Sergeant James R. McIlvaine, Olney, MD KIA 4/30/09

Sergeant James R. McIlvaine, was killed in Iraq April 30, 2009 serving his country in the United States Marine Corps. James was born September 24, 1982 in Olney, MD to Joanne E. Ryan and the late Michael S. McIlvaine.

Sgt McIlvaine is survived by his wife Sheryl M. McIlvaine of Twentynine Palms, CA two children Michael T. McIlvaine and Alexa N. McIlvaine both of Twentynine Palms, CA, mother and step-father Joanne E. and Mike S. Ryan of Purcellville, VA, four sisters Shannon, Ally, and Katie all of Purcellville, VA, and Airen of Frederick, MD and grandparents William and Katherine Muncy of Ocean Pines, MD and Patricia DeSimone of Olney, MD.

He began school at Olney elementary and graduated from Massanutten Military Academy. He graduated as a member of the National Honor Society and was awarded a commission to Virginia Military Institute.

After High School, he joined the Marine Corps February 28, 2001 and attended boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina May 10, 2001. He married Sheryl M. Schneider August 5, 2001. While serving in the Marine Corps Sheryl and James had their two children Michael and Alexa.

James McIlvaine was a proud and honorable husband, father, son and Marine who will be honored at Hall Funeral Home, Purcellville, VA on Wednesday, May 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. with a memorial service at 8 p.m. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery May 12, 2009 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers and gifts the family requests donations to be mailed to Middleburg Bank P.O. box 2250 Purcellville, VA 20134. Make checks payable to Sergeant James R. McIlvaine Memorial Fund. Please visit the Hall Funeral Home Web Site at http://www.hallfh.com/ to express online condolences to the family.

Joyous May Day Comrades ;)

In a few more weeks this Legion year will be over. However, a couple of Posts still have not met thier goal for 2009. And thank you for a 100% County! SMD needs only 198 for 3 Star and is currently in 1st Place.

As we settle out our membership efforts, keep in mind membership will drive how many DEC Members MCC will get next year as well as where they will go. So please check your Membership Chairman's inbox and get those memberships turned in.

The Posts listed below need a total of 81 members to reach goal:

• Post 104 needs 9 members for 3 Star
• Post 105 needs 7 members for 3 Star and has credit for up to 12
• Post 171 needs 8 members for 3 Star
• Post 268 needs 57 members for 3 Star

Thanks to the 38 guests at the Golden Bull! I appologize if I was a bit wound up. There were way more in attendance at the regular County Meetings. So now that we know they can get out to a meeting, we should see everyone who was there more often.

See you at the SMD Reception for the Department Commander tomorrow at the SMD Youth Camp.

If you are sick stay home!

Respectfully, For the Veteran!

Bob Ouellette
Commander, Montgomery County Council

The American Legion Commander Responds to DHS Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The American Legion Commander Responds to DHS Secretary

INDIANAPOLIS (April 16, 2009) -- American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein issued the following statement today:

“I am glad that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has apologized for the language used in the report about ‘Rightwing Extremism.’ I look forward to meeting with her next week, putting this behind us and discussing critical issues involving Homeland Security and The American Legion.”

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Homeland security chief apologizes to veterans groups

Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized Thursday after veterans groups were offended by a department report about right-wing extremism.

The report said extremist groups may try to attract veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also said extremists also may use the recession and the election of the nation's first African-American president to recruit members.

The American Legion was among those who objected to the report's mention of veterans.

"I think it is important for all of us to remember that Americans are not the enemy. The terrorists are," the American Legion <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/The_American_Legion> 's national commander, David K. Rehbein, said in a letter to Napolitano.

Napolitano apologized on CNN on Thursday morning.

"I know that some veterans groups were offended by the fact that veterans were mentioned in this assessment, so I apologize for that offense. It was certainly not intended," she told CNN's "American Morning."

