Vietnam Veterans Memorial American Legion Post 295

PTSD FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

2011-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, American Legion Post 295 is holding an Open House for a new Operation Provide Comfort II (OPCII) program, "PTSD Support Group for Families." Post 295 is seeking to help the family members of those who have served out Nation with information and tools to support thier family members who may be dealing with PTSD.

We invite family members and veterans to come by the Willow Tree Inn at the Montgomery Village Golf Club, 19550 Montgomery Village Ave, Montgomery Village, from Noon to 4 PM on November 12th.

Our effort to serve the community begins with providing emotional support and relaxation methods to deal with the stressors of everyday life.

During the open house an American Legion Service Officer will be available to answer questions on VA benefits; Massage Therapists for relaxation and an informational presentation on Transcendental Meditation and more.

Scheduled to attend:
Valerie Cochran, American Legion Service Officer will answer VA
related questions.

The David Lynch Foundation will provide an Introduction to
transcendental Meditation. (Did you read the last Legion Magazine on
how TM has helped with PTSD symptoms?)

Montgomery County Mental Health Association's, Troops, Veterans and Family Care Project will provide information on the Mental Health First Aid Program.

Crystal Tucker will demonstrate, massage and relaxation techniques.

Media Inquires here.

Post 295 is not a medical provider, we are providing a venue for those affected by war and conflict to find peers and support. Our mission is simple: provide a sympathetic ear, emotional & physical support to family members with dealing PTSD in the family.

American Legion Post 295 was founded in 1983 and has been supporting the community ever since. Our baseball program, Gaithersburg Post 295, has meet with unparalleled success in the County.

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest veterans service organization, committed to mentoring and sponsorship of youth programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans.

URGENT: American Legion National Headquarters Request - Call your Senator NOW!

2011-10-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

TAKE ACTION! Call your Senator NOW!
S.1639, the American Legion Charter Modernization Act.

(October 5, 2011) The American Legion is now providing its members a new service which allows Legion members to renew their membership and pay their dues online over the Internet. Last year, The American Legion's National Convention adopted an amendment to its National Constitution to authorize this new service.
Prior to this new service, all dues payments flowed to the national organization from posts through our departments. Online renewal has raised a concern, however, that because some dues monies now flow from the national organization to the departments and posts, the national organization has
"control" over those departments and posts.
In order to resolve this "control" issue, The American Legion has sought legislation to change its Corporate Charter to clarify the autonomous, independent nature of American Legion posts and departments. Congress must pass and the president must sign into law any amendment to The American Legion's Corporate Charter.
Senators Jon Tester (MT) and Dean Heller (NV) recently introduced S.1639, The American Legion Charter Modernization Act. This legislation would clarify the autonomous, independent nature of American Legion posts and departments by clarifying what courts have already ruled - that no independent entity of The American Legion is legally responsible for the actions of another and that its posts and departments are independent of the national organization.
We've just been informed the bill has been expedited out of the Judiciary Committee and Leader Harry Reid (NV) will be hotlining it later this afternoon. "Hotlining," as it is called, is meant to be a fast method of passing legislation under a unanimous consent agreement. Assuming there is no objection made by either side, it should clear the Senate later this evening or early tomorrow.
Please call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator's office. Ask for the staff person following this bill. Identify yourself and tell the aide you request the Senator not object to the unanimous consent agreement on S.1639.
Earlier this year, then-National Commander Jimmie Foster said, "It is important to remember that online renewal is a choice, not a mandate. Judging from the number of online renewals so far, the membership seems to like to have that as an option to mailed renewals. More and more, people want to conduct business online, and the Legion is working to provide that convenience while at the same time ensuring the highest standards of security."
Again, please call 202-224-3121 and support The American Legion and The American Legion Charter Modernization Act.

Legion backs Nevada senator’s push to pass VA funding law

2011-09-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON (Sept. 16, 2011) -- The American Legion is lauding freshman Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada for his campaign to encourage colleagues to put aside their differences and pass quickly a bill to provide funding for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The Senate and House of Representatives passed separate versions of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2055) in mid-summer, but minor differences remain that must be reconciled before the legislation can be combined and signed into law by President Obama.

On Sept. 15, Heller, a new Senator but veteran Congressman, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, urging them to pass the legislation as soon as possible so as to not endanger, among other things, the timely payment of benefits to veterans.

“The benefits owed to the men and women who have served in the Armed Services should not be jeopardized because Congress has not had the self-discipline necessary to pass a responsible budget,” Heller said. “Both parties from the House and Senate need to work out their differences and pass this legislation so our veterans can be certain they will receive every benefit promised to them. Moving this process forward is the least we can do for the men and women who have selflessly served our nation and risked their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today,” he said.

“This is a point I’ll be making in my testimony before the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Sept. 21^st,” said Fang A. Wong, newly elected national commander of The American Legion. “It would be easy for Congress to include VA funding in a continuing resolution, but that won’t get the job done. They need to iron out a few minor differences in conference committee – this should be completed outside of a continuing resolution.”

To date, a conference committee to settle the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Mil Con-VA Appropriations Act has not been formed. “Our nation’s veterans didn’t take the easy way out while serving their nation,” Wong said. “The best thing Congress can do is fund the VA for the entire fiscal year and stop playing political games with this issue.”

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Contact: Marty Callaghan, 202-263-5758/202-215-8644 or Craig Roberts, 202-263-2982/ 202-406-0887.

Veterans seen as vital to jobs bill

2011-09-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

National Commander supports Obama's plan to deploy veterans in the battle to revive America's economy.

WASHINGTON (Sept. 8, 2011) - Pressing Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, which aims to reduce unemployment and stimulate U.S. productivity, President Barack Obama told a joint session of Congress Thursday evening to look to the nation's veterans, who have fought with their lives to defend our country. "The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they come home," he said.

The president's words in a Thursday evening address to the nation echoed what he said Aug. 30 at the 93rd National Convention of The American Legion in Minneapolis when he announced a plan to offer tax credits to companies that hire veterans. There, he told about 10,000 Legionnaires and their families that he was calling on every state "to pass legislation that makes it easier for our veterans to get the credentials and the jobs for which they are so clearly qualified. This needs to happen, and it needs to happen now."

American Legion National Commander Fang A. Wong said the president's plan to get more Americans back to work falls in line with the Legion's ongoing efforts to reduce veteran unemployment, especially among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Far too many of our young veterans are returning home to find they can't get back into the workforce - is that a proper way for our country to reward these men and women who have served us so well overseas?" Wong said.

According to a Joint Economic Commission report to Congress last June, the unemployment rate for male veterans aged 18 to 24 stood at 27 percent.

"We sponsor more than 100 job fairs per year for servicemembers and veterans," Wong said. "We press federal agencies to hire more veterans. We show veteran-owned small businesses how to get more federal contracting dollars. So The American Legion heartily welcomes the jobs plan initiatives pertaining to veterans announced by President Obama, especially since they reinforce the White House's commitment to get more veterans employed."

In the address, Obama said the American Jobs Act will "provide a jolt" to an economy that is now stalled. He pinpointed education, transportation and small business as areas that can make an impact in the recovery. He told lawmakers that the measure will make it easier for small businesses to procure federal contracts. The American Legion is now working with the government to improve compliance with a federal law mandating that no less than 3 percent of federal contracts be awarded to businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.

Obama also spoke of the power the GI Bill {editorial note: Written by the American Legion} poses to stimulate the economy, as it did after World War II. "Millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, had the opportunity to go to school because of the GI Bill. Where would we be if they hadn't had that chance?"

Earlier in the day, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee passed the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act (known as the VOW Act), sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida. The bill would improve transition counseling for service members leaving active duty, and also help veterans to obtain licenses or certificates for skills they learned in the military.

"Military training and experience needs to be recognized by civilian employers. This is an issue The American Legion has taken to the White House and Congress many times," Wong said. "Now we are seeing some results - in the president's new initiatives to get more veterans hired, and in the VOWS Act that is making its way to a vote on the House floor.

"We have got to convince the private sector to recognize the full value of military service. Taxpayers invest a lot of money in their training. Such a huge investment must not be wasted," Wong said.

The American Legion has been pushing Congress and the private sector for wider recognition of military skills and experience. The Legion's Economic Division is planning to host a conference early next year on licensing and certification issues for veterans.

Telling Congress that "we are tougher than the times we live in," Obama echoed his Aug. 5 speech at the Washington Navy Yard. Before a largely military audience, he outlined four proposals to reduce the jobless rate among Post-9/11 veterans, including tax credits for firms that hire veterans who are unemployed or have service-connected disabilities.

"The president has challenged the private sector to hire or train 100,000 jobless veterans by the end of 2013," Wong said. "We join the president's call to action, but would like to up the ante. The American Legion is challenging America to bring veterans unemployment below the 5-percent mark before Election Day of 2012. Hiring veterans is one of the best ways to honor their service."

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

Pelosi: Veterans benefits not on the table

2011-09-07T18:25:00.001-07:00

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^rdNational 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.

295 Legion Riders trip to Antietam

2011-08-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Aug 20th, 295' Legion Riders took a trip from Germantown to Antietan. Great day for a ride! The winding road that is Harpers Ferry Rd was awesome. So much for the tail of the dragon. Interested in riding? Are you a Veteran? If so come join us. Contact Commander@post295.org

Release: Legionnaire makes the cover of Time

2011-08-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

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.
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Media contacts: Marty Callaghan, 202-263-5758/202-215-8644;or Craig Roberts 202-263-2982; Cell 202-406-0887.

2011-06-28T13:43:00.001-07:00

American Legion gives a local high school student a chance to live his dreams on and off the field.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 29, 2011

Jimmy Kazunas, a sixteen year old rising senior at Good Counsel High School feels a tremendous debt of gratitude to the American Legion. A member of the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Post 295 Baseball Team, his top ranked Maryland State Junior Legion squad appears to be on its way to an invite to the National Amateur Baseball Federation High School Championship tournament in Tennessee in late July. However, Kazunas will not be joining them; he has a busy week including a meeting planned with President Obama scheduled for the week of the tournament. Kazunas meeting with the President is once again thanks to the American Legion. An International Baccalaureate honors student, it all started when Kazunas was selected to participate in the American Legion Maryland Boys State earlier this month. The week long resident program is sponsored throughout the country annually by the American Legion. Each Boys State is comprised of rising high school seniors selected from their respective states. As part of the process each Boys State elects a peer to represent them at the Boys Nation. Kazunas had the honor of being elected as the Maryland Senior Delegate to Boys Nation this July, hence the meeting with the President. Kazunas will be one of the ninety eight young men representing nearly twenty thousand American Legion Boys State delegates from around the country.

Kazunas credits his school guidance counselor for nominating and helping guide him to the American Legion Boys State Program. He credits baseball great Brooks Robinson for guiding him in his decision to play American Legion Baseball. Kazunas states “I had the opportunity to meet and spend an evening with Brooks Robinson while watching a minor league baseball game last year. We talked about his high school experience with baseball; his school did not have enough players to field a baseball team. I was shocked and I asked him how he learned to play. He said he played American Legion. He could not say enough good things about how the American Legion affected his life. He spoke of the lifelong friendships formed as well as the level of play. He told me his professional career began as a result of a scout seeing him at a Legion Game.”
Kazunas is in a somewhat similar situation. Although his school has a baseball team, Kazunas is also a track athlete. An all WCAC conference cross country runner, he was finally convinced by his track coaches and track teammates to run and train year round last year. He continues to run eight to ten miles each day throughout the summer, waking up at five am to beat the heat. His training and events have also expanded to include mid distance and hurdles. All last winter he traveled to meets throughout the country. In the spring, after returning from Nike Indoor Track Nationals, the high school baseball season was well underway without him. He continued with track and in the spring he helped Good Counsel win its first overall WCAC Track championship in over 25 years.

As the spring track season was winding down he remembered his talk with Brooks Robinson. He missed playing baseball, he looked to American Legion Baseball which was just starting up after the high school baseball season had ended. Kazunas stated “When I was at American Legion Baseball tryouts I was rusty, but fortunately I was able to make the team. I was a little worried because I had not played in a while. I went out to have fun and figured if I didn’t make the team I at least had a chance to play again because tryouts lasted a few weeks. I made the team and it has been a blast. If I still wanted to play baseball the other option would have been showcases. I don’t know if I would have continued playing, it just wouldn’t be the same. With Legion ball our team plays together all summer. We play against teams from all over the state. We all pull for each other as teammates, its not just hey look at me. Showcases don’t give you that team experience. I guess Mr. Robinson was right when he said “nothing beats Legion ball” The American Legion has made this the greatest summer I could have ever dreamed. I get to play baseball almost every day with my teammates and then I get to meet the President”.
The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest veteran’s service organization, committed to mentoring and sponsorship of youth programs in local communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security, and continued devotion to fellow service members and veterans.

The American Legion Vietnam Veterans Memorial Post 295 has been serving the Gaithersburg/Germantown communities since 1983. Post 295 commitment to the community is evident through the 28 year sponsorship of the highly successful senior/junior American Legion baseball programs. In addition to baseball, Post 295 sponsors Cub Scout Pack 1760 and has served wounded warriors since 2003 with Operation Provide Comfort. More information may be found at http://www.post295.org/.

American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high-school students. A participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government, Boys State was founded in 1935. Only those who illustrate leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service in their schools and community are considered. Merit and ability are the basis for evaluation during the selection process. At the conclusion of each Boys State, two representatives (a senior and junior delegate) are elected by their peers to represent their state at Boys Nation in Washington, where the young leaders receive an education on the structure and function of federal government. A highlight of the Boys Nation experience is a private meeting with the President of the United States. A famous photograph taken in the summer of 1963 depicts a young William Jefferson Clinton, as a Boys Nation delegate, shaking hands and greeting President John F. Kennedy in the Rose garden. Taken just four months Kennedy’s death, it is said to be one of President Clinton’s most prized possessions. Since Boys Nation began, a number of its graduates have been elected to public office, including presidents, congressmen, state governors and state legislators. Members of this prestigious program are considered to be the future government, business, and military leaders of the United States.

American Legion Baseball is a national institution. The league still stands atop the traditional values upon which it was founded nearly 85 years ago. Since 1925, American Legion Baseball has taught hundreds of thousands of young Americans the importance of sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship. American Legion Baseball enjoys a reputation as one of the most successful and tradition-rich amateur athletic leagues. Nearly 75 percent of current college players are program graduates. More than half of current major-leaguers played Legion Baseball. So did almost every working MLB manager, along with several former commissioners. In all, more than 50 program graduates are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Legion Baseball's alumni base includes some of the sport's most recognizable names. Yogi Berra played for Fred W. Stockholm Post 245 in St. Louis and was once quoted as saying it was the most fun he ever had. Ted Williams suited up for a post in San Diego. Frank Robinson led his Oakland, Calif., team to the only back-to-back national championships in program history.

Gaithersburg Post 295 standout pitcher Charlie Cononie was recently drafted in the 24th round by Tampa Bay. Current Yankees slugger Mark Texeira played in the league's 1997 World Series. Babe Ruth was too old to join when Legion Baseball started, but he spent the final years of his life promoting the program as its director of operations. Other prominent players include Brooks Robinson, Ryne Sandberg, Roy Campanella, Dusty Baker, Albert Pujols, Greg Maddux and Chipper Jones.

New Option for Marking Veterans’ Graves in Private Cemeteries

2010-06-29T08:29:00.001-07:00

Veterans’ Medallion Available for Order

New Option for Marking Veterans’ Graves in Private Cemeteries

WASHINGTON (June 29, 2010) – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering bronze medallions to attach to existing, privately purchased headstones or markers, signifying a deceased's status as a Veteran.

“For Veterans not buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery, or those without a government grave marker, VA is pleased to offer this option that highlights their service and sacrifices for our country,” said Secretary Shinseki.

The new item can be furnished instead of a traditional government headstone or marker for Veterans whose death occurred on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.

Under federal law, eligible Veterans buried in a private cemetery are entitled to either a government-furnished grave marker or the new medallion, but not both. Veterans buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery will receive a government headstone or marker of the standard design authorized at that cemetery.

The medallion is available in three sizes: 5 inches, 3 inches and 1 ½ inches in width. Each bronze medallion features the image of a folded burial flag adorned with laurels and is inscribed with the word “Veteran” at the top and the branch of service at the bottom.

Next of kin will receive the medallion, along with a kit that will allow the family or the staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave marker, mausoleum or columbarium niche cover.

More information about VA-furnished headstones, markers and medallions can be found at http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmtype.asp .

VA is currently developing an application form for ordering the medallion. Until it is available, applicants may use the form for ordering government headstones and markers, VA Form 40-1330. Instructions on how to apply for a medallion are found on the VA Web site at www.cem.va.gov/hm_hm.asp .

Veterans with a discharge issued under conditions other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a VA national cemetery. Other burial benefits available for all eligible Veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or grave marker.

The new medallions will be available only to Veterans buried in private cemeteries without a government headstone or marker. Families of eligible decedents may also order a memorial headstone or marker when remains are not available for interment.

VA operates 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites. More than 3 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict -- from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan -- are buried in VA’s national cemeteries on more than 19,000 acres.

Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the VA Web site on the Internet at www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.

Post 295 Hosting State Tournament

2010-05-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

The 2010 State Tournament will begin on Wednesday, July 28th.

The first 3 games will be played on a Cal Ripken Sr League Field in Montgomery County.

The "opening game" or Game 4 will be played at Shipley Field on the campus ofthe University of Maryland.

All other games will be played at Shipley Field.

We are actively looking for sponsors for the program book. Contact BobO@post295.org to sign up for you ad. Full page is $100 and Half Page is $50.

Kratovil Backs Legislation to Help Returning Veterans and Surviving Spouses

2010-02-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Introduces new bill; co-sponsors two others after meetings with local veterans groups.

Date: 2-23-10 – For Immediate Release

Contact: Kevin Lawlor, 202 225 5311

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Kratovil today backed legislation to protect returning veterans and surviving spouses from the threat of home foreclosure and to promote opportunities for returning service members to transition into careers in education, after discussing the proposals in recent meetings with his Veterans Advisory Committee and other local veterans groups.

Kratovil convened roundtable discussions during last week’s Congressional recess with young veterans at both Anne Arundel Community College and Towson University to hear about issues they confront as they return from their service and transition back to civilian life. With Congress now back in session this week, Kratovil today introduced one piece of legislation and co-sponsored two others that he had discussed with the young veterans at these roundtable discussions.

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 enacted a foreclosure moratorium for service members returning from active service, protecting them from the threat of foreclosure for a 9 month period after their return. The provision is set to expire at the end of 2010. Today, Kratovil backed H.R. 3976 – Helping Heroes Keep Their Homes Act of 2009 , which will extend the provision for five additional years through 2015. He also introduced H.R. 4664 – the Mortgage Foreclosure Moratorium for Surviving Spouses Act of 2010, which extends the same protections to the surviving spouses of service members killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan for a one-year period following the service member’s death.

“When our service men and women make the ultimate sacrifice, we have the responsibility to look out for those they have left behind,” said Rep. Kratovil. “Giving surviving spouses a protection against foreclosure in the immediate aftermath of the death of their loved one is the least we can do for families that have already given so much for their country. Losing a loved one to war is a tragedy that should never be compounded by losing a home.”

