the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal provision, but other controversial language. Several senators are pushing to pass the repeal as a stand-alone bill in the coming weeks. The House passed their version of the bill in May which includes the DADT language.
For more on the bill, visit the Thomas website here

VFW Welcomes New Legislative Director

Raymond Kelley brings an established record of advocating for veterans.

Raymond Kelley, the newly appointed Director of VFW’s National Legislative Service, is particularly fond of a quote from George Washington: “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”

In his new role with the VFW, Kelley is charged with making sure our nation provides veterans the highest quality care and services possible.

Formerly the National Legislative Director for AMVETS, Kelley’s credentials as an advocate for America’s veterans are well established. Prior to that, he served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon receiving his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Indiana University, East, Kelley served for three years in the Army Reserve where he conducted over 250 combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Kelley is now enrolled in the MBA program at Indiana Wesleyan University and lives in Burine, Md., with his wife Rebecca and two sons, Tanner and Wyatt. Kelley’s vast experience has instilled a pragmatic approach to working with Congress on behalf of America’s veterans and active military.

“Making changes on Capitol Hill is sometimes a slow process,” he said. “We have to push for solutions in a changing climate—always adapting and evolving to find the best answers.”

As director, Kelley will advance VFW’s key advocacy priorities like enhancing the new GI Bill to include online universities, vocational schools and employee training programs for employed veterans. Addressing the VA workload is also at the top of the agenda.

“The VA is headed in the right direction,” said Kelley. “They’re asking the VFW and other VSOs to the table much earlier in the process and lots of pilot programs are underway. They’re being open and honest and seeking feedback on how they can best improve efficiency.”

Kelley knows America’s veterans are relying on him to carry their voices to our nation’s leaders. It’s a responsibility he takes very seriously.

“Without constant advocacy, veteran homelessness would be astronomical, suicide rates would be inconceivable and healthcare for our wounded, sick and injured would be third rate,” he explained. “We have asked so much from our service members, we owe them the very best.”

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Each year on December 7 we recall an event that changed the course of history and the destiny of civilization.

Nearly 70 years ago, the attack on Pearl Harbor awoke a sleeping giant, and with it, produced what has been called the "greatest generation."

That day of infamy produced many U.S. casualties: 3,500 dead or wounded, 18 ships sunk or damaged and more than 350 aircraft destroyed. Although it was a day of great tragedy, it was also a day that served to reignite our national pride and our great national spirit.

We recall the events of December 7, 1941, but more importantly, we remember the thousands of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen who died during that terrible ambush and in the years that followed.

America was strengthened by its enduring values of freedom, tolerance and service. The long odds we faced during the dark days that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor, served to fuel the indomitable spirit of our nation and carry us through to victory.

Many of the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor are no longer with us. Many of them went on to serve in other places; some became casualties of other battles. A good many returned home to their families and friends and quietly resumed their lives as civilians.

Their contributions, their sacrifice, their steadfast devotion to duty, God, country and to their families, provide us with examples we need to emulate every day of our lives. We remain inspired by their diligence and their perseverance, and today, we are strengthened by the memory of their actions.

DOD SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR TROOPS' OPINION ON 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'

WASHINGTON (Dec. 3, 2010) — If the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military is repealed, it could be partly due to a flawed survey instrument that focused more on implementation and not on whether servicemembers wanted the law lifted.

On Tuesday, the Department of Defense released a highly anticipated report after nine months of surveying nearly 160,000 military members and their families, and conducting more than 230 town hall meetings and smaller focus groups at dozens of U.S. military installations.

The DOD working group tasked with compiling the report had a two-fold mission: to assess the impact of repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" on military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting, retention, and family readiness; and to recommend appropriate changes, if necessary, to existing regulations, policies, and guidance in the event of repeal. Nowhere within the 103-question survey were respondents asked directly if they wanted the law repealed or not.

"We are very much aware that the push to repeal is coming from outside the military, not from within," said Richard L. Eubank, the national commander of the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries. "So our problem is why would DOD listen to outside opinion polls from a society who, for the most part, would never consider military service, but not ask their own troops what they think?"

In response to a question posed by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) at yesterday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the survey was not designed to poll the troops, but instead was to provide additional information on the types of challenges military leaders could face if the law was repealed.

"I can’t think of a single precedent in American history of doing a referendum of the American armed forces on a policy issue," he said. "That’s not the way our civilian-led military has ever worked in our entire history. This question needs to be decided by the Congress or the courts, as far as I’m concerned."

"The VFW disagrees because Congress and the courts are not manning rifles at the tip of the spear where unit integrity and morale mean life and death," said Eubank, a retired Marine and Vietnam combat veteran from Eugene, Ore.

The VFW national commander also believes the deck was stacked against the troops in the first place. "There is no other way to comprehend why more than a half-million surveys were sent out on implementation, but nothing about whether repeal should occur or not," he said. "Those who do all the fighting should have been listened to because it will be their squads and platoons that are affected the most."

The VFW is against repeal, a position reaffirmed in August by delegates attending its 111th National Convention in Indianapolis, yet Eubank is pragmatic about the issue.

"The United States military has always been about customs and traditions and an adherence to standards that civilians will never, ever comprehend or appreciate," he said. "If the law is repealed, the services will follow orders and move forward, but until that happens, military leaders must continue to give lawmakers their very best advice about the potential impacts repeal will have on the force."

Appearing before the Senate committee today were the five military service chiefs, who indicated they would follow orders and implement the change if the law was repealed, but cautioned that now is not the time, and that there will be a significant number of challenges commanders at all levels would have to address both deployed and at home station.

For more on Thursday's hearing, go to the Senate Armed Services Committee website at http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=4879. Information on today's hearing is at http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=4880.