Pelosi: Veterans benefits not on the table

       MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2011) -- When the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction sits down in the coming weeks to look at ways to cut more than $1 trillion from the federal budget, veterans benefits won’t be one of the casualties.

        Addressing The American Legion’s 93^rd National Convention in Minneapolis today, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told convention delegates that the interests of veterans will be protected during the budget crisis.

        “In the weeks ahead … Congress will take up the budget at a table of 12,” Pelosi said. “I want The American Legion, and all of America to know – that the values of America’s veterans will have a strong presence at that congressional table. I want to assure you that as we reduce the deficit, America’s veterans will not be short-changed. Meeting the needs of our veterans … is a value of the American people that we will protect in those negotiations.

“Supporting our veterans is a bipartisan cause. That’s the beautiful part of it. It’s a place we can all come together. America’s veterans have earned our respect by their actions, their bravery and their valor, their willingness to step forward and serve on our behalf.”

Pelosi also touched on the unemployment crisis facing U.S. veterans – including an unemployment rate of more than 12 percent for post-9/11 veterans. “Our work will not be complete until every American who has fought for our country abroad can find a job when they come home,” she said. “We must build an economy that welcomes our service members home with an opportunity for a paycheck and a fair shot to succeed. “

        Pelosi said one way to create more jobs is to stop exporting them to other countries. “It is a national security issue that we stop the erosion of our manufacturing base in our country,” she said. “We must be self-reliant. We cannot defend our country when we are depending on other countries supplying us with the means to produce what we need to defend.”

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Contact: Craig Roberts or Joe March,(612)335-6900;(202) 406-0887.

Miller: Military, veterans among nation’s highest funding priorities

       MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2011) -- The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has been tasked with slashing more than a trillion dollars from the U.S. budget. But according to U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, that task shouldn’t include slashing from two critical programs: veterans benefits and national security.

        Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, told The American Legion National Convention today that the U.S. military and those who once served in it shouldn’t be on the chopping block when it comes to budget cutbacks.

        “The Constitution provides for spending for the common defense and providing for the welfare of our common citizens,” Miller told convention delegates in Minneapolis. “Funding for America’s veterans programs, I believe, is a critical element to the common defense of this nation, and I believe you will see that reflected in the spending priorities in this Congress. While we tighten our belts, let us remember that we are still engaged in two wars, and that we are in conflicts around the globe. Funding for our military and our veterans is and will remain one of this nation’s highest priorities.

        “As chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I promise that I will … stand steadfast in assuring that America’s veterans are not political pawns in this process. “

        Miller said that protecting veterans benefits isn’t his only priority. Finding them jobs also is critical. Miller referenced legislation he’s introduced – the “Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011or the “VOW Act” – as a step in this direction.

        “The VOW Act will assure that we have the most trained, the most skilled work force since the second world war,” he said. “Our soldiers, our Marines, our sailors, our airmen and our Coast Guard returning from Afghanistan and Iraq face higher unemployment than the national average. Nearly 1 million veterans are out of work, and I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that number’s unacceptable.”

Miller said the VOW Act has five components – enhancing the Transition Assistance Programs (TAP), increasing the number of veterans attending college, protecting the jobs of reservists and National Guardsmen who are placed on active duty, breaking down the barriers between military job skills vs. civilian job skills, and task incentives for small businesses that employ veterans.

        “The government’s role is not to create jobs,” Miller said. “But what the government can do is create the right environment for the job market itself to flourish. We do this by releasing the burdens of overreaching regulations that encumber America’s small businesses – the engine of our economy.”

        Miller also said that veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries cannot be forgotten. “These can be some of the hardest wounds to treat,” he said. “But we can, and we will, help these men and women get on the track to recovery. Either we take action to address deficiencies in the current system – which many opt out of before even receiving treatment – or we maintain the status quo. The status quo with a rising suicide rate is not acceptable.

        “We need to transform the culture of (the Department of Veterans Affairs) so that all veterans feel welcome. It’s not an easy task, but I believe it can, and must, be done. It is incumbent upon all of us to reach out to those who are in pain, and we’ve also got to make them get as well as possible and stop just masking the symptoms with drugs.”

        Miller also addressed VA’s disability claims backlog. “We have heard for too many years too many promises,” he said. “This Congress will turn the corner and make VA accountable to assure accuracy the first time a claim is submitted.”

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Contact: Craig Roberts or Joe March,(612)335-6900 ;(202) 406-0887.

Walz sees Legion as a “model for how this nation can function”

MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2011) --  Lauding members of his audience for “loving your country with all of your heart,” Congressman Tim Walz today characterized The American Legion as a model for political behavior. He was speaking at the 93^rd National American Legion convention, “the most special place to be in America today,” in Walz’s words.