Additionally, Kratovil Cosponsored H.R. 3943, the Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act . Since its inception, the Troops to Teachers program has helped place over 12,000 members of the military who are leaving the service in classrooms across the country. This legislation reduces the length of service requirements for participation, to encourage involvement by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; expands the number of school districts in which participants can qualify for a $5,000 stipend towards the costs of becoming a teacher; and creates an advisory board charged with improving awareness of the program, increasing participation, and ensuring that the program meets the needs of our schools and veterans.

“We should always be finding ways to get veterans back into the workforce as soon as they are ready,” said Rep. Kratovil. “The Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act is not only a way to find good jobs for returning vets but it bolsters our classrooms by creating top notch educators.”

No US Deaths in Iraq for December '09

2010-01-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8437477.stm

December was the first month in which no US troops were killed in combat in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.

The commander of US forces in Iraq, Gen Ray Odierno, said it was a significant milestone that demonstrated how violence in the country had diminished.

2009 was also the least violent for US troops in Iraq, with 149 losing their lives, compared with 314 in 2008.

In total, 4,371 US military personnel have died since the invasion, according to the Iraq coalition casualty count.

On Friday, Gen Odierno attended a ceremony at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad marking the change of his command's name from Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I) to US Forces-Iraq (USF-I).

The all-US contingent of 110,000 troops will now focus on "advising and assisting" Iraqi security forces before combat forces are pulled out by 31 August and ahead of a complete withdrawal by 2011.

"In 2006, when I flew over Baghdad, I remember looking down on a city cloaked by darkness and gripped in fear," Gen Odierno said.

"Today, when I fly over Baghdad, I see hope, with bright lights and busy traffic."

Insurgent attacks have dropped from more than 200 a day two years ago to approximately 15 a day, according to Gen David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, who also attended Friday's ceremony.

Between 94,939 and 103,588 civilians have been killed in attacks in Iraq since 2003, according to the monitoring group Iraq Body Count.

Innovative Program Helps Troubled Veterans Turn Lives Around

2009-12-16T09:22:00.001-08:00

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2005 – A unique center here is helping troubled veterans turn their lives around by providing a military-style program designed to help them beat addictions, develop career skills, land jobs, find homes, and become productive citizens.

The Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, MCVET for short, offers an ambitious array of programs aimed at getting veterans back on their feet and into the mainstream sober, drug-free and self-sufficient. Military service provides the common thread behind the program. All "students," as participants are called, are veterans, as well as 75 percent of the staff.

The result is a program that puts heavy emphasis on the structure its students once embraced. "In many cases, the military was the last structure in their lives," said retired Army Col. Charles Williams, the center's executive director.

Williams and the rest of the MCVET staff are convinced that a return to that structure is the best way for troubled vets to begin their recovery. So from the day they enter the program, living in open-bay-style dormitories with beds sporting hospital corners and shoes placed "dress-right-dress" beneath their bunks, students re-enter the disciplined world many said goodbye to when they left the military. And just like in the military, they advance to leadership positions in the program and enjoy perks like semiprivate rooms as they make progress.
Darvis Tabrizi, who entered the MCVET program in August 2004, said the structure was exactly what he needed to deal with the alcohol and drug addiction that got him thrown out of the Navy in 2003 and ultimately left him jobless, homeless and estranged from his family.

"I needed to be grounded and I needed to be structured, and this place gave me that," Tabrizi said.

"It provided a foundation and a structured process to guide me," agreed Ezekiel Pankey, who went through the program nine years ago and now conducts outreach to tell other veterans who might need it about the program.

But MCVET is far more than a boot camp. Students tap into a wide array of services as they confront their demons and move forward. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides medical services and psychological counseling critical in overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychological difficulties. The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides housing assistance to the veterans, many of them homeless when they enter the program. The Department of Labor funds job training.
"It all comes together here," Williams said. "We are taking our students from dependence to independence."

Much of the program's emphasis is on education, with the schedule of activities revolving around classes that range from confronting addictions to developing life skills to help them cope on the "outside."

While MCVET offers all the tools needed for troubled vets to move on with their lives, the most important predictor of success comes from the students themselves.

"You have to give 100 percent and really want to be here," Tabrizi said. "This place works, but only if you want it to work."

"This is not a place to hibernate," Williams said. "It's a place to get your life together, and that takes hard work and a genuine commitment."
Just two months into the program, Crystal Showell, a 10-year member of the Coast Guard who is struggling to overcome drug and alcohol addiction, said she feels well on the way to a new start. She's attending mandatory classes that she said have taught her more about herself and her addictions in 60 days than she picked up during four years of college.

"I want to learn to live clean and sober and be strong enough when I leave here so I don't need that crutch anymore," the former petty officer said.

As they tackle these basics, students also begin focusing on what's ahead in their careers.
"We're not looking to simply get these people jobs. We want them to have a skill that provides them a career that pays a living wage, not a minimum wage," Williams said. "We don't want any of our people going to McDonald's unless they're eating or managing the place."
Getting to that point doesn't happen overnight, Williams acknowledged. Students can stay in the MCVET program for as long as five years, advancing from one phase to another as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives.

"You can't take a person who's been on drugs 10 years and rehabilitate them in 30 days," he said. "It takes time to do this."

Even after students have completed the program, gotten a job and moved into their own homes, the staff keeps in touch with them to see how they're doing and catch them if they begin backsliding.

If there's one lesson Andre Walters learned since coming to MCVET 18 months ago, it's that past mistakes don't have to become a lifetime pattern. "There's a sense of fulfillment, of satisfaction in knowing that you don't have to be a quitter and give up just because you made mistakes in the past," he said. "You can turn things around, and you do that here through teamwork and camaraderie and hard work."

A year into the program, Tabrizi is putting his life back together. He's "clean" and has re-established his relationship with his family. He's got a job at the MCVET front desk and is sharpening his computer skills as he prepares to return to school. A former Navy aviation machinist mate, Tabrizi is looking forward to studying helicopter mechanics at the University of the District of Columbia this spring and has already been promised a job at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, maintaining helicopters for the medevac crews.
Looking back, Tabrizi said he'd never have been able to make the turnaround he's experienced without the MCVET staff and program. "I just wanted a way out, and I found it here," he said. "The staff here gave me hope and made me want to do it, and they taught me to be a better person."

Williams, who helped establish the MCVET program 11 years ago, said he's confident it's made a huge difference in the lives of the 5,000 students who've participated in the program so far.
"We don't say we've saved every one of them," he said. "But of those who stay 30 days, seven out of 10 will return to their families as productive citizens with jobs."

Jeffrey Kendrick, a retired Air Force master sergeant who's director of operations at MCVET, said the staff "gets swept up" in the gratification of helping veterans jump-start their lives.
"It's a very rewarding experience, because you see that your work actually pays off in the end," he said. "The staff is this program's greatest strength. It's not just a job. We believe in what we do here."

Rheebe Bryant, a retired soldier who's now a drug and alcohol counselor at MCVET, said the program provides a unique opportunity to serve men and women who have served their country. "The satisfaction here is helping other veterans," she said. "At the end of the day, you know that you've helped someone."

Related Sites:Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training

Veterans Day

2009-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

There are times that we remember vividly. For me as Veterans Day gets closer, one of those days, November 10th, 1988, comes back to me vividly. I was the EOD Team Leader responding to a Suspect Package (suspect bomb) at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Wall is eerie at night, it is even eerier if you are the only one there. This is a poem about that night's events.

"On a day we all remember, A day I can’t forget. A cold night in November, When a comrade paid his debt.

It was a box so pretty, with gift wrapping so dear. A gift to the long departed, to a buddy who was near

The time of day was evening, when the policeman found the box. With six months to retire, he evacuated the block.

When my Bomb Squad team arrived there, the Wall was silent as the deep. Walking down the path, my soul began to weep.

I was not alone there, friends long past still visit. But they wish to be there, among their buds who made it.

On this day that haunts me, a comrade had come back. To leave his buddy a gift, in short to pay him back.

When I finally opened the box, a six pack did I discover. A tribute to all who served, a toast for all the years.

And tucked under a tab, a business card was signed. For on the card was written, “thank you for my life.”

Post 295 Members at Ft Hood

2009-11-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

I have heard from a couple of our members at FT Hood and they are doing fine. We will keep the families of the murdered soldiers and those wounded in our thoughts.

National Commander expresses condolences over Ft. Hood Shootings

2009-11-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (Nov. 5, 2009) -- American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill released the following statement concerning this afternoon's shootings at Ft. Hood:
"My first reaction is purely emotional. I must say that I am shocked and speechless. I simply cannot believe we have soldiers who would do this to their comrades. The American Legion extends condolences to the victims and the families of those affected by the shootings at Fort Hood. The facts are not all out and there is still much about the events that we do not yet know. We do know, however, that The American Legion will reach out to assist any soldiers, family members or other victims of this horrible tragedy in any way possible. We will release further statements as the facts become known."

John Brieden, a Texan and past national commander of The American Legion, said, "The first thought I have about this tragedy is that I'm angry. You've got folks who are preparing to deploy into a dangerous area of the world, and you've got them here at home being attacked. And it makes me angry that they would lose their lives in this way, right here in America."
Brieden said The American Legion has several programs such as its Family Support Network that are designed to reach out to families who suffer tragic losses. "All of a sudden, we have families with a father, mother, a spouse who isn't going to be coming home. So how do you deal with this?

"Yes, they need help," Brieden said. "And The American Legion will certainly be helping those families who lost loved ones in such a horrible incident. We intend to help as much as we possibly can."

Killeen American Legion Post 223, and Coppers Cover Post 582 in Texas are standing by to lend whatever assistance might be needed in the area.

Media contacts: Craig Roberts, (202) 263-2982, Cell (202) 406-088 or Joe March, (317) 630-1253; Cell (317) 748-1926. A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Hill is available at www.legion.org.

Bet you didn't know....

2009-10-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Occaisonally when I find something interesting I will post it here.

Today's post is about Gadsby's Tavern located in Alexandria VA. A colonial building once operated as a Tavern and Inn. It is now a National Historic Landmark. A restauraunt is now operated in what was the Inn.

What you did not know is that when the building was slated for destrcution in the early 20th century, American Legion Post 24 stepped in and saved it from destruction. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Legionnaires that saved this historic landmark.

Did Weapons Fail U.S. Troops During Afghanistan Assault?

2009-10-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

Interesting theory. I have fired the M-16 so much that the barrel turned red hot. The M-60 operators would change barrels because they became so hot they were not safe to operate. Bottom line, either more troops on the ground to fire or weapons with a hire rate of fire. ~ Bob O

Here is the wire story...

WASHINGTON — In the chaos of an early morning assault on a remote U.S. outpost in eastern Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips' M4 carbine quit firing as militant forces surrounded the base. The machine gun he grabbed after tossing the rifle aside didn't work either.
When the battle in the small village of Wanat ended, nine U.S. soldiers lay dead and 27 more were wounded. A detailed study of the attack by a military historian found that weapons failed repeatedly at a "critical moment" during the firefight on July 13, 2008, putting the outnumbered American troops at risk of being overrun by nearly 200 insurgents.
Which raises the question: Eight years into the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, do U.S. armed forces have the best guns money can buy?
Despite the military's insistence that they do, a small but vocal number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq has complained that the standard-issue M4 rifles need too much maintenance and jam at the worst possible times.
A week ago, eight U.S. troops were killed at a base near Kamdesh, a town near Wanat. There's no immediate evidence of weapons failures at Kamdesh, but the circumstances were eerily similar to the Wanat battle: insurgents stormed an isolated stronghold manned by American forces stretched thin by the demands of war.
Army Col. Wayne Shanks, a military spokesman in Afghanistan, said a review of the battle at Kamdesh is under way. "It is too early to make any assumptions regarding what did or didn't work correctly," he said.
Complaints about the weapons the troops carry, especially the M4, aren't new. Army officials say that when properly cleaned and maintained, the M4 is a quality weapon that can pump out more than 3,000 rounds before any failures occur.
The M4 is a shorter, lighter version of the M16, which made its debut during the Vietnam war. Roughly 500,000 M4s are in service, making it the rifle troops on the front lines trust with their lives.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a leading critic of the M4, said Thursday the Army needs to move quickly to acquire a combat rifle suited for the extreme conditions U.S. troops are fighting in.
U.S. special operations forces, with their own acquisition budget and the latitude to buy gear the other military branches can't, already are replacing their M4s with a new rifle.
"The M4 has served us well but it's not as good as it needs to be," Coburn said.
Battlefield surveys show that nearly 90 percent of soldiers are satisfied with their M4s, according to Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, head of the Army office that buys soldier gear. Still, the rifle is continually being improved to make it even more reliable and lethal.
Fuller said he's received no official reports of flawed weapons performance at Wanat. "Until it showed up in the news, I was surprised to hear about all this," he said.
The study by Douglas Cubbison of the Army Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., hasn't been publicly released. Copies of the study have been leaked to news organizations and are circulating on the Internet.
Cubbison's study is based on an earlier Army investigation and interviews with soldiers who survived the attack at Wanat. He describes a well-coordinated attack by a highly skilled enemy that unleashed a withering barrage with AK-47 automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
The soldiers said their weapons were meticulously cared for and routinely inspected by commanders. But still the weapons had breakdowns, especially when the rifles were on full automatic, which allows hundreds of bullets to be fired a minute.
The platoon-sized unit of U.S. soldiers and about two dozen Afghan troops was shooting back with such intensity the barrels on their weapons turned white hot. The high rate of fire appears to have put a number of weapons out of commission, even though the guns are tested and built to operate in extreme conditions.
Cpl. Jonathan Ayers and Spc. Chris McKaig were firing their M4s from a position the soldiers called the "Crow's Nest." The pair would pop up together from cover, fire half a dozen rounds and then drop back down.
On one of these trips up, Ayers was killed instantly by an enemy round. McKaig soon had problems with his M4, which carries a 30-round magazine.
"My weapon was overheating," McKaig said, according to Cubbison's report. "I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn't charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down."
The soldiers also had trouble with their M249 machine guns, a larger weapon than the M4 that can shoot up to 750 rounds per minute.
Cpl. Jason Bogar fired approximately 600 rounds from his M-249 before the weapon overheated and jammed the weapon.
Bogar was killed during the firefight, but no one saw how he died, according to the report.

American Legion Praises “Cure” for Late VA Budgets

2009-10-09T05:23:00.001-07:00

More Info
House passes H.R. 1016 by a vote of 419-1

WASHINGTON (Oct. 8, 2009) - The American Legion's National Commander, Clarence Hill, has praised the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. This measure would provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with advance appropriations each fiscal year to begin on October 1, whether the rest of the annual Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations have been signed into law or not. "This action is unprecedented at this funding level," said Hill. "Although The American Legion deeply appreciated the significant increases in VA's overall appropriations in recent years, not knowing when the funds would arrive made managing the VA health care system a major challenge." The goal of advance appropriations is to make sure VA medical care funding is timely, predictable, and sufficient. "It will still require a great deal of work on our part to make sure the annual appropriations will be sufficient," Hill said. "As Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom continue, this nation has a moral, ethical and legal obligation to care for the men and women placed in harm's way, but we cannot meet these new health care challenges by asking veterans of previous conflicts to move aside in order to provide timely healthcare access to the newest generation of wartime veterans."

In 1996, the VA health care system made a significant transition into the "best care anywhere" as cited by Phillip Longman in his book Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care is Better Than Yours . "Clearly, every federal dollar invested in VA health care is providing the most cost-effective, quality health care in the nation," Hill said. "Many health care experts agree, the VA health care system is the role model for the rest of the health care industry." Advance appropriations will help allow VA health care professionals to achieve both short and long-range management decisions without wondering if "the check is in the mail."

Representative Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, offered the following statement on the occasion of the bill's passage: "Today, the House of Representatives took action to respond to years of chronic underfunding of VA medical care. Over the last 23 years, 20 VA budgets have been passed late - and our veterans pay the price with fewer doctors, longer waiting times, and more restricted access for the 6 million veterans using VA health care. Again this year, the VA is forced to rely on funding from a continuing resolution, even though the House acted in a timely fashion and passed the FY 2010 VA spending bill in July. Members of the Committee have worked closely with veteran service organizations to pass this landmark bill and guarantee that our veterans have access to comprehensive, quality health care."

Public Hearing about Proposed Construction of Affordable Housing for At-Risk & Formerly Homeless Veterans

2009-10-08T12:47:00.001-07:00

Veterans, their family members and the local community are invited to attend a Public Hearing sponsored by the VA Maryland Health Care System to discuss a proposal for the construction of affordable housing for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans at the Perry Point VA Medical Center. The Public Hearing is being held on Thursday, October 8, 2009, at 7 p.m. in the Theatre (Building 314) at the Perry Point VA Medical Center.

Representatives from the VA Maryland Health Care System and the VA's Office of Asset Enterprise Management will provide an overview of the proposal to lease approximately 13.8 acres of unused land on the campus to a non-profit organization or private company for the development of affordable housing for at-risk and formerly homeless veterans.

Following the presentation, veterans and local community members will be invited to ask questions and provide comments about the proposed project.

War Memorials and the Constitution

2009-10-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

War Memorials and the Constitution: Does the First Amendment really prohibit a cross on public land? By TED CRUZ AND KELLY SHACKELFORD

At Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., the Argonne Cross was erected to honor our fallen World War I soldiers. If you stand at the foot of that memorial, you cannot help but be moved by the sacrifices so many brave souls have made for our nation.

You will similarly feel deep admiration if you cast your eyes on row upon row of white crosses and Stars of David at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France. Both fulfill the central purpose of our war memorials: They cause us to reflect on the sacrifices of American patriots.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Salazar v. Buono, a case that will determine the fate of another moving monument to our fallen soldiers—a 75-year-old veterans' memorial located on public land in the vast Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, Calif.

The Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial, a seven-foot metal cross, was erected in 1934 by World War I veterans to honor their fallen brethren. In 2001, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued to have the memorial taken down. The reason? The ACLU claims that the mere presence of the cross within the 1.6 million acre national preserve runs afoul of the Constitution, because it is effectively a religious symbol.

Judge Robert J. Timlin of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California agreed with that claim, and ordered that the cross be covered up while the case was on appeal. So now a memorial dedicated to those who fought tyranny and oppression is hidden from view by a plywood box.

This case is part of a disturbing pattern. Like lawsuits seeking to stop the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited each morning in our public schools or to remove "In God We Trust" from our currency, the ACLU's argument in Salazar v. Buono is based on a misconception of the Constitution—that the government must be hostile to religion.

Far more is at stake than a single memorial. If the Supreme Court allows this cross to be destroyed, it could presage the destruction of thousands of similar memorials nationwide, inflicting sorrow on millions of Americans, especially veterans and their families.

The theory being advanced by the ACLU is that no religious symbol can be allowed on public land. That is a radical notion that is contrary to the text of the Constitution, to the original understanding of the Framers, and to how the Supreme Court has long interpreted the First Amendment's prohibition on the establishment of a religion.

The Constitution prohibits government from favoring one religion over another, but it does not compel hostility to faith. For example, the Supreme Court ruled in Marsh v. Chambers (1983) that it was constitutional to open a legislative session with a prayer. Chief Justice Warren Burger, writing for the majority, explained:

"To invoke Divine guidance on a public body entrusted with making the laws is not, in these circumstances, an 'establishment' of religion or a step toward establishment; it is simply a tolerable acknowledgment of beliefs widely held among the people of this country."
Likewise, in Lynch v. Donnelly (1984) the Court observed that "[o]ur history is replete with official references to the value and invocation of Divine guidance."

The Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial, like other war memorials, reflects the respect and gratitude due our honored dead. The men and women who have died defending our country gave their last measure of devotion to preserve our right to free speech and religious expression. They deserve our honor and admiration—not a plywood box marring their memory.

War memorials embody the very best traditions of our nation. In 1787, the U.S. Constitution was written to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." With the case it will hear today, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to preserve this promise.

Messrs. Cruz and Shackelford represent the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the American Ex-Prisoners of War as amici curiae in Salazar v. Buono.

Free Flu Shots Available for Enrolled Veterans

2009-10-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

To receive a flu shot, you must be enrolled in the VA healtcare system. Here is a link to enroll for VA medical health benefits. We should be encouraging our veterans to enroll in the Va healthcare system, even if they do not receive care now. If they ne ed services in the future, they will already be in the system. Please forward as necessary. https://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/

Free Flu Shots Available for Enrolled Veterans Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:23:19 -0400

Influenza is more than a bad cold; it is a serious disease. Thirty-sixthousand people die from the flu every year. Influenza can causepneumonia, and is especially dangerous for the elderly and people withchronic diseases. The VA recommends that all veterans aged 50 or over,and those with long term medical conditions or weakened immune systems,receive the flu vaccine annually. All of our primary care clinicsthroughout the VA Maryland Health Care System are currently providingfree flu shots. You do not need an appointment to receive a free flushot, just visit your local VA facility during the days/hours listed below. The flu shots are only available for veterans enrolled with theVA Maryland Health Care System.

Walk-In Flu Shot Clinics:

Baltimore VA Primary Care Clinic, 10 N. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD:Monday - Friday from 8 am - 4 pm
Baltimore VA Lobby Clinic, 10 N. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD: Monday- Friday from 8 am - 3 pm
Perry Point VA Primary Care Clinic, Perry Point, MD: Monday - Friday from 8 am - 3:30 pm
Glen Burnie VA Clinic, 808 Landmark Drive, Suite 128, Glen Burnie, MD:Monday - Friday 8am - Noon and 1 pm - 3 pm
Fort Howard VA Clinic, 9600 North Point Road, Fort Howard, MD: Monday -Friday from 8 am - 3:30 pm
Loch Raven VA Clinic, 3901 The Alameda, Baltimore, MD: Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - Noon and 1 pm - 3:30 pm
Cambridge VA Clinic, 830 Chesapeake Drive, Cambridge, MD: Monday and Wednesday from Noon - 4 pm, and Friday 9 am - 3 pm
Pocomoke VA Clinic, 101 Market Street, Pocomoke City, MD: Thursdays from 9 am - 3 pm

Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinics:

Perry Point VA Primary Care Clinic Parking Lot, Perry Point, MD: October 3, 2009, from 9 am - 1 pm
Glen Burnie VA Clinic Parking Lot, 808 Landmark Drive, Suite 128, Glen Burnie, MD: October 3, 2009, from 9 am - 12 pm
Loch Raven VA Clinic Parking Lot, 3901 The Alameda, Baltimore, MD: October 10, 2009, from 9 am - 12 pm
Baltimore VA Medical Center Parking Garage, 10 N. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD: October 17, 2009, from 9 am - 1 pm

For general information about the Flu Shot Clinics, please call the FluVaccine Information Line at 1-800-463-6295, ext. 7273. For medical advice, please call the Telephone Care Line 24 hours a day, seven days aweek, by dialing 1-800-865-2441.

Recognizing 8 Signs of Terrorism

2009-10-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano joined Colorado Governor Bill Ritter yesterday to unveil “Recognizing 8 Signs of Terrorism”—a video produced with DHS grant funding designed to educate Colorado citizens about the shared responsibility of recognizing signs of terrorist activity.

“The vigilance of individual citizens is critical to protecting our country from the threat of terrorism,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This video provides essential information on how to identify the warning signs and emphasizes the vital role of such assistance in state and local law enforcement’s counterterrorism efforts.”

“Eight years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it's important to remember the United States is not immune from the atrocities of international terror attacks. Even in Colorado, we need to be prepared to prevent and respond to these types of horrific events,” said Governor Ritter. “Secretary Napolitano’s charge to empower the public with knowledge is a key component in creating prepared and vigilant communities across America. I encourage all Coloradans to see the video ‘Recognizing 8 Signs of Terrorism’ at the CELL because we all have the power to make a difference when we are prepared.”

Under the DHS State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Colorado Office of Homeland Security awarded $30,400 for the creation of the video, which was narrated by John Elway and Kim Christiansen and produced through a partnership between the Colorado Office of Homeland Security, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) and the Center for Empowered Living & Learning (The CELL)—a non-profit institution dedicated to addressing the global threat of terrorism.

The announcement came during Secretary Napolitano’s trip to Denver, where she joined Governor Ritter on a tour of the CELL.

While in Denver, Secretary Napolitano also joined Attorney General Eric Holder, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller and Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske to participate in the National Association of Chiefs of Police Conference.

To view the video, visit www.thecell.org <http://www.thecell.org/> .

VA Staffs Office for Survivors of Vets, Service Members

2009-09-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Shinseki: “Voice of Survivors” Will Strengthen Existing Programs

WASHINGTON -- To strengthen the programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the survivors of the nation’s Veterans and military personnel, the Department has staffed an office to serve as their advocate, with a charter that includes creating or modifying programs, benefits and services.

“Taking care of survivors is as essential as taking care of our Veterans and military personnel,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said. “By taking care of survivors, we are honoring a commitment made to our Veterans and military members.”

The office serves as the primary advisor to the secretary on all issues affecting the survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans and service members. It will monitor VA’s delivery of benefits to survivors, make appropriate referrals to VA offices for survivors seeking benefits and explore innovative ways of reaching survivors who are not receiving the VA benefits for which they are eligible.

VA benefits for eligible survivors include educational assistance, home loan guaranties, health care insurance and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, a monthly payment to the survivors of some people who die on active duty and some seriously disabled Veterans.
More than 554,000 spouses, dependents and other survivors of Veterans are receiving VA benefits. That figure includes nearly 5,000 spouses of World War I Veterans, 90 spouses and 94 children of Spanish-American War Veterans, and two children of Civil War Veterans.

The establishment of this office was authorized in the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008.

The American Legion aids in G.I. Bill financial relief effort

2009-09-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

VA to issue emergency checks to veteran students awaiting benefits

WASHINGTON (September 26, 2009) – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says it is preparing to issue checks of up to $3,000 to students awaiting overdue Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki made the announcement Friday night in the wake of reports from The American Legion and other veterans’ service organizations that some students are experiencing undue financial hardships as the result of delays in the reception of G.I. Bill benefit checks. Some students, it is reported, have been forced to borrow money or take on extracurricular work to pay tuition, fees and other educational expenses while they await their newly implemented benefits. The emergency checks will be made available to eligible students through VA regional offices beginning October 1, according to Secretary Shinseki’s office.

“It is heartening to see the Secretary and his department responding so swiftly and decisively to this unfortunate situation,” said National Commander Clarence E. Hill of The American Legion. “This is a brand new benefits program, instituted just weeks ago, so some startup glitches are to be expected,” he continued, “but the VA’s willingness to rectify the problem should be applauded. As I said earlier this week, our veteran students should be free to concentrate on their studies rather than be worried by financial burdens. Secretary Shinseki has echoed my sentiment.

“The American Legion offers its extensive outreach services in implementing the emergency student relief program,” continued Hill. “We are ready to help students apply for and obtain the benefits they deserve.”

Post 9/11 G.I. Bill students can contact The American Legion directly for assistance with educational benefits questions and issues at 202-263-2995 or by sending an email to the vice president of the National Association of Veterans’ Program Administrators at askvalerie@legion.org

The American Legion has created a website, www.mygibill.org, to aid veterans in understanding and applying for their benefits under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill.

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

VA Patient Care Scam

2009-09-21T06:43:00.001-07:00

The VA has received reports that veterans are being contacted by a "Patient Care Group" that claims it is helping to administer the VA's prescription medicine program. "Patient Care Group" is saying the VA recently changed its pharmacy billing procedures, therefore a personal credit card number is now required for prescription payments in advance of filling those prescriptions.

This is a scam! Do not provide credit card information over the phone to anyone who claims to represent the VA! The VA has not changed their pharmacy procedures, and they do not ask veterans to disclose personal financial information over the phone. If you should receive such a call, do not give them any information.

Tell them you are busy and try to get a name and callback number. Report that information to your local police.

U.S. Senate Passes Resolution making September 16, The American Legion Day

2009-09-11T12:59:00.001-07:00

Congressional Record

U.S. Senate Passes Resolution making September 16, The American Legion Day

THE AMERICAN LEGION DAY -- (Senate - September 10, 2009)
[Page: S9274] GPO's PDF

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 260, which was submitted earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:

A resolution (S. Res. 260) designating September 16, 2009, as ``The American Legion Day.''
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.

Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise to support this legislation I introduced with Senator LINCOLN, Senator COLLINS, and Senator CHAMBLISS, which would officially recognize this Nation's largest veterans' service organization, The American Legion , and its vital role in communities across the Nation, by designating September 16, 2009, as ``The American Legion Day.''

Nothing describes the role of The American Legion more beautifully than its preamble to its constitution which is recited by its members at the beginning of every official meeting.

For God and Country, we associated ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the Master of Might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to Posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

I think we all would agree that these are extremely lofty goals for any organization, but amazingly The American Legion continues to work towards these objectives--not for themselves, but for America .

Most people are surprised to learn that The American Legion was actually founded in Paris , France . You see World War I veterans remembered the challenges facing other wartime veterans from previous generations and vowed not to let their fellow comrades face the same hardships, especially those with service-connected disabilities. They were concerned with employment opportunities for returning combat veterans. They were concerned about the survivors of combat veterans who had paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. They were concerned about medical care for the wounded and ill returning service members.

Now, as at its founding, The American Legion remains focused on supporting military service members and their families. Since December, The American Legion's Operation Comfort Warrior raised over $170,000 to buy merchandise for Wounded Warriors in military treatment centers around the country. The American Legion also established the ``Heroes to Hometowns'' program which helps local communities prepare ``welcome home'' events when wounded warriors are finally released from military or veterans' affairs medical centers. Since the first Gulf War, The American Legion has maintained its Family Support Network which assists deployed service members and their families, especially members of the National Guard and Reserves. Some requests are for financial assistance, but other requests are simply for household chores, such as lawn work or car maintenance, that would normally be done by the soldier, sailor, airmen, Marine, were they not deployed. No request is too large or too small.

Many Legionnaires can be found in public schools on Veterans' Day or Memorial Day talking about their military service in periods of armed conflict to make sure the next generation of Americans understands the sacrifices and hardships of previous generations of wartime veterans. Legionnaires also teach students about the proper display and care of the Flag of the United States .

The American Legion works closely with the American Red Cross--the largest organization of blood donors and a working partner in disaster assistance. Many American Legion Posts serve as Red Cross and FEMA work centers in areas hit by natural disasters.

The American Legion is also proud of its membership's spirit of volunteerism. Each year, Legionnaires volunteer over a million hours of services in VA and military medical facilities, State veterans' homes, and other such community volunteer opportunities.

And one of the most solemn of functions is providing burial details for fallen comrades of every generation. The American Legion Color Guards, Buglers and Rifle Squads perform thousands of burials in veterans' and private cemeteries around the Nation.

As all of us in this chamber know, The American Legion remains today an active and vigorous advocate for service members, veterans and their families here on Capitol Hill. Among its greatest legislative achievements was the enactment of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, the GI Bill of Rights. The initial draft of the GI Bill was written by Legionnaires at the Mayflower Hotel here in Washington , DC . Many consider the GI Bill as one of the greatest pieces of legislation ever enacted.

Congress presented The American Legion its Federal charter on September 16, 1919; therefore, I think it only fitting that we proclaim September 16, 2009, ``The American Legion Day.'' I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this well-earned measure, demonstrating our mutual esteem and reverence for this outstanding organization.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 260) was agreed to.

SENATE RESOLUTION 260--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 16, 2009, AS ``THE AMERICAN LEGION DAY'' -- (Senate - September 10, 2009)
[Page: S9269] GPO's PDF

Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mrs. Lincoln, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Chambliss) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

S. Res. 260
Whereas, on September 16, 1919, Congress issued to the American Legion a Federal charter as a wartime veterans service organization;

Whereas the American Legion remains active in communities at the national, State, and local levels;

Whereas members of the American Legion (commonly referred to as ``Legionnaires'') provide millions of hours of volunteer service to medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and State homes for veterans throughout the United States ;

Whereas the American Legion continues to sponsor activities for children and youth, including the National Oratorical Contest, Boy Scouts, American Legion Baseball, Boys State, and Boys Nation;

Whereas the American Legion awards millions of dollars in college scholarships to young men and women;

Whereas the American Legion National Emergency Fund provides financial assistance to Legionnaires displaced by natural disasters;

Whereas the American Legion Family Support Network provides assistance to members of the Armed Forces of the United States and their families;

Whereas the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation has provided millions of dollars to programs focused on youth in the United States , including the Special Olympics and the Children's Miracle Network;

Whereas the American Legion Temporary Financial Assistance provides grants to veterans with children experiencing financial hardships;

Whereas the American Legion remains second to none in steadfast support of strong national defense;

Whereas the American Legion supports maintaining a viable and principled foreign relations agenda;

Whereas the American Legion is a staunch advocate for the principal missions of the Department of Veterans Affairs;

Whereas the American Legion wrote the original draft of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 284, chapter 268), commonly referred to as the ``G. I. Bill of Rights'';

Whereas the American Legion continues to support employment programs and opportunities for veterans; and

Whereas Legionnaires believe that a veteran's service to the United States continues long after the veteran is honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States : Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate designates September 16, 2009, as ``The American Legion Day''.

The American Legion leader outlines priority items for Congress

2009-09-11T08:18:00.003-07:00

WASHINGTON (Sept. 10, 2009 ) - The newly elected leader of The American Legion has spelled out the veterans service organization’s seven leading priorities for Congress.

National Commander Clarence E. Hill, just two weeks into his one-year term, testified before a joint session of the U.S. House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees this morning, succinctly outlining the Legion’s continuing concern over funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs , VA’s huge caseload backlog and the fate of VA medicine in light of impending changes in the nation’s health care system.

Hill submitted 40 pages of written testimony to committee members, but also offered a few minutes of oral testimony in a packed Cannon House Office Building caucus room. Among the hundreds witnessing the commander’s testimony were Legion leaders from across the nation who had made an annual pilgrimage to Washington to visit their congressional representatives as well as a contingent of wounded warriors from nearby Walter Reed Army Medical Center whose presence inspired two standing ovations.

Hill summarized his brief remarks by declaring seven “priority items” for congressional consideration. These included what he called “timely, predictable and sufficient” appropriations “to support the Department of Veterans Affairs’ delivery of quality health care to the nation’s veterans.” The commander also reiterated the Legion’s argument that VA health care be kept autonomous and not rolled into any national health care plan.

Hill also urged passage of twin House and Senate bills that would enable Medicare reimbursement to the VA for medical treatment of eligible veterans, plus improved screening of and treatment for traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder.

The Legion commander also urged changes in the newly enacted Post 9/11 G.I. Bill that would expand financial aid to include veterans who wish to pursue vocational and trade school educational opportunities rather than just those presented in colleges and universities. He also encouraged improved regulation of the Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) and Disabled Veterans’ Outreach (DVOP) programs at the state level to help bolster employment opportunities for veterans.

An oft-repeated topic of discussion during the commander’s testimony was the huge backlog of unprocessed and partially processed VA disability claims. Some sources say the number of claims in the backlog now approach one-million. The Legion leader said that improved training and retention of case workers, plus the institution of measures to, as he put it, “get it right the first time,” thus avoiding repeated and extensive processing of claims, will help free the logjam. Hill and the Legion drew praise for offering solutions to the vexing problem, rather than simply express alarm about it.

Praise was also offered by committee members to each other for their largely bipartisan efforts to address the needs of the nation’s military veterans. The most passionate statement in this regard was made by Bernie Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont. “I voted against the war in Iraq,” he proclaimed, “but no matter whether you favor a war or oppose it, it is wrong to blame those who put on the uniform.” His comment elicited loud applause. Testimony is presented annually to lawmakers by The American Legion’s national commander shortly after Congress reconvenes in its fall session.

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Post 295 Raffle Winner

2009-08-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

The raffle to support wounded warriors ended today at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair ended with two winners being selected.

The winners have been contacted but they have not yet selected their prize. When they have selected their prizes we will publish the information.

MC AG Fair Chairman Steve Olcott selected the winners.

VA Scraps Current Developer and Plan after Lengthy Delays

2009-08-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

(Fort Howard, MD) – After lengthy delays, the Department of Veterans Affairs just announced it has terminated the current plan to develop a veteran’s facility at Fort Howard in Baltimore County. Team Maryland, including Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith (D-MD), support the VA’s search for a new developer committed to creating a high-quality, affordable community for Maryland veterans and their families.

Fort Howard Senior Housing Associates LLC, the developer, broke ground more than three years ago. The first phase of the $180 million public-private partnership for the continuing care retirement community geared toward Maryland veterans was slated to be complete this year. Construction has stalled after disagreements over cost, size, and local transportation needs.

“We have a sacred trust with the veterans who serve our country so we may live in freedom. Part of that sacred trust is making sure we provide them with the services and support they need and deserve,” said Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). “Preserving land for veterans shows Maryland’s vets that America is with them. That’s why I will continue the fight to ensure that Fort Howard is developed in a way that is valuable to veterans and favorable to the surrounding community.”

"I am committed to working with the VA and prospective developers to provide our aging veterans with a care facility that will meet their needs,” said Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Budget Committee. “Our veterans were there when we needed them and now it's time for us to be there to help them meet the challenges of aging.”

“Maryland veterans risked their lives for their country. They deserve a first-rate, reasonably priced facility that will be an integral part of the community and a good neighbor to the area. I look forward to working together with our local, state, and federal partners to redevelop this area in a positive way that doesn’t negatively impact existing communities,” said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “From the War of 1812 where Marylanders fought off the British to Fort Howard’s role as a VA Hospital until it closed in 2002, Fort Howard has been an important piece of Maryland history. Maryland veterans deserve to enjoy this facility with its gorgeous views of the Patapsco River and its proud past.

"I am hopeful that the Veteran's Administration will be able to reach an agreement with a new developer for the Fort Howard project in the near future," stated Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith (D-MD). "I am confident that there are developers who will be able to work with the community and Baltimore County to create a quality living environment for our veterans who have done so much for their country."

VA Launches 10-Year Health Study of Recent Veterans

2009-08-05T08:07:00.001-07:00

In summer 2009 the Department of Veterans Affairs is launching one of the largest scientific research studies ever undertaken on the health of recent Veterans - the "National Health Study for a New Generation of U.S. Veterans." Findings from this questionnaire-based study of 60,000 Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere will provide insight on the long-term health of these Veterans.

Additional information can be found at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/research/epidemiology/newgenerationhealthstudy

Legion salutes ‘ California fix’ to new GI Bill

2009-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

The last FIX is to allow retirees who qualify to transfer their benefits to thier children. Right now only active duty may do so. ~ Bob

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 5, 2009) – The best veterans benefit in a generation just got better, said the head of the nation’s largest veterans service organization, American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein.