She said the report was an assessment -- not an accusation -- and said she would meet with leaders of veterans groups next week.

She noted that the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which bills itself as the nation's largest combat veterans group, defended the report.

Glen M. Gardner Jr., the national commander of the 2.2 million-member VFW, said the assessment "should have been worded differently" but served a vital purpose.

"A government that does not assess internal and external security threats would be negligent of a critical public responsibility," he said in a statement.

The report mentioned numerous factors that could strengthen right-wing extremists, including anger over illegal immigration and the poor economy.

Yet it was the section on veterans that caused controversy among conservative politicians and some veterans. It said "the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone-wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks." It cited Timothy McVeigh, who returned from military service and went on to bomb the federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1995.

"Timothy McVeigh was only one of more than 42 million veterans who have worn this nation's uniform during wartime," wrote Rehbein, the American Legion commander. "To continue to use McVeigh as an example of the stereotypical 'disgruntled military veteran' is as unfair as using Osama bin Laden as the sole example of Islam."

The report, which was prepared in coordination with the FBI, was published last week. It was distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement officials. Mainstream media outlets picked up the story after it was reported by conservative bloggers.

Though the nine-page report said it had "no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence," it said real-estate foreclosures, unemployment and tight credit "could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past."

The report compared the current climate with that of the 1990s, saying a recession, criticism over outsourcing of jobs, and a perceived threat to U.S. power at that time fueled a "resurgence" of right-wing extremism <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Hate_and_Extremist_Groups> .

However, it said, "Despite similarities to the climate of the 1990s, the threat posed by lone wolves and small terrorist cells is more pronounced than in past years."

It warned that the groups may use proposed restrictions on firearms and the debate on immigration as recruiting tools, and said the groups may try to reach out to veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh decried the report on Tuesday, saying, "There is not one instance they can cite as evidence where any of these right-wing groups have done anything," according to a transcript of his remarks on his Web site.

"You have a report from Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama, Department of Homeland Security <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/U_S_Department_of_Homeland_Security> , portraying standard, ordinary, everyday conservatives as posing a bigger threat to this country than al Qaeda terrorists or genuine enemies of this country like Kim Jong Il," he said, referring to the leader of North Korea.

Michael Savage, another conservative commentator, also criticized the report.

"What does Big Sis say these right-wingers are concerned about?" he wrote on his Web site, referring to Napolitano.

"Illegal aliens, the increasing power of the federal government, gun grabs, abortion and the loss of U.S. national sovereignty. In other words, anyone who is worried about preserving our borders, language, and culture is on Big Sis' watch list."

In a written statement Wednesday, Napolitano <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Janet_Napolitano> said the agency is on "the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not -- nor will we ever -- monitor ideology or political beliefs."

She said she was "briefed" on the general topic, which "struck a nerve as someone personally involved in the Timothy McVeigh prosecution."

Napolitano said in her statement that she will tell Rehbein face-to-face that the Department of Homeland Security honors veterans and employs thousands of them, including Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute.

The Obama administration in January issued a warning about left-wing extremists. Both reports were initiated during the administration of former President George W. Bush.



Joe March
Director of Public Relations
The American Legion National Hqs.
700 N. Pennsylvania
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Office: (317) 630-1253
Fax: (317) 630-1368
Cell: (317) 748-1926

The American Legion supports Obama plan for Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (March 27, 2009) – The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization voiced his strong support for President Obama’s plan to increase troop levels and funding for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

“We have seen the results of a successful surge strategy in Iraq,” American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein said. “When President Bush announced his plan for a troop increase there, we supported him. Now that President Obama wants to send additional troops to Afghanistan, we support him as well. Afghanistan was the training ground for the Sept. 11 attacks. We can never again permit the regime that allowed that to happen to take power.”

The president will reportedly send 4,000 additional troops to train and advise Afghan troops. These troops would be in addition to the 17,000 combat troops that were authorized to be added there last month. As part of the strategy, the White House would like to increase funding for the war by 60 percent.