Contrasting the conduct of Legion leadership with that of his Washington colleagues, the Minnesota Democrat, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said, “Your leadership is on point with this, they understand that when politics are broken, people tend to retreat to their corners and believe in an either-or answer. You bring a common sense approach to tackling our nation’s problems.  You stand up to them in Washington.  You understand you don’t get an either-or choice with national security. You get it right or you get it wrong.  We simply won’t accept the choice to get it wrong.”

Walz is a retired Command Sergeant Major from the Minnesota National Guard and member of The American Legion. “My colleagues, my constituents and you are the heart and soul of this country. I see the members I serve with as colleagues and I respect and cherish them, but it’s for the people in this room that I measure and analyze my performance, the language I use, the outcomes and the effectiveness of what I do. Consider the sacrifice that our soldiers are making -- and we saw 63 of them make the ultimate sacrifice this month. It is a disservice we do to their memory and to their honor by taking our politics to the level that it has been taken. This absolutely has to end.

“Being here with you and watching how this organization operates, seeing the successes you’ve had -- there’s a model in this room for how this nation can function; there’s a model in this room for how we can eliminate the divisions and false choices that don’t make us any safer, don’t make us any more prosperous and, quite honestly, don’t make us any happier as a nation,” he said. 

“The Associated Press reports that Congress has a 12% approval rating. I want to know, ‘who the hell are those 12 percent?’     

Walz ended his remarks by echoing President Barack Obama who, in addressing the Legion convention Tuesday said, “We cannot, we must not, and we will not balance the budget on the backs of our veterans.”

“We can discuss cutting benefits for those with TRICARE by increasing their co-pays, but only after we remove the mortgage deductions for yachts,” Walz said. “I feel very strongly about programs like Medicare and Social Security, but people who rely on these programs are on a different level than those who rely on veterans’ benefits because of what it took to earn those benefits. It took something above and beyond; the willingness to sacrifice time, career and in some cases, their life for this nation. That’s not a bribe, it’s not an entitlement, that’s a grateful nation understanding that we’re going to keep our strength as a nation. We have to let them (the veterans) know that we’re going to keep the faith for them.  Promises made are promises honored.”

Media contacts: Marty Callaghan (Cellular) 202-215-8644 or Craig Roberts (Cellular) 202-406-0887.

Legion: Reserve flag honors for military

National commander says Congress should “think twice” about bill to present U.S. flags to honor fallen civil servants

        WASHINGTON (Sept. 7, 2011) – The American Legion is denouncing a bill the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on today allowing for payment of “expenses incident to the presentation of a (U.S.) flag” for civilians who are killed while working for the federal government.

        The Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011 (H.R. 2061) was introduced May 31 by Rep. Bill Hanna of New York. Noting that 3,000 federal employees have died since 1993, Hanna said, “Like members of the armed services, civilian federal employees are often in harm’s way. Ours is a grateful nation, one that values the sacrifices made in honor of this country. A life can never be repaid, but it can be honored.”

        Fang Wong, newly elected national commander of the Legion, said the bill is a misguided attempt to equate civil service with military service.

        “Congress needs to think twice before acting on this hastily written bill,” Wong said. “Civil service workers do not sign a pledge to defend America with their lives, they are not forced to serve in combat zones, and their work routines do not include engaging enemy forces overseas.”

        The bill’s advocates and the Committee of the Whole noted that presentation of a United States flag “is an appropriate way to honor Federal employees’ contributions to the American public. The Committee believes these individuals are no less deserving of our respect than members of our armed forces.”  They point to legislation passed in 1993, allowing for civilians working with the military to be afforded the same privilege.

        “This bill leaves far too much to be determined by a few individuals,” said Tim Tetz, legislative director of The American Legion.  “It allows agency heads to determine who may be eligible upon their deaths.  It allows them to determine ‘next of kin.’  It doesn’t clearly identify associated costs, and it leaves far too much to be decided without any public feedback.”

        “We certainly respect the service and dedication of those who sign up for civil service,” Wong said, “but these individuals pledge much less than our servicemembers and veterans.  If federal employees die or are killed in service to America, they should be honored by a grateful nation. Just not in the same way as our military or veterans.”

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Contact:  Marty Callaghan, mcallaghan@legion.org or 202-263-5758/202-215-8644.

Release: Legionnaire makes the cover of Time

Legionnaire makes the cover of Time

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 19, 2011) – The leader of The American Legion expressed his gratitude to Time Magazine for its inclusion of a Legionnaire on its Aug. 29th cover featuring veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Congratulations to Legionnaire John Gallina from Post 30 in Statesville, North Carolina. He served his country well in Iraq and now he continues to serve by bringing the important issues faced by his comrades into the public limelight."