“The new GI Bill is making it possible for today’s veterans and family members to obtain the higher education that they so richly deserve,” Rehbein said. “But even though this bill, made possible through the advocacy efforts of The American Legion and others, goes a long way toward expressing the gratitude this nation has toward its heroes, there were some inequities that needed to be corrected. The solution reached between California and VA is a step in the right direction.”

Rehbein was referring to disparities in the benefit caused by the wide ranging tuition rates found in different states. The Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefit authorizes VA to pay the actual tuition and fees charged by a university up to the maximum in-state tuition and fees charged by the most expensive public university in the state. California state schools, however, charge little or no tuition, but instead label the cost as “fees.” The result of this semantic difference was that students attending private schools in California would receive a far smaller benefit than those attending private schools in other states.

The VA and California resolved the issue yesterday by allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to accept a new California billing line item “Educational Fee / Tuition” to meet the requirements.

“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important part of fulfilling our promise to the men and women who have served our country so honorably,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said. “This solution will allow all veterans who want to attend a California school the same benefits as any other veterans across the nation.”

Moreover, veterans at more than 1,100 private colleges, universities and schools across the country can benefit from the “Yellow Ribbon” program, which helps pay the difference between the highest in-state public school tuition rate and the cost of the private institution. The Yellow Ribbon schools agree to pay up to 50 percent of those expenses and VA will match the additional funding for students using the GI Bill.

Rehbein, who met with President Obama yesterday, said he is pleased that the president is taking an inclusive approach to using the GI Bill. Currently, National Guard members mobilized under “Title 32” state orders do not enjoy the same GI Bill benefits offered to their counterparts mobilized under federal orders.

“My general philosophy is that somebody who served in uniform on behalf of our safety and security, they should be eligible,” Obama said. “We want to be inclusive rather than exclusive. We want to encourage more people to use the program rather than less.”

The American Legion’s strong support of GI Bill benefits is nothing new. It was a past national commander of The American Legion, Harry W. Colmery, who wrote the original Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. As modern day tuition rates soared, The American Legion wanted today’s veterans to enjoy the same benefits as their predecessors. The Legion was the leading champion for ushering the new GI Bill through Congress.

“Passing this historic new GI Bill into law could not have happened without the dedicated efforts of The American Legion,” Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Rep. Chet Edwards said at the time.

Rehbein said that The American Legion will continue to advocate for greater equity and inclusiveness in the distribution of GI Bill benefits. He recommended that veterans contact The American Legion if they have questions about their benefits or visit www.mygibill.org .

“Whenever there is a program of this scope, there will be glitches,” Rehbein said. “This GI Bill, however, is a result of support from the grassroots, advocacy from The American Legion, and Congress doing the right thing. We are grateful for the agreement reached between VA and California . It’s now time to address any other inequities that exist.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

VA healthcare will not be endangered by national system, says President Obama

2009-08-04T11:11:00.001-07:00

Promise made during private meeting with National Commander of The American Legion

WASHINGTON (Aug. 4, 2009) – President Obama, meeting privately with the leader of nation’s largest veterans service organization this morning, pledged to keep the medical care system administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs essentially as is – quelling fears that VA healthcare would be absorbed into a national health care system.

“(I) got his very strong assurance the VA as our veterans know it will continue to exist,” said National Commander David K. Rehbein. “It will not be diluted or folded into some sort of national system and that the folks who go to the VA…that will be considered their insurance, so any insurance requirements (will be met) simply by being enrolled in the VA.”

Another topic discussed during the one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office was Medicare reimbursement to the VA, a proposal long championed by The American Legion. This proposed practice would require Medicare to pay for care provided at Department VA medical facilities to Medicare beneficiaries – that is, eligible veterans over the age of 65 with non-service related injuries, illnesses and conditions. Currently, Medicare is precluded by statute from doing this.

“Medicare reimbursement to VA would be a boon to veterans in that it would encourage them to take advantage of what we consider the best care anywhere,” said Rehbein. It would also generate much-needed revenue for the VA.” The “Medicare VA Reimbursement Act of 2009” resulted from a discussion Rehbein had with House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) at the Legion’s DC headquarters just three weeks ago. “I am pleased that Chairman Filner visited with us and then took prompt action,” Rehbein said.

Obama and Rehbein also discussed the positive effects that the enhanced educational benefits contained within the newly enacted and American Legion-pioneered Post 9/11 GI Bill will have on the veterans community and the nation as a whole.

The vexing problem of a dramatically growing backlog of VA benefits claims was also considered by the two. Rehbein said he feels the president “fully appreciates” its gravity and will do what he can to aid in its solution.

Rehbein, obviously pleased with the meeting’s outcome, characterized the 25-minute White House chat as “very friendly…conversational in style” in which “issues were discussed rather than positions being presented.”

With a current membership of 2.5 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.
A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Rehbein is available at www.legion.org.

New Paid Up For Life Program

2009-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

*** Applications under the old pay scale must be received by August 15th to ensure processing.

New Paid-Up-For-Life (PUFL) Program Effective October 1, 2009 and Procedural Changes
The Paid-Up-For-Life (PUFL) program changed as a result of National Executive Committee Resolution 8 passed during the Spring Meetings, May 6-7, 2009 (copy attached). See the attached PUFL brochure for the new rate chart and the new required forms for all new PUFL applications.

New rates are effective October 1, 2009. All PUFL applications being submitted at the current rates must be received at National by September 1, 2009. This gives time to process the applications under the current system before the new rates go into effect. No PUFL applications will be accepted on the old forms after the September 1st cut-off.

The Time Payment Plan, which currently allows up to 12 months to pay, has been extended to a 36-month payment period. This is a big benefit of the new plan. The rate chart on the application has been changed to show monthly payment amounts instead of the full payment due.

Instead of the 10% minimum deposit that is currently required, the member must only include the first month's payment, as noted on the rate chart. If the member chooses to pay more than the minimum deposit, the remaining balance will be divided into 35 additional payments, which will decrease the amount of the monthly payment. National will continue to forward payment coupons to the member once the application has been accepted and processed. A new option has been added to give the member the opportunity for automatic monthly credit card billing.
Members may still pay the full amount at the time of application. To calculate the total cost of a PUFL membership, the member (or post officer) will need to find the monthly payment on the rate chart and multiply it by 36. PLEASE NOTE: The total fee must be entered on the front of the application, regardless of whether the member is paying in full or choosing the Time Payment Plan.

Beginning October 1, 2009, all PUFL applications must be accompanied by a copy of the member's separation form (DD214 or similar) or a copy of their current active duty military identification. If neither is available, provide a brief explanation and include a copy of the member's current driver's license. The PUFL application will not be processed if eligibility documentation is not provided and will be returned to the Department Headquarters for resolution.

Member's who choose to participate in the Time Payment Plan must complete the Participation Agreement on the back of the application. Any forms received without a signature will be returned to the department for correction. This new form is procedural change from the current system.

Your Department will be shipped a supply of the new PUFL brochures for immediate use as soon as they are received from the printers. In addition all the forms will also be on www.legion.org by August 7th. Also next week, we will forward a computer fill-in form to you for your use. We ask that you use all available means of communication to publicize the impending changes and the cut-off day of September 1st, as well as the October 1st effective date of the new application and rates.

We understand that these are fairly significant changes but they're necessary in order to keep the PUFL program viable.

Hosts with the most: Post 295

2009-07-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by James Peters | Staff Writer Gazette.net

Hosts with the most: Post 295

Legion team focuses on more than just defending title

As host of the 2009 Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament, Gaithersburg Post 295 manager Rick Price found himself with many more duties than just defending his program's state championship.

The event began Friday and was to conclude with Tuesday's championship game, which ended too late to be included in this edition. But before the first pitch was thrown at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, Price knew all the extra work was worth it.

"It's exciting for me," said Price. "The first morning, the first two teams walked in — Wicomico [Post 64] and LaPlata [Post 82] — and the kids' eyes light up. They were excited to play on the field. I knew then this was the right place. It made the tournament for me. I think they're having a blast. How often do you get to play on an ACC field?"

Post 295, the only American Legion Post to host a Maryland state tournament without its own home field, secured Shipley with the cooperation of the former Terrapins baseball staff. That commitment was upheld despite a coaching change from Terry Rupp to Erik Bakich, who has since offered Shipley Field on a permanent basis.

"The ex-coach, Terry Rupp, was the first one to get it started and Jeremy Menna [Maryland's Director of Grounds] has done the leg work for the whole tournament," Price said.

The whole Post 295 community has also chipped in to help run the five-day, eight-team tournament. Players' parents help manage the concession stand and ticket sales each day, going late into the night because of rain and lengthy games.

Sharing the day-to-day operations duties with Price is Montgomery County Commander Bob Ouellette of Post 295. Ouellette produced the tournament program, announced lineups for most games and used his grill to cook up hot dogs for the concession stand.

"To be able to host two state tournaments in a relatively short time [the other in 2003 at Shirley Povich field] is a pretty big honor," Ouellette said. "They felt well enough of us to allow us to have it again. … The hardest thing is getting people out to volunteer their time, but we're very appreciative of those volunteers that have come out for the tournament."

Besides concession and ticket duties, Gaithersburg Post 295 is also responsible for housing and feeding teams from 50 miles or more away, in this case, Wicomico Post 64 and Cumberland Post 13.

As part of the festivities, former Washington Senators Jim Coates and Chuck Hinton threw out the first pitch before Post 295's game against Gaithersburg Post 104 on Friday night.

Coates pitched for the New York Yankees from 1956-1962. The '56 team, which defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers for the World Series title, included Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto and Don Larsen. Hinton played 11 years for the Senators, Cleveland Indians and California Angels.

Gaithersburg Post 295 received a temporary charter on April 15, 1983, and that same year, Price began the baseball program. Post 295 earned permanent status on December 7, 1984, and captured its first county championship in 1990. Gaithersburg has since won nine county crowns and three state championships, in 2003, '04 and '08.

Defending champions dethroned

2009-07-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by James Peters | Staff Writer

Defending champions dethroned

Gaithersburg Post 295's reign as the Maryland State American Legion champions came to an end Monday afternoon.

Trailing 6-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Mount Airy Post 191 rallied for four runs en route to an 8-6 victory at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, ending defending champion Gaithersburg's 2009 campaign.

Mount Airy will now face Gaithersburg Post 104 in Tuesday's final. Post 191 is undefeated in the tournament, and Post 104 (21-11) will have to beat it twice to win the state crown. The first game is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday, to be followed by a second if needed.

Post 295, the Montgomery Division champions, finished the season with a 28-7 record.

"It was just a matter of time before they got some timely hits and put some runs up there," Gaithersburg manager Rick Price said. "They're a good hitting team; that's what good hitting teams do. They eventually get you."

After seven solid innings of pitching from Tyler Klitsch, just back from vacation, Price handed the ball to reliever Brian Black in the bottom of the eighth with Post 295 up a pair of runs. Leadoff batter Larson Kimble worked a walk to start the inning and then Brian Peuthus tried to bunt him over to second base. Black quickly grabbed the bunt and threw to second in time to get Kimble, but the field umpire called Kimble safe, ruling that shortstop Tyler Ewing was off the bag.

"I just picked up the ball and threw to Tyler," Black said. "It looked like he was definitely there on the base and then he pulled off to look at first. I guess with the cloud of dust and the slide, the umpire just couldn't see his foot on the base. …

"It's just disappointing something like that would hurt our chances. We had chances all game to score runs and get more insurance, but to have their rally started on that kind of play hurts."

Jake Ringold followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Kimble to third and Peuthus to second. Doug Anuszewski then singled to left field to cut the lead to 6-5. Jason Driver, who was hitless on the day, then drove a pitch to left center field after what appeared to be strike three to drive in the tying run. Two batters later, Taylor Henry put Post 191 ahead for good with a two-run single to center field.

The loss diminished a strong outing by Klitsch, who allowed just two earned runs in his seven innings of work. He struck out four and walked two.

"His command was the best it's been all year," Price said. "That's the best hitting team in the tournament, including Frederick [Post 11]. And he held them. He just ran out of gas."

The contest started out in a back-and-forth fashion with Post 295 scoring first in the top of the first inning on a bases-loaded walk by Gary Schneider. Post 11 answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, scoring on a combination of an error, a well-placed bunt single and a fielder's choice.

Gaithersburg rallied for the lead again in the top of the third with four runs, on a Nick Loftus single, a Schneider double and a two-run single by Josh Mendelson. Frederick trimmed the lead to 5-4 with two runs in the third on a two-base error and a single by Alex Anwar.

Post 11 looked poised to add some runs in the fourth with runners on second and third with one out but Anuszewski lined out and Klitsch struck out Driver. Gaithersburg then extended the lead to 6-4 on a single to left field by Ewing that scored Zach Skellchock in the top of the fifth.

Post 295 stranded eight runners in the final five innings and were caught stealing twice.

Deja Vu!

2009-07-26T21:50:00.001-07:00

by James Peters
Staff Writer
After watching Gaithersburg Post 295 overcome sizable deficits during a two-game championship sweep at last weekend’s Montgomery Division tournament, Gaithersburg Post 104 manager Joe Stolz compared his team’s neighborhood rival to Jason, the “Friday the 13th” character for Post 295’s ability to rise time and again from seeming defeat.
When the two teams hooked up again Friday in a first round Maryland State American Legion contest at the University of Maryland’s Shipley Field, the nightmare that is Post 295 haunted Stolz and his squad once again as the host squad turned a 7-2 seventh-inning deficit into an 11-7 victory.

Post 295 (27-5) scored nine times in the seventh inning to turn the five-run deficit into the eventual four-run victory that places it into Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. contest with Frederick Post 11 (31-2), which dismantled Cumberland Post 13, 34-3, in seven innings earlier in the day.
Post 104 (18-11) will now square off against Post 13 at 12:30 p.m. with the loser being bounced from the tournament.

“We just don’t want to go down,” said Post 295 right fielder Matt Civetti, who helped spark the nine-run rally with a two-run single and a pair of runs. “We don’t want to go down to a team that’s so close to us. We just never get up. We just turn on the bats.”
Post 295’s resurrection began against Post 104 ace pitcher Nick Riley, who limited his opponent to just two runs – both coming in the third inning – in his first six innings of work but Post 295 worked a couple of runs against him in the seventh, forcing Stolz to lift him in favor of Mike Linkins.

Stolz said he should have taken Riley out when the first two runners reach base, allowing Linkins to take over with two on and no out and Post 104 still up five runs. Instead, Linkins entered with the bases loaded and one out and was roughed up for seven more runs before getting out of the inning when Gary Schneider was caught stealing at third base.
In between Riley’s departure and the throw out, Post 295 used a bases-loaded walk by Spencer Pearman, two run-scoring singles by Tyler Ewing and Nick Loftus and a pair of two-run hits by Schneider and Civetti to take its first lead of the game.

“When the first two batters got on, I should have taken Riley out,” said Stolz, whose team was also plagued by numerous stranded runners. “His pitch count was near 100. I went out and talked to him and he said he was fine but I should have known better. That was a mistake. I didn’t take him out, out of respect for him and [catcher] Ben [Silverman]. Both said he was strong.”
With the lead, Brian Black pitched three shutout innings in relief to seal the victory. Black relieved Pearman, who allowed two runs in his 3 2/3 innings of work. Pearman had not taken the mound all season but with ace pitcher Jimmy Reed held back for another day of rest and with Gazette Player of the Year Dominique Vattuone out with a broken jaw suffered last weekend when he was hit by a pitch, Pearman was summoned out of center field.

“He told me before the game I would go a few innings,” Pearman said. “My arm was feeling great. I was trying to hold them. I tried to do my job. I threw a bullpen four days ago.”
Like in the teams’ two division championship games, Post 104 opened an early lead, scoring five runs on four run-scoring singles by Tim Riley, Kory Smigocki, Mike Campos and Evan Pappas and a wild pitch thrown by surprise starter Zach Skellchock in the bottom of the first inning. Kenny Beyer opened the game with a double.

Post 104 had a chance to add to that lead in the top of the second, loading the bases with three straight walks with two down but Skellchock was able to get Pappas to flyout to catcher Gary Schneider. It did, however, capitalize on an inning-opening double down the left field line by Mike Murphy in the third inning, however, for a 6-0 lead. Murphy scored the sixth run on a single to right field by Beyer to chase Skellchock in favor of Pearman.

Post 295 finally got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, striking for two runs on three hits, a hit batsman and a fielder’s choice. Ewing and Mike Ryan scored on a single by Loftus and a fielder’s choice groundball hit by Nick Karis with the bases loaded, cutting the deficit to 6-2.
Post 104 loaded the bases in the fifth inning but Pearman struck out Matt Miller looking to end the threat. Pearman almost worked similar magic in the sixth inning, striking out two with runners on second and third. He produced two strikes on Nick Vergelli as well but Vergelli was able to line a shot up the middle for a 7-2 advantage.

“It’s just a rivalry,” Pearman said. “We’ve just to go out there and show them whose better.”

Deja Vu

2009-07-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

“It’s just a rivalry,” Pearman said. “We’ve just to go out there and show them whose better.”

Post 295 juniors also in postseason

2009-07-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 by James Peters Staff Writer Gazette Newspapers

Gaithersburg Post 295's senior American Legion baseball team is not the Post's only program headed for postseason play. The Post 295 Junior Legion squad recently qualified for the National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) 18-and-under wood bat regional tournament, which will be held in Altoona, Pa., Thursday through Sunday.

After struggling to a 7-10 mark to open the summer season, the junior legion squad finished regular season play with a 25-11 record, 21-11 in the Potomac Junior Legion league. The team consists of players from Northwest High, Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley, Poolesville, Washington Christian Academy and Landon.

"Coaching this team was a pure pleasure for me and my coaching staff: Randy Smith, Paul Mattes, and Jason Pak," Post 295 manager Steve Cononie said. "These guys started out slow but finished as strong as any team I have ever coached."

Leading Post 295's offensive attack have been Bobby Donson (.475 average, 21 runs batted in), Nathan Pauley (.395, 17 RBI), Nathan Burford (.352, 15 RBI), Travis Smith (.387, 15 RBI) and Drew Karlin (.356, 16 RBI). Karlin (4-1, 1.38 earned-run average), Donson (3-1, 4.88 ERA) and Matt Cononie (3-0, 3.43 ERA) have anchored the pitching staff.

"To win the NABF regionals, they will need to keep doing everything they have been doing the second two-thirds of the season," Steve Cononie said. "If they continue to hit and the pitchers keep pounding the strike zone, these guys will go far. They play with tons of heart and a refuse-to-lose attitude."

Legion state tourney: Can Post 295 do it again?

2009-07-21T08:47:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, July 21, 2009, by James Peters Staff Writer

As the host of this week's Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, Gaithersburg Post 295 will be in charge of the day-to-day operations. But it had no control over the random pre-tournament pairing draw.
Because of that, the defending state champions will play a familiar foe during Friday's first round: Gaithersburg Post 104, which it played three times last week. Post 295 beat Post 104 twice Sunday to win the Montgomery Division championship.

Post 104 qualified for the state tournament by reaching the final, with Post 295 having automatically secured a spot as host.

"It is a little weird, because it will be the fourth time in a week," said Post 295 pitcher-infielder Zach Skellchock. "They're ready for it, we're ready for it, so let's go out and play."
Added Post 104 manager Joe Stolz: "Going to states is fun … and we'll play them again. These were two competitive, close games and that will be, too."