“You cannot send troops into harm’s way without giving them the tools they need to succeed,” Rehbein said. “I believe not only in President Obama’s plan, but also in the leadership of Gen. David Petraeus and the magnificent men and women who are defending us in the global war on terrorism. Congress should absolutely support the president’s request.”

With a current membership of 2.6 million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and the mentoring of youth. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

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Media Contacts: Joe March, (317) 630-1253; Cell 317-748-1926, John Raughter (317)630-1350 or Craig Roberts (202)263-2982. This text and a high-resolution photo of Cmdr. Rehbein can be downloaded at www.legion.org <http://www.legion.org/> .

American Legion praises White House change in plan

Submitted by hsoria on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 9:49am.
Thursday, March 19, 2009

President Obama has dropped a plan to bill private insurance companies for the treatment of veterans with service-connected disabilities and injuries. American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein applauded the move.

"We are glad that President Obama listened to the strong objections raised by The American Legion and veterans everywhere about this unfair plan," Rehbein said. "We thank the administration for its proposed increase in the VA budget. We are always available to assist, by providing guidance to ensure a veterans health-care system that is worthy of the heroes that use it."

After a March 18 meeting with the Legion and other veterans groups, the White House announced it would no longer consider billing insurance companies or veterans for treatment of their service-connected disabilities.

"Although we disagreed with the proposal, additional revenue streams are needed by VA," Rehbein said. "I strongly encourage Congress and the administration to allow VA to begin billing Medicare for the treatment of veterans who qualify for the program. They paid into Medicare for their entire working careers, and should be able to use it in the medical system that was built specifically for them."

The White House plan to bill private insurance companies for veterans' service-connected health care led to a fire storm of opposition. Rehbein's editorial opposing the move appeared in the March 18 Wall Street Journal.

The same day, Legion spokesman Peter Gaytan appeared on Fox News and explained why the plan would not serve veterans' best interests.

American Legion Blasts Obama Plan for Private Insurance to Pay for Service Related Care

From FOXNews.com Tuesday, March 17, 2009

President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of troops injured in service has angered veterans groups who say the government has a moral obligation to pay for service-related medical care. President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of troops injured in service has infuriated veterans groups who say the government is morally obligated to pay for service-related medical care.

Calling it a "desperate search for money at any cost," Craig Roberts, media relations manager for the American Legion, told FOXNews.com on Tuesday that the president will "wish away so much political capital on this issue" if he continues to insist on private coverage for service-related injuries.

Cmdr. David K. Rehbein of the American Legion, the nation's largest veterans group, called the president's plan to raise $540 million from private insurers unreasonable, unworkable and immoral.

"This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate 'to care for him who shall have borne the battle,' given that the United States government sent members of the Armed Forces into harm's way, and not private insurance companies," Rehbein said late Monday after a meeting with the president and administration officials at the Veterans Affairs Department."I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service-connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need of America's veterans," Rehbein said.

Roberts said that 11 veterans service organizations were told to come up with another plan if they didn't like this one. The groups met on Monday with Obama, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and Office of Management and Budget defense spending chief Steven Kosiak.

"What we've been tasked with now is to raise this money through alternative means and we're supposed to have a conference call in two or three days ... with Rahm Emanuel. So the implication was ... you guys come up with a better idea or this is what's going to happen," Roberts said.

A call to the White House was not immediately returned. But a summary of the proposed budget
says the president wants to increase funding for VA by $25 billion over five years, and bring more than 500,000 eligible veterans of modest income into the VA health care system by 2013.
"The president's avowed purpose in doing this is to, quote, 'make the insurance companies pay their fair share,'" Roberts said. But he said it will raise premiums, make insurance unaffordable for veterans and impose a massive hardship on military families. It could also prevent small businesses from hiring veterans who have large health care needs, he said.