The Time article by columnist Joe Klein titled, "The New Greatest Generation: How Young War Veterans are Redefining Leadership at Home" details some of the challenges America's most recent war heroes face, including medical treatment, economic hardship and societal transition.

The American Legion has been at the forefront of improving conditions for all wartime veterans and was pivotal in the passage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which according to former U.S. Representative Chet Edwards, "would not have happened without The American Legion."

Foster added that while he was pleased with the Time article, he challenged the assertion of one recent veteran who said his generation wasn't joining The American Legion. "More than 250,000 dues-paying members of the 2.4 million member American Legion have served in the U.S. military since the Gulf War. They do so because they believe in our principles. We have raised more than $1 million for the wounded warriors at Landstuhl, Walter Reed, Bethesda, Fort Hood and just about every military hospital and warrior transition unit in-between. We also have the best youth programs anywhere. I invite all veterans to visit their local American Legion post or our national website at www.legion.org."

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Contacts: Marty Callaghan (202) 202-263-5758; Joe March or John Raughter (317) 630-1253.

For the Veteran,

Bob Ouellette

The American Legion
~Commander, Southern Maryland District

Direct: 240-505-4660
Office: 703-697-3397
Email: BobO@post295.org

The American Legion draws line in sand over military retirement

Aug. 18, 2011

By Jimmie L. Foster

For the past year, I have traveled through every state and several foreign countries meeting with veterans, servicemembers and military families. This experience has given me the opportunity to listen and learn from the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow. While meeting our young warriors of today, I saw the same dedication, resolve, and honor that was apparent when I served in uniform. It made me happy to be a veteran, national commander of The American Legion and, most importantly, an American.

Yet I realized these young men and women have earned our unwavering support and unconditional dedication in return for their service. These warriors are fighting for us, our country and our ideals. While they are focused on our enemies, a debate has begun over how we can change their retirements, their benefits and their quality of life; these kinds of proposals are unconscionable and The American Legion opposes them outright. The Department of Defense must not support changes to its military retirement system that would prove detrimental to the men and women in our armed forces.

The American Legion is mindful of the difficult economic times faced by Americans, and the importance of fiscal responsibility by our federal government. We understand that we have to make sacrifices together as a nation to get through these especially challenging times.

We must draw a line in the sand when it comes to reducing military retirement benefits earned by our warriors.

Last month, the Defense Business Board issued a plan to "modernize" the military retirement system by introducing a 401(K)-style alternative, based on the current Uniformed Military Personnel Thrift Savings Plan. In most private-sector savings plans, employees contribute portions of their salaries to 401(K) accounts (usually over many years) to build their retirement funds. Some observers argue that military retirement, earned after a minimum of 20 years service, is unfair when compared to such private-sector plans.

Much of the problem inherent in this argument rests upon what Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has referred to as "a growing chasm developing between civilian and military populations in this country." How does one compare the sacrifices made by career servicemembers to those made by civilians? Why should military retirement benefits be measured with a private-sector yardstick?

For about 99 percent of our population, their "sacrifice" in fighting the global war on terrorism consists mainly of standing in long lines at the airport, and taking off their shoes and belts whenever they fly. The remaining one percent of Americans – our men and women in uniform – understand the real meaning of sacrifice in this decade-long war.

These are the people who have sacrificed their lives, their bodies, their peace of mind and – in some cases – their hopes and dreams for this nation. These heroes have slept on rocks in godforsaken places, taking the fight to those who have vowed death and destruction to America. These are people who have witnessed upheaval in their families, who have missed seeing their children grow up, and who often return home unable to find a job.

Some plans being discussed would require active-duty servicemembers to put a percentage of their salaries into a retirement fund; this type of "solution" has been rejected in the past. A 1978 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, "The Military Retirement System: Options for Change" found serious problems in a contribution-based system.

One major disadvantage was that junior enlisted servicemembers with families did not have the available income to make such contributions. If they were allowed to opt out of such a retirement plan, they would do so for many years and thereby defeat the plan's purpose.

I'm sure that many of us have heard of – or met – junior enlisted servicemembers who qualify for food stamps. If you haven't, you should be aware that they exist out there – even as they sacrifice for our security and freedom. Some military families simply can't get by these days without assistance. So how much worse will they fare if DoD makes contributions to military retirement mandatory?

The CBO report said that, in order to compensate servicemembers for their retirement contributions, base salaries would have to be increased proportionately. This expense, combined with DoD's matching contributions, would actually increase the overall budget.