Friday's contest, the final one slated for the first day, could be a repeat pitching match-up between Post 295 left-hander Jimmy Reed (7-1, 1.62 earned-run average) and Post 104 ace Nick Riley (5-3, 3.32 ERA). Reed went the distance in Sunday's opener, while Riley was lifted after his shutout bid ended in the sixth inning.

"It will be a great experience to get to host it and see what we can do in the state tournament," said Post 295 manager Rick Price.

Post 295 is paced on the mound by Reed, Dominique Vattuone (5-0, 2.78 ERA) and Tyler Klitsch (3-2, 2.33 ERA), and at the plate by Nike Karis (.383 average, 22 runs batted in), Mike Ryan (.378, 15 RBI), Spencer Pearman (.351, 24 RBI) and Matt Civetti (.319, 4 home runs, 24 RBI).
Riley and Mike Linkins (4-1, 4.50 ERA) anchor the Post 104 pitching staff, while Kenny Beyer (.444, 27 runs), Matt Miller (.367, 22 RBI, 35 runs) and Ben Silverman (.337, 29 RBI) are the team's top hitters.

"It's very weird but hey, if we beat them, it's sweet," Post 104 infielder Kory Smigocki said.
The rest of the eight-team state tournament field consists of LaPlata Post 82, Fort Cumberland Post 13, Frederick Post 11 and Mount Airy Post 191.

Two more teams will be involved: The Anne Arundel County champion, Pasadena Post 277 or Severna Park Post 175, and the Eastern Shore champion, Salisbury Post 64 or Queen Anne Post 18/36. Both were involved in games which ended too late to be included in this edition.
Post 11 appears the strongest of the non-Montgomery County teams, having gone 24-0 in district play. It boasts a powerful lineup including Hank Adams (.398, 6 home runs, 33 RBI), Brent DeHaven (.410, 23 RBI, 36 runs), Brady Wilson (.419, 17 extra-base hits, 40 RBI) and Frankie Zier (.462, 38 RBI). It pitches well, too, with arms like Zach Jones (6-1, 3.00 ERA), Nick Meekins (6-0, 5.79 ERA) and Zier (7-0, 3.09 ERA).

- Sandy Spring Post 68 entered the Montgomery Division tournament having won 13 of its final 14 games on-field, but couldn't carry that momentum into the postseason.
Post 68 dropped its only two tournament games to end what was an otherwise strong summer, the second in the team's brief existence.

- Gaithersburg Post 104 used just two pitchers, Nick Riley and Mike Linkins, to reach Sunday's Montgomery Division tournament championship game. But it was forced to use seven hurlers during a double-header sweep at the hands of Gaithersburg Post 295, which won the title by scores of 8-4 and 13-11.

Post 295 repeats history

2009-07-20T11:17:00.001-07:00

Returning state champions win division crown with consecutive rallies over Post 104
by James Peters Staff Writer Gazette.net

The Gaithersburg Post 295 baseball team experienced a touch of déj? vu Sunday afternoon, much to the chagrin of its cross-town rival.
The reigning American Legion state champions topped Gaithersburg Post 104 twice on Sunday, 8-4 and 13-11, to win the Montgomery Division crown at Damascus Regional Park.

Six years ago, Post 295 cruised into the Montgomery Division tournament final assured a spot in the Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament. Regardless, Post 295 recorded a two-game championship sweep of Damascus and used the momentum to capture the state title.

"We don't want to be the team that just gets in because we're the host," said Post 295's Zach Skellchock, who closed out the second contest on the mound while also scoring three runs and driving in one. "We want to get in because we won our county."

Top-seeded Post 295, which is hosting this year's state tournament in College Park, found itself in exactly the same position again Sunday when it squared off with the division's No. 3 seed, which entered the final without a loss in the double-elimination tournament, just like Damascus in 2003.

And just like in 2003, Post 295 rallied from an early deficit in the first game to force a second championship contest that it also came from behind to win. It marked the team's ninth division crown since 1990 and sixth in the last seven years.

"We just wanted to win," said Skellchock, "We didn't feel right losing to them in the first game [a 3-0 Post 104 victory in Thursday's winners' bracket]. We just wanted to come out and beat them in both games and come out and be county champs."

Despite failing to capture the division crown, Post 104 (18-10) also qualified for the state tournament to help round out the eight-team field. It will play Post 295 (25-6) in the first round at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field on Friday.

"It's painful," Post 104 manager Joe Stolz said. "That's all I can say. I thought we had them up 4-0 in the sixth inning [of the first game] but they're like the ghoul in the movie, ‘Friday the 13th;' you can't kill them. It's hard to take."

Led by the pitching of ace hurler Nick Riley and hitting of Mike Campos and Ben Silverman, Post 104 grabbed the early four-run lead. Post 295 ace Jimmy Reed (7-1, 1.62 ERA) cruised through the first three innings, but Post 104 broke through on three straight base hits, including a run-scoring single by Campos for a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles by Sam Buonomo and Silverman pushed the lead to 2-0, then Campos slapped a two-run single in the fifth.
Post 295 came back to take the lead for good and chased Riley from the game in the sixth inning with six runs on five hits and an error. Ten batters came to the plate, with run-scoring hits by Spencer Pearman, Matt Civetti, Nick Loftus and Dominique Vattuone. Gary Schneider then put the game away with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

"It was all hitting," Schneider said. "It was just matter of getting one hit and the team starts rolling. It was definitely a pride thing. We don't want people to say they're already in and they don't deserve to be there."

Post 104 raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second game, capitalizing on two costly errors by Schneider, Post 295's starting hurler, who overthrew first base on two sacrifice bunt attempts. Evan Pappas also successfully worked a suicide squeeze to cap the five-run explosion.
However, Schneider and crew showed resolve with three runs in the top of the second, eventually taking a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Karis led the way with a three-run homer. Post 104 closed to within 12-11 with Skellchock halted the slugfest with a scoreless seventh inning that included a game-ending double play.

"Things just didn't go our way," Post 104 pitcher-infielder Kory Smigocki said. "We started off great but we kind of lost of the intensity. It's tough, but we'll get them back in Friday's state tournament."

Post 295 Sweeps into State Tournament

2009-07-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

After dropping the 2nd game to Post 104 in the County Tournament, Post 295 worked their way through the losers bracket. Post 295 beat, Laurel Post 60 for the opportunity to play Post 104 in the finals. Since Post 295 lost 1 game to Post 104, they needed to win 2 games to be crowned Montgomery County Champions. And that is what they did. Beating Post 104 2 games at Damascus Regional Park.

With Post295 receving an automatic place in the 2009 State Tournament, Post 104 will receive an invitation to the States as Montgomery County's representative. The irony is that Post 104 will meet Post 295 in the opening round on Friday night.

Playing like champions

2009-07-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Daniel Weintraub Special to The Gazette

Defending state-title winner Gaithersburg Post 295 scores 11 unanswered runs en route to playoff victory over Laurel Post 60

After taking a four-run lead in the top of the first inning, underdog Laurel Post 60 seemed poised to pull off a stunning upset over Gaithersburg Post 295, the top seed in the American Legion baseball playoffs.

Minutes later, the defending state champions erased such possibilities.

After allowing a grand slam to third baseman Danny Caddigan, Post 295 starting pitcher Jimmy Reed shut out Post 60 until being taken out after the fifth inning. While Reed buckled down, his offensive support exploded with 11 runs, including a seven-run fourth inning, en route to a 12-8 win.

Post 295 responded quickly to Post 60's early offensive; right fielder Matt Civetti hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. After tying the game in the second on a run-scoring double by designated hitter Mike Ryan, Post 295 blew the game open with seven runs in the fourth, sending 12 batters to the plate. They knocked out Post 60 starter Kevin Kratochwill in the process, with all nine batters reaching with base hits in the rally.

"We hit the ball really well," said Post 295 manager Rick Price. "We have to keep doing what we're doing because we're pretty good when we hit well."

After Caddigan's early grand slam, Post 60 was held scoreless by Post 295 until the sixth inning. In the fourth inning, Reed needed just 14 pitches to strike out the side. After scoring once in the sixth off reliever Daniel Young, Post 60 got a three-run homer from Rob Medoff in the seventh, cutting the lead to four.

Price then yanked Young in favor of Tyler Klitsch, who after surrendering a walk and single, struck out Post 60 left fielder Nick Meyer for the game's final out.

On Thursday, Post 295 (22-5) will face county rival Gaithersburg Post 104 in a game featuring the winners of Tuesday night's two playoff games. Post 104 upset Sandy Spring Post 68, 7-2, at Shirley Povich Field, setting up a playoff-elimination game between Post 68 and Post 60 (14-13).

Montgomery Division playoff field ready to go

2009-07-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by James Peters Staff Writer Gaithersburg Gazete www.gazette.net

The field for the 2009 Montgomery Division American Legion baseball tournament was set this past weekend, as the regular season concluded with a flurry of make-up games. The tournament began Tuesday, too late to be included in this edition, and will conclude Sunday at Damascus Regional Park.

Gaithersburg Post 295 (21-5, 19-5 Montgomery Division) claimed the regular season title. Sandy Spring Post 68 (18-5) secured the No. 2 seed in just its second year of existence.

Gaithersburg Post 104 (16-8) returns to the playoffs as the No. 3 seed after missing postseason play a year ago, while Laurel Post 60 (14-12, 13-11) finished fourth.

Sandy Spring actually bested Post 295 in two out of three games this year and would have grabbed the No. 1 seed with one more win. The team's scheduled game Friday against Cissel Saxon Post 41 (13-11, 11-11) was postponed after umpires failed to arrive, but Post 68 manager
Matt Cangas decided not to make up the game.

That left Sandy Spring one game short of a full slate, and Post 295 in the No. 1 spot.
"We did not have to forfeit the game to Cissel," Cangas said. "I decided not to play the game, since it meant nothing to either team. They were out of contention for a playoff spot and we were already in the second seed."

Sandy Spring closed the season with 13 wins in its final 14 games. Post 41 fell out of playoff contention with seven losses in its final 10. Playoff mainstay Damascus Post 171 finished 11-13.
Tuesday's match-ups consisted of Post 295, the defending division and state champion, hosting Laurel, who lost all three games against Gaithersburg, and Post 68 hosting Post 104, which also fell three times to its first-round opponent. The winners and losers of Tuesday's games will play Thursday.

With Post 295 hosting the Maryland State American Legion tournament at College Park at the end of the month, the Montgomery Division will place two teams in the state tournament. Post 295 automatically qualifies as the host. If it wins the division title, the runner-up will also. If Post 295 stumbles, the division champion will head to the state tournament with Gaithersburg.

Who needs contact? Not Post 295

2009-07-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 26, 2009 by John Y. Wehmueller Staff Writer http://www.gazette.net/

Gaithersburg beats Post 171 10-1 Thursday with strikeouts, walks

When Gaithersburg Post 295 manager Rick Price told him to "get a grip," left-handed pitcher/catcher Gary Schneider listened.

At Price's suggestion, Schneider changed the grip on his two-seam fastball at the beginning of the American Legion baseball season. He used it to great effect Thursday, striking out 10 Damascus

Post 171 batters over five innings in a 10-1 win at Quince Orchard High.

"Coach Price taught it to me about two weeks ago," Schneider said. "Basically, I was holding the ball too hard, and I wasn't getting any movement on it. I loosened my grip, and obviously, it moves a lot now."

Schneider allowed a lone unearned run in the top of the second. With one in, none out and the bases loaded, he worked out of the jam, inducing a shallow pop fly to right before striking out the last two batters of the inning.

He capped his performance by striking out the side, all swinging, in the top of the fifth inning before moving behind the plate for the final two frames. His offense backed him up with patience, patience and more patience.

Post 295 worked seven walks, including the game's first three batters. Catcher John Krahling walked twice and scored twice, the second by proxy thanks to courtesy runner Kyle Skellchock.
Daniel Young reached base in each of his three plate appearances and scored twice. The second time, Spencer Pearman drove him in with a home run over the right field fence for two of his three runs batted in on the day.

Pearman's home run capped a three-run fourth inning that made it 6-1. Post 295 added two insurance runs each in the fifth and sixth frames.

Post 171 matched Gaitherburg's hit total of seven, three courtesy of catcher/pitcher Andrew Osborne. But all seven were singles. Osborne scored the run after singling to lead off the second, moving station-to-station on an Anthony Papio single, a Gary Mullings walk and an error.

Post 295 heads to New York for a tournament this weekend, still in search of its 2008 mojo. Schneider was one of many players to miss time earlier this summer — he made a pilgrimage to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. — but there is still time to come together and defend their state championship.

"That's kind of been the gist of the season; we're trying to punch it back up," Schneider said.

"Last season we got into a rhythm early. But this is still a good team."

Note: Earlier in the day, Post 295 finished a rain-delayed win over Post 171, 12-0.

Legion playoff race heats up in final week

2009-07-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 7, 2009by James Peters Staff Writer Gazette.net

Of the seven teams that comprise the American Legion baseball Montgomery Division, only four can qualify for play in next week's double-elimination tournament.

The winner of that event will be rewarded with a trip to the Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament in College Park.

That means one of the division's better squads will be left out in the cold during the hazy, hot and humid days of summer. Five teams remain in serious contention for those four coveted spots heading into the final week of regular season play.

Gaithersburg Post 295 (16-2), the defending county and state champions, look almost assured a spot, entering this week with a 14-2 division mark. Sandy Spring Post 68, in its second year of existence, finished the week at 12-5 for a solid second place.

After that, however, the race is wide open for the final two spots. Even Post 68's postseason inclusion is not a foregone conclusion, because Sandy Spring plays a rugged schedule to close out the regular season.

Post 68 was to play six games this week, including a pseudo doubleheader with Post 295 on Wednesday. The first game is a continuation of an earlier contest that Post 68 led 2-0 in the third inning.

Below those two teams are Gaithersburg Post 104 (12-7 through Sunday), Laurel Post 60 (13-8, 12-7 Montgomery Division) and Cissel Saxon Post 41 (12-6, 10-6), who are at present vying for the final two spots.

Post 104 and Post 41 were to square off Tuesday in a crucial game for both, as they split their first two meetings. Both Post 104 and Post 41 hold the tiebreaker against Post 60.

Damascus Post 171 (9-13) and Wheaton Post 268 (2-15) reside at the bottom of the standings. Both reached postseason play a year ago.

American Legion baseball: Saratoga Stampede falls to defending Maryland state champs

2009-07-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

By CHRIS PENNAMACOOR
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Three hit batters and some uncharacteristically poor defense doomed the Saratoga Stampede 19U American Legion baseball team as it fell to defending Maryland State champion Gaithersburg Post 295, 8-6, on a rainy Thursday morning at Geyser Park.

The Stampede (14-4) had cruised through the first five innings, holding a 5-3 lead before the wheels came off in the top of the sixth.

The trouble began when relief pitcher Billy McDonough hit the leadoff batter Danny Young on a two-strike pitch. Zack Skellchock entered as a pinch hitter for Post 295 (16-2) and dropped down a bunt single which was followed by McDonough hitting Gary Schneider with a pitch to load the bases with nobody out.

Mike Ryan was up next and hit what appeared to be a tailor-made double play ball to short but Mike Allen’s throw to second went into right field and allowed Young and Skellchock to head home tying the game at five while Schneider took third base to put runners on the corners for Matt Civetti. Civetti drew a walk to load the bases again. Nick Loftus then hit a chopper to first. Erich Lange went to field the ball but it tipped off his glove and rolled away from him allowing Schneider and Ryan to and give Post 295 a 7-5 lead. Civetti scampered into third on the play.

McDonough recorded the first out on a grounder back to the mound by Chris Rados but Brian Black followed by plating Civetti with Post 295’s final run on a ground out to third. After he drilled Tyler Ewing for his third hit batter of the inning, McDonough got Young to end the inning.

While most of the damage done to the Stampede was self-inflicted, Skellchock, who had two hits and stole a base after entering the game in the sixth, credited his team with putting the ball in play.

“We woke up there late in the game,” said Skellchock. “Sometimes it takes us a while to get into a game that starts as early (10 a.m.) as this one.”

Saratoga did get one back in the bottom of the seventh when Shane Matthews doubled to right centerfield scoring Mike Allen who started the inning with a double of his own. The pair combined for five of the team’s nine hits and drove in four runs.

Skellchock, Schneider stepping up for Post 295

2009-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
by James Peters Staff Writer for GAZZETTE.NET

Gaithersburg Post 295 has played with numerous key personnel absences for most of the American Legion baseball season. There has been "Beach Week," other vacations and the inclusion of players at both the Brooks Robinson High School All-Star game and on Team Maryland.

On top of that, left-handed pitcher Mike Ryan has come down with arm troubles that will keep him off the mound for a while.

Despite those losses, Post 295 continued to collect victories and remained in first place in the Montgomery Division with a 14-2 record through the weekend.

Post 295 manager Rick Price credits his team's depth for the sustained success, including a solid performance by Zach Skellchock, who has filled in just about everywhere, including behind the plate and on the mound.

"We have a lot of good people to step in," Price said. "That's the key. I think guys like Skellchock, he's played a lot of positions and pitched for us. He's hit for us. He's thrown a runner out at the plate [from the outfield] and Gary Schneider has pitched two games for us."

Skellchock, through Sunday, had produced a 2-0 record and a 1.70 earned-run average on the mound and was batting .333 with six runs batted in. Schneider, the team's top catcher, has dominated on the mound, going 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA and 18 strikeouts in nine innings. Schneider did not pitch for Georgetown Prep this past spring.

Gaithersburg has also been helped by the play of mainstays Nick Karis (.391, 14 RBI), Spencer Pearman (.370, 14 RBI) and Matt Civetti (.333, 11 RBI).

Post 295 will make its annual trip to New York this week for three games.

- If the playoffs started this week, the other three postseason squads would be Gaithersburg Post 104 (12-4), Sandy Spring Post 68 (8-4) and Cissel Saxon Post 41 (10-4, 8-4 Montgomery Division). Sandy Spring and Post 104 did not qualify for the playoffs last summer, while Damascus Post 171 (6-10) and Wheaton Post 268 (1-10) did.

Damascus and Wheaton resided in the cellar of the league through Sunday while Laurel Post 60, which has a strong offensive crew, was three games behind Cissel Saxon and Sandy Spring in the loss column at 9-7 in league play.

08-09 End of Year Run Down

2009-06-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Post 295 has completed another Legion Year. We have ended the year with 553 Members in the American Legion Members and 67 Members of the Sons of the American Legion. The 2010 Membership card are in and the renewals have begun. Renew before the 28th of July for $25, after the 24th dues will be $30.

Post Commander Bob Ouellette has competed the year as County Commander. He was selected as the Southern Maryland District County Commander of the Year. Bob has also been elected 2nd Vice Commander, Southern Maryland District.

There are many programs available for Legionnaires, from the electric Coop and Sears Commercial services.

With all of these members we really could use more help. So if you are available, please consider helping out. You do not need to make a long term commitment.

Please come out to the American Legion Baseball Tournament. Post 295 is the host post. The games will begin at 9 am, on July 24th at Shipley Field, University of Maryland. We need volunteers for most games but especially the 7 pm game on the 24th, Post 295 will play our opening game against another team from Montgomery County.

See you all next year.