"It's not the Blue Cross that puts soldiers in harm's way, it's the federal government," Roberts said, adding that the American Legion would like the existing system to remain in place. Service-related injuries currently are treated and paid for by the government. The American Legion has proposed that Medicare reimburse the VA for the treatment of veterans.

He said that the argument about the government's moral obligation to treat wounded soldiers, sailors and Marines fell on deaf ears during the meeting.

"The president deflected any discussion when it got into any moral issue here," he said. "Any attempt to direct the conversation (to the moral discussion) was immediately deflected."Private insurance is separate for troops who need health care unrelated to their service. But Roberts noted that if a wounded warrior comes back and needs ongoing treatment, he or she could run up "to the max of the coverage in very short order," leaving his family with nothingRoberts added that how the plan would raise $540 million "is a great mystery and it seems to be an arbitrary number. ... The commander said it seemed like this phantom number."

Monday's meeting was preceded by a letter of protest earlier this month signed by Rehbein and the heads of 10 service organizations. It read that "there is simply no logical explanation" for the plan to bill veterans' personal insurance "for care that the VA has a responsibility to provide."The letter called it "unconscionable" to shift the burden of the country's "fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country." Rehbein testified to both the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees on those same points last week

Release: The American Legion Strongly Opposed to President's Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment

 The American Legion Strongly Opposed to President's Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment

        WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2009) – The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered  service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases. 

        "It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion.  "He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."

        The Commander, clearly angered as he emerged from the session said, "This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate '… to care for him who shall have borne the battle…' given that the United States government sent members of the armed forces into harm's way, and not private insurance companies.  I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need ofAmerica's veterans!"

        Commander Rehbein was among a group of senior officials from veterans service organizations joining the President, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and Steven Kosiak, the overseer of defense spending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The group's early afternoon conversation at The White House was precipitated by a letter of protest presented to the President earlier this month. The letter, co-signed by Commander Rehbein and the heads of ten colleague organizations, read, in part, " There is simply no logical explanation for billing a veteran's personal insurance for care that the VA has a responsibility to provide.  While we understand the fiscal difficulties this country faces right now, placing the burden of those fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country is unconscionable." 

Commander Rehbein reiterated points made last week in testimony to both House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees.  It was stated then that The American Legion believes that the reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate that VA treat service-connected injuries and disabilities given that the United States government sends members of the armed forces into harm's way, and not private insurance companies. The proposed requirement for these companies to reimburse the VA would not only be unfair, says the Legion, but would have an adverse impact on service-connected disabled veterans and their families.  The Legion argues that, depending on the severity of the medical conditions involved, maximum insurance coverage limits could be reached through treatment of the veteran's condition alone. That would leave the rest of the family without health care benefits.  The Legion also points out that many health insurance companies require deductibles to be paid before any benefits are covered.  Additionally, the Legion is concerned that private insurance premiums would be elevated to cover service-connected disabled veterans and their families, especially if the veterans are self-employed or employed in small businesses unable to negotiate more favorable across-the-board insurance policy pricing.  The American Legion also believes that some employers, especially small businesses, would be reluctant to hire veterans with service-connected disabilities due to the negative impact their employment might have on obtaining and financing company health care benefits.

        "I got the distinct impression that the only hope of this plan not being enacted," said Commander Rehbein, "is for an alternative plan to be developed that would generate the desired $540-million in revenue. The American Legion has long advocated for Medicare reimbursement to VA for the treatment of veterans. This, we believe, would more easily meet the President's financial goal.  We will present that idea in an anticipated conference call with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel in the near future.

        "I only hope the administration will really listen to us then.  This matter has far more serious ramifications than the President is imagining," concluded the Commander.

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Media contacts:  Craig Roberts,(202) 263-2982, Cell (202) 406-0887 or Joe March, (317) 630-1253; Cell (317) 748-1926.  A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Rehbein is available at www.legion.org.