You can't start tinkering with this retirement system without reevaluating the whole pay structure in the military. It isn't something you can do piecemeal. Military salaries and benefits are an inter-related package and have to be considered that way.

The shorter periods of military service, compared to several decades of private-sector employment, reflect further differences between military and civilian life. Service in uniform is a young person's game. After 20 or 25 years of high-tempo, physically demanding circumstances, it's time to move on to other things. You can't compare it to a lifetime career as a broker or an insurance salesman.

Military service is a high-pressure job that takes a physical and emotional toll – 20-year enlistments that often include four to six combat deployments, post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and all the aches, pains and worn-out joints that arise from carrying a 70-pound rucksack.

At home, our mistakes at work may be measured by bar graphs or profit margins. Mistakes in combat are measured by body bags.

National defense remains a key concern of The American Legion. We will not lie dormant while 'bean counters' sabotage the compensation package earned by servicemembers through their years of sacrifice and dedication to duty.

I call on The American Legion's 2.4 million members, as well as The American Legion Auxiliary, the Sons of The American Legion – and all Americans – to join me in protecting those who are fighting for us. This is a serious threat to America's security that must not go unchallenged.

Jimmie L. Foster of Anchorage, Alaska, is national commander of The American Legion, the nation's largest wartime veterans organization with 2.4 million members.

Media contact: Marty Callaghan, 202-263-5758/202-215-8644 or mcallaghan@legion.org

For the Veteran,

Bob Ouellette

The American Legion
~Commander, Southern Maryland District

Direct: 240-505-4660
Office: 703-697-3397
Email: BobO@post295.org

VA treatment of PTS with “useless” drug - calls for congressional hearings

The American Legion greatly concerned about VA treatment of PTS with “useless” drug - calls for congressional hearings

WASHINGTON (Aug. 8, 2011) – The head of the nation’s largest veterans service organization says he is “greatly concerned” about the widespread use of an apparently ineffective medication by VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) doctors treating patients with post traumatic stress (PTS). “It is alarming,” said Jimmie L. Foster, national commander of The American Legion, “that fully 20 percent of the nearly 87,000 veterans VA physicians treated for PTS last year were given a medication that has proven to be pretty much useless.” According to a study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs itself and published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Risperdal, an antipsychotic medication commonly prescribed to veterans with post traumatic stress when antidepressants have failed to help, does not alleviate the symptoms of PTS. “Not only that,” said Foster, “but Risperdal is not even approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PTS.” Only two medications, Zoloft and Paxil, both antidepressants, are government-approved to treat PTS and neither drug, say researchers, is very effective at treating patients with a chronic form of the disorder. “I am greatly concerned that veterans suffering the ‘invisible wounds of war’ are receiving equally invisible care,” said Foster. The American Legion has been concerned about the misapplication of PTS medications for some time. Last year, the Legion appointed an ad hoc committee to investigate the efficacy of existing treatments for PTS and TBI (traumatic brain injury) and explore alternatives to improve the science. The committee comprises officers of the Legion as well as lay, professional and government consultants. It convened its third meeting during the week of August 1. The JAMA article appeared on August 3. Among the speakers at the Legion’s latest ad hoc committee meeting was Charles Hoge, M.D., who is considered to be one of the country’s leading experts on PTS and TBI. From 2002 through 2009, Dr. Hoge, a retired U.S. Army colonel, directed Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s research on the psychological and neurological consequences of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In light of the JAMA article, Dr. Hoge said he wondered if patients will continue to trust military and veteran medicine’s handling of PTS cases. He asked, “Is there a resistance and reluctance among servicemembers and veterans to receive and continue their mental health care?” Another committee consultant and longtime associate of the Legion is Dr. Jeanne Mager Stellman, Special Lecturer and Professor Emerita of Clinical Health Policy and Management at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She said, “This is the second major study showing that the drug therapies given to tens of thousands of our nation’s veterans for PTS are ineffective and are associated with a range of side effects (such as weight gain). It is time to clean this mess up (and) devote attention to the problem – not wait years for studies to be done, results to be published and still not have changes made.” Commander Foster said he is urging Congress to conduct hearings on the ongoing difficulties being experienced by both the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA in the treatment of PTS as well as TBI. He is also prompting both the DoD and VA to speed up their research on the screening of PTS and TBI cases and the treatment of them. “Accelerated research, however, must be balanced with great care and absolute accuracy,” Foster concluded. -30-Media contacts: Marty Callaghan, 202-263-5758/202-215-8644;or Craig Roberts 202-263-2982; Cell 202-406-0887.