Continuing VA endoscope contamination problem unacceptable, says The American Legion

2009-06-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (June 17, 2009) – The national commander of the nation’s largest veterans service organization is expressing outrage at continuing instances of VA medical personnel exposing their patients to infectious diseases.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (IG) released a report Tuesday detailing a pattern of failure to adhere to cleaning and sterilization procedures involving endoscopic equipment, despite an earlier campaign to rectify the problem. The report, entitled “Healthcare Inspection – Use and Reprocessing of Flexible Fiber optic Endoscopes at VA Medical Facilities” was aired during a House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation hearing. It documented the results of recent, unannounced inspections at 42 Veterans Health Administration facilities nationwide.

“The report is very disturbing,” said David K. Rehbein, national commander of The American Legion. “It demonstrates a pattern of failure among medical personnel within veterans health facilities to acquire simple knowledge and follow uncomplicated procedures, thus possibly exposing vulnerable veterans to serious health risks.

House Subcommittee members have directed the IG to conduct re-inspections of VA health facilities in 90 days. “But these three months should not be construed as a period of time to work on these deficiencies,” said Rehbein. “Veterans are being treated at these facilities every single hour of every single day. No matter what the reasons for this laxness in patient safety may be -- inadequate training, poor supervision or lack of accountability -- the problems must be rectified immediately – not tomorrow, but today!

“Traditionally,” he continued, “the VA’s healthcare system has been lauded as the best in the world, and I believe it still is. It is imperative that this issue not be allowed to compromise that standard,” said the commander.

The latest IG report is the result of a nationwide review requested by U.S. Representative Steve Buyer (R-IN) after he learned in March that more than three thousand veterans at the VA Medical Center in Miami, Fla. had been potentially exposed to HIV as well as Hepatitis B and C during endoscopic procedures.

Even before the Miami revelation, inspections had revealed faulty reprocessing of endoscopic equipment at VA medical centers in Murfreesboro , Tenn. and Augusta, Ga. Among the Fla. , Tenn. and Ga. Facilities, it is reported, approximately 10-thousand patients were exposed to the inadequately prepared medical implements. In February of this year, the VA instituted an education program to implement what they called “stronger procedures and better accountability at VA health care facilities.”

“Apparently, the so-called stronger procedures and better accountability were not strong and better enough,” Rehbein said.

With 2.6 million members, The American Legion is the nation’s largest veterans service organization. The Legion traditionally works hand-in-hand with members of Congress, leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs and other key stakeholders to assure appropriate funding and policy making on measures and issues affecting the military’s active duty, National Guard and Reserve personnel, veterans, and their families.

DCoE Outreach Center

2009-06-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Do you have questions about traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other psychological health issues involving yourself or a loved one?

Then you NEED to visit the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center.

The Outreach Center answers questions about psychological health and traumatic brain injury, 24 hours / 7 Days a week / 365 Days a year, from members of all the military services (including the National Guard and Reserve), veterans, families, healthcare providers, military leaders, and employers.

Call in your questions to the Outreach Center at 866-966-1020 toll-free or send an e-mail inquiry to resources@dcoeoutreach.org. There are more resources available at www.realwarriors.net

The Outreach Center provides valuable tools, tips, and resources. It is staffed by health consultants and nurses with advanced degrees and expertise in psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues.

In addition to answering questions, thier consultants refer callers to centers in other parts of the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and outside organizations when appropriate.
DCoE, which is part of the Department of Defense Military Health System, promotes resilience, recovery and reintegration of service members facing psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues. DCoE also works to advance research, education, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

You’ll never find answers if you don’t ask questions. Remember, seeking support is an act of courage and strength. You are not alone.

American Legion leader urges strength, not apologies, in overtures to Muslim world

2009-06-05T11:44:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON (June 5, 2009) -- The head of The American Legion is stressing the need for strength as well as conciliation in President Obama’s current campaign to improve relations with Muslim countries.
“Although The American Legion does not believe that the United States has anything to apologize for, we appreciate the spirit of President Obama’s call for what he termed a ‘new beginning’ in our relationship with the followers of Islam,” said David K. Rehbein, national commander of the nation’s largest veterans service organization.
“We must demand reciprocity of both spirit and deed,” he said. “When the president pronounces, as he did in his conciliatory address in Egypt, that the events of September 11, 2001, in his words, ‘ led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals’, he must, in our opinion, demand equally public admission from the Muslim world that elements within its community have been responsible for egregious acts of terrorism including mass killings, torture and public beheadings – acts that must be contrary to their traditions and ideals.
“When the President announces that, to quote him, ‘we are taking concrete actions to change course,’ with reference to the exercise of certain interrogation techniques and the very controversial order to close detainee housing at Guantanamo Bay, then it is incumbent upon him to demand that the Muslim community take concrete and demonstrable action to suppress and eliminate those within their own ranks who are responsible for uncounted, unprovoked acts of terrorism.
“The extension of the hand of friendship and its return are hopeful signs, but the United States of America is not willing to accept total blame for the conditions that have led to the present state of affairs,” he said.
On a related topic, Rehbein said the recent killing of a young soldier at a recruiting center in Arkansas by an ideologically radicalized murderer further demonstrates the risks inherit in housing Guantanamo Bay terror suspects on American soil. “Even if these detainees were to be housed in the most secure premises possible,” said Rehbein, “they might still be free to communicate their radical beliefs to fellow prisoners, thus converting already known criminals to their murderous points of view – much as the Arkansas killer was persuaded to commit his act of terror.
“Even greater danger would be imposed upon our citizens if radicalized detainees were ever set free in this country,” Rehbein said. “President Obama claims that it is within his power to hold the suspected terrorists indefinitely, but that argument has yet to be settled definitively in the courts. This past Tuesday, for instance, U.S. District Court Judge John Bates ruled that, by law, some detainees – potentially dangerous ones in our opinion – should not be held under current circumstances. If they are moved to domestic soil, their release could pose an immediate danger to our citizens. This is unacceptable. Beyond that, the threats of escape and the availability of outside assistance to detainees is far greater here than they are on an isolated Caribbean island.
“The overwhelming majority of both lawmakers and ordinary citizens are strongly opposed to housing terrorist suspects within our borders,” Rehbein concluded. “It is our hope that the President, even as he reiterates his intention to close the Guantanamo Bay facility, will keep this mandate, and the emotional comfort and physical welfare of our citizens, in mind.”

Rolling Thunder 2009

2009-05-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Two days of Rolling Thunder are over. It has been hot and muggy. Here are some Pics of some new friends at our booth.

Michele Smith, from the Speed Channel's American Thunder (no longer on the air :(

A Memorial Day Tribute to American Cemetaries Around the World

2009-05-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

There are 24 permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. Presently there are 124,909 U.S. war dead interred at these cemeteries, 30,921 of World War I, 93,238 of World War II and 750 of the Mexican War. Additionally 6,177 American veterans and others are interred in the Mexico City and Corozal American Cemeteries.

AISNE-MARNE CEMETARY AND MEMORIAL, FRANCE
The 42.5-acre Aisne-Marne Cemetery and Memorial in France, its headstones lying in a sweeping curve, sits at the foot of the hill where stands Belleau Wood. The cemetery contains the graves of 2,289 war dead, most of whom fought in the vicinity and in the Marne valley in the summer of 1918.

ARDENNES AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The 90-acre cemetery contains the graves of 5,329 of our military dead, many of whom died in the 1944 Ardennes winter offensive (Battle of the Bulge). The headstones are aligned in straight rows that form a Greek cross on the lawns and are framed by tree masses. The cemetery served as the location of the Central Identification Point for the American Graves Registration Service of the War Department during much of the life of the Service.

BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in France covers 28 acres of rolling farm country near the eastern edge of Brittany and contains the remains of 4,410 of our war dead, most of whom lost their lives in the Normandy and Brittany campaigns of 1944. Along the retaining wall of the memorial terrace are inscribed the names of 498 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

BROOKWOOD AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The 4.5 acre Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial in England lies to the west of the large civilian cemetery built by the London Necropolis Co. and contains the graves of 468 of our military dead. Close by are military cemeteries and monuments of the British Commonwealth and other allied nations. Automobiles may drive through the Commonwealth or civilian cemeteries to the American cemetery

CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial site in England, 30.5 acres in total, was donated by the University of Cambridge. It lies on a slope with the west and south sides framed by woodland. The cemetery contains the remains of 3,812 of our military dead; 5,127 names are recorded on the Tablets of the Missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Most died in the Battle of the Atlantic or in the strategic air bombardment of northwest Europe.

COROZAL AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The American Battle Monuments Commission assumed responsibility for the care and maintenance of the Corozal American Cemetery in Panama in 1982. At this 16-acre cemetery are interred 5,364 American veterans and others. A paved walk leads from the Visitor Center to a small memorial that sits atop a knoll overlooking the graves area.

EPINAL AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL
The Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France, 48.6 acres in extent, is sited on a plateau 100 feet above the Moselle River in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. It contains the graves of 5,255 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the campaigns across northeastern France to the Rhine and beyond into Germany. The cemetery was established in October 1944 by the 46th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company of the U.S. Seventh Army as it drove northward from southern France through the Rhone Valley into Germany. The cemetery became the repository for the fatalities in the bitter fighting through the Heasbourg Gap during the winter of 1944-45.

FLANDERS FIELD AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium occupies a 6.2-acre site. Masses of graceful trees and shrubbery frame the burial area and screen it from passing traffic. At the ends of the paths leading to three of the corners of the cemetery are circular retreats, with benches and urns. At this peaceful site rest 368 of our military dead, most of whom gave their lives in liberating the soil of Belgium in World War I. Their headstones are aligned in four symmetrical areas around the white stone chapel that stands in the center of the cemetery.

FLORENCE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 70 acres, chiefly on the west side of the Greve "torrente." The wooded hills that frame its west limit rise several hundred feet. Between the two entrance buildings, a bridge leads to the burial area where the headstones of 4,402 of our military dead are arrayed in symmetrical curved rows upon the hillside. They represent 39 percent of the U.S. Fifth Army burials originally made between Rome and the Alps. Most died in the fighting that occurred after the capture of Rome in June 1944. Included among them are casualties of the heavy fighting in the Apennines shortly before the war's end. On May 2, 1945, the enemy troops in northern Italy surrendered.

HENRI-CHAPELLE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

At the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium, covering 57 acres, rest 7,992 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives during the advance of the U.S. armed forces into Germany. Their headstones are arranged in gentle arcs sweeping across a broad green lawn that slopes gently downhill. A highway passes through the reservation. West of the highway an overlook affords an excellent view of the rolling Belgian countryside, once a battlefield.

LORRAINE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in France covers 113.5 acres and contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II in Europe, a total of 10,489. Their headstones are arranged in nine plots in a generally elliptical design extending over the beautiful rolling terrain of eastern Lorraine and culminating in a prominent overlook feature. Most of the dead here were killed while driving the German forces from the fortress city of Metz toward the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River. Initially, there were over 16,000 Americans interred in the St. Avold region, mostly from the U.S. Seventh Army's Infantry and Armored Divisions and its Cavalry Groups. St. Avold served as a vital communications center for the vast network of enemy defenses guarding the western border of the Third Reich.

LUXEMBOURG AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, 50.5 acres in extent, is situated in a beautiful wooded area. The cemetery was established on December 29, 1944 by the 609th Quartermaster Company of the U.S. Third Army while Allied Forces were stemming the enemy's desperate Ardennes Offensive, one of the critical battles of World War II. The city of Luxembourg served as headquarters for General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army. General Patton is buried here. Sloping gently downhill from the memorial is the burial area containing 5,076 of our military dead, many of whom lost their lives in the "Battle of the Bulge" and in the advance to the Rhine. Their headstones follow graceful curves; trees, fountains and flower beds contribute to the dignity of the ensemble.

MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,202, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

MEUSE-ARGONNE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

Within the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France, which covers 130.5 acres, rest the largest number of our military dead in Europe, a total of 14,246. Most of those buried here lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. The immense array of headstones rises in long regular rows upward beyond a wide central pool to the chapel that crowns the ridge. A beautiful bronze screen separates the chapel foyer from the interior, which is decorated with stained-glass windows portraying American unit insignia; behind the altar are flags of the principal Allied nations.

MEXICO CITY NATIONAL CEMETERY

The Mexico City National Cemetery was established in 1851 by Congress to gather the American dead of the Mexican War that lay in the nearby fields and to provide burial space for Americans that died in the vicinity. A small monument marks the common grave of 750 unidentified American dead of the War of 1847. Inscribed on the monument are the words:
TO THE HONORED MEMORY
OF 750 AMERICANS
KNOWN BUT TO GOD
WHOSE BONES COLLECTED
BY THEIR COUNTRY'S ORDER
ARE HERE BURIED

In this 1-acre area are also placed 813 remains of Americans and others in wall crypts on either side of the cemetery. The cemetery was closed to further burials in 1923.

NETHERLANDS AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands. The cemetery site has a rich historical background, lying near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway built by the Romans and used by Caesar during his campaign in that area. The highway was also used by Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Kaiser Wilhelm II. In May 1940, Hitler's legions advanced over the route of the old Roman highway, overwhelming the Low Countries. In September 1944, German troops once more used the highway for their withdrawal from the countries occupied for four years.

The cemetery's tall memorial tower can be seen before reaching the site, which covers 65.5 acres. From the cemetery entrance the visitor is led to the Court of Honor with its pool reflecting the tower. At the base of the tower facing the reflecting pool is a statue representing a mother grieving her lost son. To the right and left, respectively, are the Visitor Building and the map room containing three large, engraved operations maps with texts depicting the military operations of the American armed forces. Stretching along the sides of the court are Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded 1,722 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The Mourning Woman overlooking the Reflecting Pool
The Graves Area from the MemorialWithin the tower is a chapel. The light fixture in the chapel and the altar candelabra and flower bowl were presented by the government of the Netherlands and by the local Provincial administration. Beyond the tower is a burial area divided into 16 plots, where rest 8,301 of our military dead, their headstones set in long curves. A wide, tree-lined mall leads to the flagstaff that crowns the crest.

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 and the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its ½ mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial are inscribed 1,557 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

NORTH AFRICA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

At the 27-acre North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Tunisia rest 2,841 of our military dead, their headstones set in straight lines subdivided into 9 rectangular plots by wide paths, with decorative pools at their intersections. Along the southeast edge of the burial area, bordering the tree-lined terrace leading to the memorial is the Wall of the Missing. On this wall 3,724 names are engraved. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Most honored here lost their lives in World War II in military activities ranging from North Africa to the Persian Gulf.

OISE-AISNE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial in France contains the remains of 6,012 American war dead, most of whom lost their lives while fighting in this vicinity in 1918 during the First World War. Their headstones, aligned in long rows on the 36.5-acre site, rise in a gentle slope from the entrance to the memorial at the far end. The burial area is divided into four plots by wide paths lined by trees and beds of roses; at the intersection are a circular plaza and the flagpole

RHONE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

On 12.5 acres at the foot of a hill clad with the characteristic cypresses, olive trees, and oleanders of southern France rest 861 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the liberation of southern France in August 1944. Their headstones are arranged in straight lines, divided into four plots, and grouped about an oval pool. At each end of the cemetery is a small garden. On the hillside overlooking the cemetery is the chapel with its wealth of decorative mosaic and large sculptured figures. Between the chapel and the burial area, a bronze relief map recalls military operations in the region. On the retaining wall of the terrace, 294 names of the missing are inscribed. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

SICILY-ROME AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 77 acres, rising in a gentle slope from a broad pool with an island and cenotaph flanked by groups of Italian cypress trees. Beyond the pool is the immense field of headstones of 7,861 of American military war dead, arranged in gentle arcs on broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. The majority of these men died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (September 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions. A wide central mall leads to the memorial, rich in works of art and architecture, expressing America's remembrance of the dead. It consists of a chapel to the south, a peristyle, and a map room to the north. On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The map room contains a bronze relief map and four fresco maps depicting the military operations in Sicily and Italy. At each end of the memorial are ornamental Italian gardens.

SOMME AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The World War I Somme American Cemetery and Memorial in France is sited on a gentle slope typical of the open, rolling Picardy countryside. The 14.3-acre cemetery contains the graves of 1,844 of our military dead. Most lost their lives while serving in American units attached to British armies, or in operations near Cantigny. The headstones, set in regular rows, are separated into four plots by paths that intersect at the flagpole near the top of the slope. The longer axis leads to the chapel at the eastern end of the cemetery. A massive bronze door surmounted by an American eagle leads into the chapel, whose outer walls contain sculptured pieces of military equipment. Once inside, light from a cross-shaped crystal window above the marble altar bathes the subdued interior with light. The walls bear the names of 333 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

ST. MIHIEL AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The World War I St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in France, 40.5 acres in extent, contains the graves of 4,153 of our military dead. The majority of these died in the offensive that resulted in the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient that threatened Paris. The burial area is divided by Linden alignment trees and paths into four equal plots. At the center is a large sundial surmounted by an American eagle. To the right (west) is a statue of a World War I soldier and at the eastern end is a semi-circular overlook dominated by a sculpture representing a victory vase. Beyond the burial area to the south is the white stone memorial consisting of a small chapel, a peristyle with a large rose-granite funeral urn at its center, and a map building. The chapel contains a beautiful mosaic portraying an angel sheathing his sword. On two walls of the museum are recorded the names of 284 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. On the wall facing the door is a large map of inlaid marble depicting the St. Mihiel Offensive.

SURESNES AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

Originally a World War I cemetery, the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial just outside Paris, France now shelters the remains of U.S. dead of both wars. The 7.5-acre cemetery contains the remains of 1,541 Americans who died in World War I and 24 Unknown dead of World War II. Bronze tablets on the walls of the chapel record the names of 974 World War I missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

All she lost: My sister's battle with Lyme disease

2009-05-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

You need to read John Biata's sorry on MSNBC All she lost: My sister's battle with Lyme disease: After a decade of unbearable side effects, she decided to end her life http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30725967/

Lyme disease is a killer. It appears that after decades of symptoms that I too have Lyme. I believe Lyme is treatable when caught early, as we had with my son. But I have too much damage to be reverse, the best I can hope for is undercontrol.

Lyme disease is commonly misdiagnosed by doctors as ALS, MS and many others. It is interesting that as soldiers, sailors, airman and Marines we trained in tick infested areas, yet we know little and there is no adequate test for lyme. The Veterans Administration now states that if you served in the Military and develop ALS you will be service connected. But is it really ALS or is it Lyme?

See a Lyme Literate Doctor!! If you have symptoms and you are not getting anywhere consider changing your Doctor. Your life may depend on it.

Please visit the California Lyme Disease Association, the have alot of good information at www.calda.org and write your Congressman and tell him or her that we need more research on Lyme Disease.

Each year there are 250,000 new cases of Lyme! You do not need to have sex to catch it, you just need to sit in your home, yard or take a walk through some grass to be exposed.

Thanks for listening.

Post Home Search

2009-05-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

With slumping real estate sales and lower prices, is it an opportunity for the Post to find a Post home?

In order to get it done, we must either receive a donation of a suitable property or raise capital to purchase or rent a location. Ideally a location would have space for a Hall, Club Room and a baseball field.

Anyone who has a proposal is welcome to come to the Post meeting at the Golden Bull Grand Cafe on the 2nd Thursday of each month to present it.

Bob Ouellette

Commander, Post 295

Over 25,000 Post-9/11 GI Bill Applications Received in First Two Weeks

2009-05-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Apply Early For Your Benefits. The National Commander of the American Legion wrote the original GI BIll and the American Legion has been pushing the revision.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that VA has received more than 25,000 claims for education benefits during the first two weeks that Veterans and servicemembers could apply online for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill.

“We are very pleased with the tremendous interest in the Post-9/11 GI Bill,” Patrick W. Dunne, VA’s under secretary for benefits, said. “The number of applications submitted in the first two weeks clearly shows the value and importance of this new benefit for Veterans.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, passed by Congress last year, is the most extensive educational assistance program authorized since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944. It provides eligible individuals with tuition payments to assist them in getting a college education.

Many participants will also receive a housing allowance while they’re studying and a stipend for books and supplies. Under the new GI Bill, certain members of the armed forces may transfer benefits to a spouse or dependent children.

With the large numbers of Veterans and servicemembers expected to apply for the new program, VA projects a 20 percent to 25 percent increase in the total number of participants in VA’s education programs.

Qualified people will receive a “Certificate of Eligibility” and information about their benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Applicants may expect to receive their certificate within 24 days of submission. Under federal law VA cannot pay benefits until Aug. 1, 2009. The new education benefit is for Veterans, servicemembers, reservists, and National Guard members who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001.

Veterans can also apply online through the GI Bill Web site at www.GIBILL.VA.gov. Additionally, paper applications are accepted at VA regional processing offices located in Muskogee, Okla.; Atlanta; St. Louis; and Buffalo, N.Y. Veterans who apply online and provide a specific e-mail address will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt of their claims.
The number of education benefits’ applications submitted in the first two weeks is more than three times the rate of benefit applications usually received through the Veterans Online Application system (VONAPP). VONAPP is used for all education benefit programs, as well as for submission of applications for VA disability compensation and pension benefits.
As a result of this unprecedented volume, some applicants experienced slow response times or error messages on Friday, May 1. VA immediately increased system capacity, and by Saturday morning, May 2, system performance was fully restored.

“Because of the large number of applications expected to be received, we encourage Veterans interested in attending school this fall to apply early online,” Dunne added.

Additional information about the new program and VA’s other educational benefit programs can be obtained by visiting VA’s Web site or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 (or 1-888-442-4551).

American Legion members come to the rescue

2009-05-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

As Legionnaires, we pledge ourselved to mutual helpfulness. This blog is dedicated to that pledge. I am writing to ask for assistance. We have little time to organize a ride or other benefit, we need your help. I am sure that many of you know of veterans who are in hard times.

Before there was H2H, Post 295 had Operation Provide Comfort, http://www.post295.org/OPC.htm since 2003 we have helped many wounded warriors and veterans in need. With our funds low, we cannot provide assitance to a couple in need. They have both served honorably, he is still National Guard, and they have a 2 year old girl. For the 2nd time in 8 months thier transmission needs to be repaired. The shop Glen Burnie Transmission has already done the work and is charging $3500 for the job. It seems overpriced to me, but they had just put a "new" one less than 8 months ago. All that we can be done is to pay it now and sue latter.

National's Temporary Financial Assistance Program cannot pay for vehicle repairs, so I am asking anyone who is able to to make a charitable donation to American Legion Post 295's Operation Provide Comfort to get them back on the road. Because you know, No Car, No Work, No Pay = on the street. Visit http://www.post295.org/OPC.htm and Donate $5, $10, etc..

So far we have been able to raise $1000 toward the $3500 bill. Any contributions are appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

What do we do when it is over?

2009-04-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

Look around your town and you will see Blue Star Banners in the windows of families and businesses. What does this banner stand for? The Blue Star Banner lets others know that a family member in the home is proudly serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The more stars, the more family members in the service.

As Americans we do our best to support the troops during overseas contingency operations, such as OIF, OEF, and the Blue Star Service Banner tradition reminds every one of us that war touches every neighborhood in our land.

It is easy to support our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. We send care packages full of cookies, shampoos, lotions, DVDs and many more comfort items. The hard part is what we do for their families while they are deployed and for that soldier when they come home. When our soldier (I use soldier to refer to all services) comes home, what do we do… we have a big party. After the party comes the hard part of reintegration into the world. (The ‘world’ is somewhere that the soldier isn’t at the time, i.e., two guys in Iraq talking about getting back to the world: the United States).

Our career ends, we say goodbye to comrades or worse yet leave parts of ourselves behind. What do we do…with our military identity behind us? As a serviceman in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard, we served proudly. If we needed support, we knew who to turn to. It was all there for us, the Commanders and Sergeants ensuring that we have what we need and are paying our bills. There are Medics and Chaplains to heal our bodies and souls. And in the service we rely on comrades, for whom we would lay down our lives. Then after a ceremony and party …it is over. Our friends that we see every day are gone; we have crossed over to the other side and now a new mission.

For soldiers and especially whether National Guard or Reserve, it can be a very abrupt welcome home from the high war pace of 20 hour days to the dismal 2 hour commute of work. How can we help them cope? At the end of WWI, LTC Theodore Roosevelt Jr had a desire to raise morale. He convinced General Pershing that they should create an association to help wounded comrade and their spouses and children. 90 years later, The American Legion is Still Serving America. We are there to provide financial assistance, outreach and support and each year nationally The American Legion donates millions of dollars and countless hours to programs such as the Special Olympics, Children’s Miracle Network, and Scouting of all types. (To see more American Legion programs visit http://legion.org/programs)

In each conflict since WWI, veterans have reached out to the newer veterans, for a time during Vietnam older veterans did not know how to help returning soldiers. The silent problems are the most difficult to deal with. Most of us can remember our fathers going down to the Legion, Elks or other Lodges to have a drink with the boys. They did this to help cope with what they had experienced. At the time, that was the accepted way to deal with their problems. During Vietnam some veterans turned to drugs and alcohol to wash away unsettling memories. No one sat around at home and talked to their wives about seeing a friend die in front of them, they just bottled it up.

Today more injured soldiers are returning from the battlefield through advances in modern medicine. On 9 April 2003, one Marine on his second tour in Iraq was the victim of an ambush resulting in losing both hands to an RPG blast that also punctured his femoral artery. Thanks to modern medicine, less than 2 weeks later he was sitting up in bed in Walter Reed and beginning to move around. Legion Post 295 Gaithersburg MD, started a program called Operation Provide Comfort. We worked to get the word out that the soldiers needed supplies that the Government is prohibited from buying, i.e. pants, shoes, socks and underwear. Operation Provide Comfort supplied needed items at the right time. Now there are countless programs doing the same as many more seriously wounded are making their way home. They continue to need our help. This can come in many ways: being there for them, helping them get a warrior dog for assistance, assistance with finding work, reasonable living accommodation or with furthering their education. Another way is financial aid to help them get back on their feet. We’re limited financially from such things as buying a home or a car for a soldier. Getting wounded is not akin to hitting the lottery. Providing funds to adapt a home or vehicle to a soldier’s disability is certainly in line with out programs. We need to help these soldiers get acclimated back into civilian life, providing guidance and in some cases, yes financial assistance to put them on track.

Just as I was working on this message, I received word that a young family needs to pay for a new transmission for their vehicle. They are being charged $3500 for the second time in 8 months. Just 8 months ago the replaced the transmission with a new one for $3600. Can you say ripoff? And they do not have the funds to pay for it. Their story, Johnny (not his real name) is in the Maryland National Guard and Mary (alias as well) was regular Navy when they met. The got married after they both completed their tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom, moved to Maryland to start a family. They now have a 2 year old child. They cannot afford daycare so only he is working and not making much, she is looking for employment. The family turned to the Army Emergency Relief and was turned down because he was not serving on active duty. They have already borrowed thousands from their parents and there is no more. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial American Legion Post 295 is able to donate $200 at this time to assist them and is working on more.

Although I never went into combat, my specialty was terrorist devices. I was a Bomb (EOD) Technician with the US Army. I was fortunate to travel to locations like Jerusalem, Cairo and parts of Africa. Much of my service was performed in the Washington DC area providing bomb disposal support and supporting Presidential and VIP missions throughout the world. Everyday of my career was worth it, even if I was bitching at the time. On the last day of June 1998, I took off my uniform for the last time, no ceremony, no parade, just over.

I was motivated by a desire to serve those still on active duty as well as those who had come before me. I could use my skills to serve, by volunteering with the American Legion. As time went on, I was elected to positions of more authority, but what drew me to want to participate is one of the lines of the Preamble to the Legion’s Constitution, “We sanctify our comradeship, by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.” I encourage everyone who reads this to volunteer to assist all veterans, especially those who are living alone, those who are homeless, and don’t get care packages. You can do this by joining with almost 3 million Legionnaires in The American Legion, as a member (veteran) a Son of the American Legion or as an American Legion Auxiliary member. Together we can continue to make a difference.

Still Serving America!

Bob Ouellette
Commander American Legion Post 295 Gaithersburg MD http://www.post295.org/ or http://post295.blogspot.com/
Commander, Montgomery County Council, The American Legion Department of Maryland http://mccamericanlegion.blogspot.com/

Wait, What! VFW agrees with Threat Assessment

2009-04-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

(Bob Ouellette) The problem is that this assessment will cause every citizen to be distrustfull of our returning veterans and destroy the support for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. So am I to beleive the assessment of DHS then we have 25 million right wing extremenists in the United States. I doubt it. As members of the American Legion we vow to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, just as every serviceman or woman also pledges when they enlisted or are sworn in.

The VFW basically agreed with DHS ..... DHS Report Was a Threat Assessment, Not AccusationWashington, D.C., April 15, 2009- The leader of the nation's largest combat veterans' organization said a leaked government document that mentions disgruntled military veterans as potential security threats should have been worded differently, but he takes no issue with the document's purpose: to assess possible threats to the safety and security of the United States."A government that does not assess internal and external security threats would be negligent of a critical public responsibility," said Glen M. Gardner Jr., the national commander of the 2.2 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries. http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4992

The following (as edited) comes from a highly placed US Army intelligence officer on what is intelligence.

A common problem with so-called “intelligence” is believing that someone reporting something makes it true. That’s called “single source reporting.” The VFW states that the DNS report is just an “assessment.” Intelligence that is worth its salt means when you assess something there must be multiple reports alluding to a trend. A trend is what is being sought. In this case, there is no trend indicating that returning service people are allying themselves with rightwing extremist groups. There is one documented case since the 1990s, and that is McVeigh. So, in the absence of a conclusive trend, we have no “assessment.” Therefore, what we are left with is an opinion. It may be one person’s opinion or it may be a dozen people’s opinion, we don’t know because no evidence is cited in this report. That’s why ground commanders who deal with intelligence always question the multiple sources of their information to ensure accuracy, which provides what is called “ground truth,” which, in turn, provides them with “situational awareness,” that they can depend on. That’s why ground commanders, whose decisions often determine whether people live or die, are very careful to avoid making decisions based on “single sources,” opinions or undocumented “facts.” This is what happens when people do not understand their doctrine and policies and take people for their word and not do the required research and analysis.

The American Legion Commander Responds to DHS Secretary

2009-04-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

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.”

- 30 –

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

2009-03-27T11:14:00.001-07:00

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.

--30-

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/> .

Queensryche releases album based on veterans' stories

2009-03-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

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

In 1990, the rock band Queensryche scored a top-10 hit with the single, "Silent Lucidity." The song found itself in the regular rotation of rock radio stations and MTV, and became the signature hit for a band that's been generating albums for more than two decades.
Now, the band and lead singer Geoff Tate have turned their talents toward another project: telling the story of the men and women who've put their lives on the line serving in the U.S. military.

The group's latest album, "American Soldier," is set for release March 31 on Atco/Rhino Records. It is comprised of 12 songs inspired by interviews Tate conducted with veterans - from World War II to the war against terror. Tate recorded the interviews, and excerpts from those conversations are mixed into several of the songs.

The son of a Korean War Marine and Vietnam War Air Force veteran, Tate said the idea for "American Soldier" began with his father. "He started talking to me about what happened when he was in Korea. I was lucky that I had my camcorder with me, and so I started recording him talking about his war experience."

Tate played the interview for his family, and his wife suggested he write a song about it. "It made me want to learn more about being an American soldier," Tate said. "I figured the best way to go about that was to talk to the people who did that. I ended up talking to soldiers from World War II all the way up to the present war."

Read more about Geoff Tate and the "American Soldier" album in the May issue of The American Legion Magazine

American Legion praises White House change in plan

2009-03-20T06:09:00.001-07:00

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.

Veterans Groups Blast Obama Plan for Private Insurance to Pay for Service-Related Health Care

2009-03-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

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

Electric COOP Sign ups April

2009-03-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Electric Coop Sign up dates. You MUST have a 2009 LEGION CARD & Copy of Electric Bill.

Only PEPCO and BG&E, sorry Alleghany is not able to participate as of yet.

Sun, Apr 5, 1-5pm American Legion #300

Howard County Public Library

6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia

Sat, Apr 11, 11-6pm Sgt.Preston Ashley American Legion Post#228 Rock Hall

21423 Sharp Street, Rock Hall 21661-

Sun, Apr 19, 1-5pm American Legion Post #60 Laurel

2 Main St, Laurel 20707

Sun, Apr 26, 1-5pm American Legion Post #60 Laurel

2 Main St, Laurel 20707

Sun, Apr 26, 1-5pm American Legion Post #40 Glen Burnie

500 5th Ave, Glen Burnie 21061

Post 295 Meeting March 12

2009-03-11T16:21:00.001-07:00

Legionnaires,

The next meeting of American Legion Post 295 is Thursday, March 12th. 7 pm at Mangiare Bene, 808 W Diamond Ave, Gaithersburg

Agenda:

- VA Service Officer Cindy Smith

- 2009 Baseball Tournament

- Rolling Thunder

- Electric Coop

For the Veteran!

Bob Ouellette

Post Commander

Southern Maryland Oyster Bowl

2009-03-03T20:21:00.001-08:00

Post 295 comes in 2nd Place in the Southern Maryland Oyster Bowl. The Oyster Bowl is a District wide membership competition. Pot 295's category is Post from 300 to 699.

Pictured is (R to L) Department Commander Gail "Moose" Murdock, 1st Vice Commander Orland Osteriech, Post 295/ Montomgery County Commander Bob Ouellette and Southern Maryland District Commander Tom Gillman. Photo courtesy of SMD Adjutant Pat McCoy.

Legionnaires you ready to lose weight?

2009-03-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

Are any Legionnaires or Legion Family members interested in going in on a Biggest Loser type contest? At the Oyster Bowl it was apparent that we need to reduce our profile.

I propose that everyone pay in $50. The winner will get 1/2 and the other half to
Heroes to Hometowns or the Legacy Scholarship Fund.

You can buy 1/4% loss by getting sponsors to donate $50. You can get as much
sponsorship as you wish.

This is a one-time fee you will pay to join the contest. Then decide how the
winnings will be split up. You can reward the biggest weight loser or participants
can get their money back when they lose a certain amount.

Based on the response we can do weigh ins at the County meeting or district
meeting. I will bring the scale.

If we start soon, either March 15th at Post 268 or April 27th at Post 295. If you are
in I need to know.

Once we get together we can decide how we will measure progress each week by
percentage of body weight lost, pounds lost, measurements or another method.

Supreme Court concurs with The American Legion's stand on public monuments

2009-02-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

A ruling announced this week by the U.S. Supreme Court gives weight to an argument by The American Legion against the placing of public monuments that could threaten the sanctity of veterans memorials. Justices ruled unanimously that an obscure religious group cannot use a "free speech" argument to force a small Utah city to erect a granite marker in a local park that is home to a long-standing monument to the Ten Commandments.

"At first glance, this ruling may seem unrelated to us, but it actually sets a precedent that is very important to veterans groups," said David K. Rehbein, National Commander of The American Legion. "The Justices have said, in effect, that a local government can choose what donated public displays it cares to exhibit on public land - and what displays it can reject. This reduces the chance that a monument to an enemy or dissenting group, for instance, could be erected in the same space as a monument to our fallen warriors."

The ruling stems from a case precipitated by a small Salt Lake City, Utah-based religious group called Summum. Summum went to federal court after its effort to erect a marker in Pleasant Grove City, Utah was rejected by the city. Summum maintained that the city violated its right to free speech by refusing the donated monument. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver agreed with the religious group, but the Supreme Court ruling reverses that decision.

The American Legion played an active role in the oral argument phase of the case. Last year, Liberty Legal Institute in Plano, Texas filed an amicus brief on behalf of The Legion and several colleague veterans and military service organizations. The brief's argument summary stated:

"The precedent established by the Tenth Circuit lays the foundation for the destruction of all donated veterans memorials nationwide and chills the erection of any future memorials. From the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, VA, to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial on The Mall in Washington, DC, to the myriad Spirit of the American Doughboy WWI memorials like that in Ft. Smith, AR, this precedent will require all governments, from the smallest municipality to the Congress itself, to make an impossible decision: either fail to honor our veterans by any donated monument whatsoever, tear down those that currently exist, or allow a monument honoring our veterans and then, upon donation, erect on the same hallowed ground one that dishonors them."

In his favorable Supreme Court opinion, Justice Samuel Alito said that while efforts to suppress actual speech in public parks would ordinarily violate the First Amendment, erection of donated physical entities such as markers and monuments is a different matter. Justice Alito said "the display of a permanent monument in a public park" defines, in part, a community's identity and, so, "cities and other jurisdictions take some care in accepting donated monuments."

Commander Rehbein notes that the Supreme Court has also agreed to hear a case later this year involving the suppression of a war memorial in the Mojave Desert. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled that the memorial to World War I veterans is unconstitutional because it is the shape of a cross, which might connote religious symbolism. A proposal to transfer the land upon which the now-cloaked monument rests to the VFW, which erected the cross in 1934, was also ruled unconstitutional by the court. "Obviously, we favor the full and free display of that monument," said the Commander. "The Supreme Court ruling gives us hope for a good outcome in that matter, too."

The American Legion Lauds President’s Request for Increased VA Appropriations

2009-02-27T06:42:00.001-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC (Feb.26, 2009) – The National Commander of The American Legion finds reason for optimism in President Barack Obama’s request for increased funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The President released his fiscal year 2010 budget request executive summary today in which he calls for a $25-billion increase in VA appropriations over the next five years.

“By this action, President Obama is sending a clear message to those who have worn, are wearing and will wear the uniforms of the armed forces that he recognizes and appreciates – in a tangible way -- their contributions to our society,” said Commander Rehbein. “Although we have yet to see the details of the budget request, this initial budget overview signals good news from the President and, by extension, his new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki.”

According to the executive summary, President Obama’s budget request addresses several legislative priorities of The American Legion including increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps, closing military/civilian counterpart pay gap as well as improving military and veterans’ health care, especially in the area of mental health.

The President is also calling for a repeal of the Veterans’ Disability Tax -- which still burdens some military retirees with service-connected disabilities, and allowing more Priority Group 8 veterans to enroll in the VA health care system. These are veterans whose income and / or net worth is above the usual VA thresholds but are willing to contribute co-payments for their health care.

“Also worthy of note,” said Commander Rehbein, “is that some of the proposed funding increase will go toward timely implementation of the new Post 9-11 GI Bill and thus will provide significant improvements in the earned educational benefit package for veterans.

“Considering all of the present-day challenges facing him,” concluded Commander Rehbein, “The American Legion appreciates the President’s attention to the needs of our veterans’ community. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress in achieving a timely, predictable and sufficient VA budget.”

Founded in 1919, the 2.6 million-member American Legion is the nation’s preeminent service organization for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including active duty, National Guard and Reserves, and their families. A powerful voice for veterans in Washington, The American Legion drafted the original GI Bill and was instrumental in establishing the agency that today is Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tax Deduction for 2008 For National Guard and Reserves

2009-02-27T06:38:00.001-08:00

A reservist (Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard Reseve, Army Natl Guard, Air Natl Guard) who travels more than 100 miles from home to perform services as a member of their service can deduct 100% of the COST OF TRAVEL & 50% of their MEALS; report the expenses on IRS Form 2106 and the total deduction on Form 1040 Line 24.

What's NEW is that the deduction can be taken by Reservist who do NOT itemize deductions. The total deduction is no longer a Miscellaneous deduction (Schedule A), but a deduction DIRECTLY reducing income and income taxes.

Do you have talent?

2009-02-13T08:12:00.001-08:00

America's got talent to give uniformed troops priority at Washington D.C. casting call The NBC hit show "America's Got Talent" will be conducting auditions in the Washington D.C. area and will be giving special appointments to servicemembers who attend in uniform.

Auditions will be held on Friday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Gaylord Complex at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Servicemembers must attend the casting in uniform in order to recieive priority placement. Those interested in receiving an appointment can write to nigeltv@gmail.com .

For more information contact Victor Hurtado at (202) 756-4568 or by email at agtmilitarycasting@martenvee.com

Do you have talent?

2009-02-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

Post 295 Welcomes Poolesville to Our American Legion Baseball Program

2009-02-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

The 2008 American Legion Maryland Champions is please to announce that the Poolesville High School Cluster has been added to our assigned schools for American Legion Baseball. The other schools include Northwest High School, Quince Orchard High School and Seneca Valley High School.

What that means is that any baseball player living in the Poolesville area and born after Jan 1, 1990 is eligible to play American Legion Baseball for Gaithersburg Post 295. Private school students living in the area, who would otherwise attend Poolesville, are also eligible.

Gaithersburg Post 295’s baseball team has been a powerhouse over the last several years. In 2008 Gaithersburg Post 295 won the Montgomery County Title for the 5th time in the last six years and won the Maryland State Championship for the 3rd time in five years.

Gaithersburg Post 295 will be hosting the 2009 American Legion Maryland State Tournament at Shipley Field on the University of Maryland beginning on July 26th. Gaithersburg Post 295 will open their title defense with a 7pm start on the 26th.

Since 1983, The American Legion, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Post 295 has sponsored a youth baseball program, playing as Gaithersburg Post 295. During these past three decades, hundreds of young players have enjoyed playing baseball. American Legion Post 295 and their more than 500 members have raised thousands of dollars each year for players to learn the importance of teamwork, discipline, leadership and good sportsmanship. American Legion Post 295 sponsors American Legion Baseball to give players an opportunity to develop their skills, personal fitness, and leadership qualities and to have fun.

Players interested in playing American Legion Baseball need to contact Gaithersburg Post 295 Manager Rick Price at 301-990-0112. Sign-ups have already occurred before this change was announced.

Post 295 To Host 2009 Maryland State Tournament

2009-02-01T08:39:00.001-08:00

The American Legion Department of Maryland State Basball Committee has approved a bid by Gaithersburg Post 295 to host the tournament.

The tourament will be held at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field.

The first game will be on Sunday, July 26th. The tournament will run through Thursday July 31st. More to details to follow ....

For the Veteran!

Bob Ouellette
Montgomery County Commander
Commander Post 295

And the Oyster Bowl Winners are...

2009-01-30T13:31:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to HSE Post 86 for taking 1st Place in Category IV. Either come big or stay at home and they came big turning in 29 members to go from 100% to 108%. The other Oyster Bowl winner is Vietnam Veterans Memorial Post 295, holding onto 2nd place in Category IV for the 2nd Year.

Memberhsip in Montgomery County is growing. There are members out there to sign up. Most of the time all you need to do is ask. In Post 295, I looked at some statistics and over 280 members are Persian Gulf Era Veterans.

See you all at the Montgomery County Oratorical Contest on February 7th, 10 am, Boyds Presbyterian Church, 19901 White Ground Rd, Boyds, MD 20841.

Respectfully, For the Veteran!

Bob Ouellette

The American Legion
~ Commander, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Post 295
~ Commander, Montgomery County Council

We have a winner!!!!!

2009-01-28T20:17:00.001-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have an answer to the question I posed a few days ago, "Who will be the 500th member?"

The 500th member is Felicia K Ewing, who is a Persian Gulf Era, Air Force Veteran! I put the challenge of recruiting our 500th members to you. As it turns out, an Active Duty member, who I thought I had already signed up for the Legion was someone I had not! Go figure. Next another Legionnaire who I had talked about transferring in December transferred from the Dept Holding Post. Then it was down to number 500. So I asked Felicia, if she wanted to be member 500 and she said yes and completed her application. Felicia's husband joined the Post late last year. All this happened within 1 hour!

500 members is a very significant milestone in the history of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial American Memorial Post 295. When the post received a temporary Charter on April 15, 1983 there were 15 members and when the Permanent Charter was issued on December 7th, 1984 there were a few more. During the next several years Post 295's membership rose to 279 members. Post 295 operated a Post home in a rented space under what is now Fuddruckers in the Quince Orchard area of Gaithersburg. When the Post ran into rent problems because the building's owners want to sell the building membership eventually fell off to 27 members in 2001. In 2002, membership began to climb again with my transfer to Post 295.

Over the last 7 Legion years, which run from July to June, the Post's membership has risen 1821%. Recruiting new members is difficult. Keeping members and encouraging members to get active is another. For the most part, members take 2 to 3 years to really become interested in participating.

Of course while we have 500 members some of the numbers may surprise you. Out of our 500 members, 1 member has 64 years of continuous membership. When George Benas enlisted in the Navy in WWII, his father a WWI Veteran and member of the American Legion signed him up for the Legion. You can see George at many events, especially the Golf Tournament that he has participated in with his three sons. Just like George's father, I signed my nephew and my two sons up for the American Legion when they went off to basic training. So can you… Next in continuous membership are John Dochod and Tom Rufty two Vietnam Veterans both with more that 33 and 34 years respectively. Only thirteen members have more than 20 years, and sixteen have more that 10 years. The second largest group of 165 members has less than 10 but more than three years. The largest group has less than 2 years of membership and has 280 members. What we can take from these numbers is that our membership is younger and certainly not dying out. We are a growing organization and we as Legionnaires must encourage that growth. Every member should bring in at least 1 new member. Not as difficult as one may think. We come from different backgrounds, Army, Marine, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. As the largest service the Army represents the most membership with 164 members, the Navy and Air Force each have 76 members, Marines have 33 members and the Coast Guard has the smallest representation with 17 members. Of course the numbers do not add up, because the records fail to reflect everyone's service. Our Post members served in every conflict except World War I. There are 19 World War II Veterans still with the Post. Korea is represented with 13 veterans. Vietnam Veterans, Post 295's namesake accounts for 108 members, and the small eligibility periods of Lebanon/Grenada and Panama account for 69 and 53 veterans. Again, pointing to a growing organization there are more than 209 are Persian Gulf Era members.

So Legionnaires the new challenge is for every member to make the commitment to do your best to bring in at least 1 new member and to renew for at least one year.

There are many benefits that can help you save money and have your membership pay for itself. There are discounts at Sears, and on computers, eyeglasses, prescriptions, travel, hotels and insurance.

The Department of Maryland is working on the American Legion Aggregate Electrical Cooperative. The Coop is already paying dividends for Legion Posts. As soon as the administration and enrollment issues are worked out it should get going to save us money.

For the Veterans!

Bob Ouellette
Post Commander

Important Issues to Veterans

2009-01-26T20:39:00.001-08:00

Dear Senator,

My name is Bob Ouellette and I am your legislative representative for the American Legion in Maryland. I currently serve as Commander of the Montgomery County American Legion and of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial American Legion Post 295 in Gaithersburg/Germantown.

As a veteran and a member of the world's largest veterans organization I hope to let you know how we veterans feel about important legislation.

There are three bills that are of interest to our organization and our community, they are SB102 Gaming-Slot, SB112 Income Tax Subtraction and SB113 Sales and Use Tax-Exemption.

While SB102 Gaming -Slot Machines will probably never come to Montgomery County, please support this legislation. The American Legion has donated hundreds of throusands of dollars to groups from funds donated from slot machines on the eastern shore. Without these slots many programs will go unfunded. Of course, if we had them in Montgomery County we could use the proceeds to better serve the community.

SB112 Income Tax Subtraction is to Removie the $5,000 limitation on the amount of specified military retirement income that may be subtracted from federal adjusted gross income for Maryland income tax purposes; applying the Act to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008; etc. As a US Army retiree that only receives little over $1000 a month this will greatly help me and many more retirees to survive during these tough times. Please don't make up a budget shortfall on the back of retirees who have served our country.

SB113 Sales and Use Tax-Exemption allows our organization to save precious dollars in purchasing items that we use to serve the community through our programs.

Thank you for your time. I hope to meet with you soon.

Respectfully, For the Veteran!

Bob Ouellette

The American Legion
~ Commander, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Post 295
~ Commander, Montgomery County Council

Post 295 Legionnaires Racing to Raise $ for Fisher House

2009-01-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

Post 295 Legionnaires Steve and John Levow are literally racing to raise money for the Fisher Houses at Walter Reed and Bethesda. Steve and John are Patriot Racing. They road race motorcycles with Championship Cup Series and the American Sportbike Racing Association in Mid-Atlantic regional races. www.ccsracing.us

Patriot Racing has partnered with the Fisher House in an effort to generate charitable donations through our racing. The Fisher House provides no-cost housing for military families which enables them to stay with their loved-ones; helping them through treatment and recovery from serious illness or injury.

Our primary goal is to generate $10,000 for the Fisher House.

Please follow this link to learn more about the Fisher House and how you can make your tax-deductable contribution to their worthwhile efforts. Patriot Racing is the program through which your donation will be submitted.

Donate to the Fisher House
All donations go directly to the Fisher House.

They feel that "Supporting Our Troops" has to go beyond the yellow ribbon magnets and that in times of war we have no greater duty than to honor our veterans and their families. Those who have come to need the services of the Fisher House have already made tremendous sacrifices. Make a donation to the Fisher House today.

For 2009, we will be hosting 25 wounded veterans at the races on the Sunday races held at Summit Point. We are stoked to be able to have an impact on these guys and hopefully have a positive role in their recovery. Join us in the paddock on May 24, July 5 and August 30 to honor the sacrifices of our wounded warriors.

This is certainly a worthy cause and goes hand in hand with Post 295's Operation Provide Comfort and The American Legion's Operation Comfort Warrior.

You can also send you donations through American Legion Post 295. All monies donated will be sent to the Fisher House to support Patriot Racings efforts. By sending through the Post we will be able to track how much money has been donated.

Disney Parks Celebrate U.S. Military With Free, Multi-day Admission to Theme Parks in 2009

2009-01-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida / ANAHEIM, California (January 4, 2009) – As Disney Parks ask “What Will You Celebrate?” and invite guests to turn their personal milestones into magical family vacations in 2009, America’s military personnel will have one more reason to celebrate: Free multi-day admission to Disney’s U.S. theme parks.

With the “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” offer, active and retired U.S. military personnel, including active members of the United States Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists, can enjoy complimentary, multi-day admission into Disney’s U.S. theme parks, great rates at select Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort hotels, and additional special ticket offers for family members and friends.
“For so many of the men and women who serve in our U.S. military, time together with their families is cause enough for celebration,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We are grateful for their service and hope ‘Disney’s Armed Forces Salute’ will allow our troops to create wonderful, magical memories with their family and friends.”

At Disneyland Resort in Southern California:

Through June 12, 2009, each active or retired member of the U.S. military can receive one complimentary three-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” ticket valid for admission to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. During the offer period, active or retired U.S. military personnel also may make a one-time purchase of an adult or child three-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion” ticket for up to five family members (including spouse) or friends for the price of an adult 1-Day Park Hopper ticket.

Disneyland Resort hotels are also offering special room rates for active or retired military personnel. For example, at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, active or retired members of the military and their families may find hotel rooms starting at $119 per night during value season, with great savings during other times of the offer period. This offer is available through June 12, 2009, and the number of rooms available at these special rates is limited.

For information regarding “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” at the Disneyland Resort, or to make reservations, military personnel may call 714/956-6424.

At the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida:

> January 4 to December 23, 2009, each active or retired member of the U.S. military may obtain one complimentary five-day "Disney's Armed Forces Salute" ticket with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options. This ticket is valid for five days of admission into the four Walt Disney World theme parks, plus a total of five visits to a choice of a Disney water park, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park or certain other attractions. During this offer period, active or retired U.S. military personnel may also make a one-time purchase of up to a maximum of five, five-Day "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets for $99 per ticket, plus tax, for family members (including spouse) or friends. Although this ticket for family members and friends does not include either the Park Hopper or Water Park Fun & More options, this ticket can be upgraded to add either such option, or both, for an additional $25, plus tax, per option. All tickets and options are non-transferable and must be used by Dec. 23, 2009.

Ask about the great rates that may be available at select Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort hotels for active or retired U.S. military personnel during this offer period.

For information on the “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” offer at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, or to make reservations, active and retired U.S. Military personnel may call the ITT office on their base. Information is also available at www.disneyworld.com/military.

Other Offer Details:
• Complimentary "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute" tickets for the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort may be obtained only by active or retired U.S. military personnel, including active members of the United States Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists.
• Please see a participating U.S. military base ticket office for an exchange certificate for the complimentary “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” ticket for the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort. The exchange certificate will need to be redeemed for such ticket by the active or retired military personnel at a Main Entrance theme park ticket window. (maximum of 1 such complimentary ticket per service member, regardless of where the exchange certificate is obtained).
• "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets for family members and friends may be purchased only by active or retired U.S. military personnel, including active members of the United States Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists (or their spouses, but not both).
• “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets for admission to the Disneyland Resort can be purchased only at participating U.S. military base ticket offices. "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets for admission to the Walt Disney World Resort can be purchased only at participating U.S. military base ticket offices (including at the Shades of Green Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort), or at Main Entrance theme park ticket windows.
• Military personnel (or their spouses) who purchase "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion” tickets for family members and friends at participating U.S. military base ticket offices (including at the Shades of Green Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort) will receive exchange certificates to be redeemed by such military personnel (or their spouses) for tickets at Main Entrance theme park ticket windows (one ticket per exchange certificate).
• The military personnel (or spouse) will be required to present valid military identification (which, for activated members of the National Guard or Reservists, also includes orders showing active status between Jan. 1, 2008 – Dec. 23, 2009 for the Walt Disney World Resort and between Jan. 4, 2009 – June 12, 2009 for the Disneyland Resort) for all ticket transactions (including to exchange and redeem the exchange certificates for the tickets at Main Entrance theme park ticket windows). A valid ID may also be required for admission.
• "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion” tickets are limited to five per service member (regardless of place of purchase and whether purchased by service member or spouse) and all five must be purchased at the same time. Accordingly, no service member (or spouse) may purchase "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets at any military base ticket office if that service member (or spouse) previously purchased "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets (whether at that same military base ticket office or at any other military base ticket office or place).
• First day of use of “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” complimentary tickets and "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets at the Disneyland Resort must be no later than June 12, 2009 and tickets expire 13 days after the first day of use or June 25, 2009, whichever occurs first. Last day of use on “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” complimentary tickets and "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets at the Walt Disney World Resort is Dec. 23, 2009.
• Tickets must be used by the same person on any and all days. "Disney’s Armed Forces Salute" complimentary tickets may be used only by the service members to whom they are issued. "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets may be used only by the friends and family members for whom they are purchased.
• This offer may not be combined with any other offer.

What Will You Celebrate?
Military personnel taking advantage of this offer will find even more to celebrate during their stay. Beginning in January, Disney Parks will embrace a newly identified nationwide travel trend called “celebration vacations,” in which Americans mark special occasions in their lives with a family vacation.
In 2009, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts ask guests “What Will Your Celebrate?” and lead this growing trend with new entertainment and services that allow guests to turn their personal milestones –a birthday, an anniversary, Quinceañera or any special occasion – into magical Disney experiences.
-30-
CONTACT: DISNEYLAND RESORT P.R. 714/781-4500

WALT DISNEY WORLD PUBLIC RELATIONS 407/566-6397

VA Launches Partnership for NGO Outreach

2009-01-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

Peake: VA Tapping the Power of Communities

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a new partnership to help non-government organizations (NGOs) plan, improve and carry out their own programs on behalf of veterans, their families and their survivors.

“VA has a track record of success in working with non-profit groups and businesses that have their own programs for veterans, but we can do more” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “By tapping into the power and resources of NGOs, we can ensure more veterans, families and survivors receive not only VA services, but also other assistance in their own communities.”

Under the new NGO Gateway Initiative, launched today with the Veterans Coalition Inc., a non-profit organization formed more than two years ago by several major national veterans groups, the Veterans Coalition is available to assist NGOs in identifying the unmet needs of veterans, families and survivors, working with VA to help minimize duplication of effort and confusion among NGOs with programs for veterans. In addition, the program will encourage continuous feedback from NGOs on issues such as physical and mental health, employment, and satisfaction with government services and benefits affecting veterans.

“The Veterans Coalition is dedicated to marshalling energy and resources from all communities to better serve service members, veterans and their families”, said Harry Walters, chairman of the Veterans Coalition and former administrator of the Veterans Administration . “Together we can do a better job than any of us can do alone.”

VA will provide a senior-level, career federal employee to serve as an ombudsman to assist NGOs with their programs to serve veterans. To ensure a cooperative relationship, VA’s deputy secretary will serve as a non-voting advisory liaison to the group’s board of directors.

VA has a long tradition of working with national veterans service organizations on programs benefitting all veterans. VA also has had close relationships with private-sector groups, churches, charities and other non-profit organizations that provide housing for homeless veterans. This new gateway initiative is one more way to extend services to our veterans.

# # #
Contacts:
Veterans Coalition, Geoff Deutsch, (703) 408-0122
VA, Laurie Tranter, (202) 461-7600

Operation Provide Comfort Raffle

2008-12-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

Armed Forces Tribute Bike II

2005 Harley-Davidson Road King Police Model
a Former Mongtomery County Police Bike

Customized by Iron Works Cycles, 7676 Airpark Rd, Gaithersburg
www.ironworkscycles.com

Acquired with assistance from Battley Harley-Davidson
“Used Bikes” 7830 Airpark Rd, Gaithersburg
http://www.battley.com/pre_owned_list.asp

Or win 1 of 2!!

SHARP AQUOS HD LCD TV
52" flat-panel HDTV
With 1080p resolution Sharp's 52" unit delivers the goods for thousands less than competing models.

Purchase a ticket for $10 and get 1 chance to win your choice (1) of prizes. OR get 3 chances to win for $20. There are to be 3 winners. You are eligible to win more than once, if you buy multiple tickets.

1st prize is a choice of the 3 prizes.
2nd prize is a choice of the 2 remaining prizes
3rd Prizewinner will win the last prize available.

This raffle will benefit at least the following American Legion Post 295 Programs and more…

American Legion Baseball

Gaithersburg Post 295
Maryland State Champions 2003, 2004, 2008
Montgomery County Legion Baseball Champions: 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2008

Gaithersburg Post 295 Jr Legion
Inaugural season League Runner-up

Boy Scouting
· Cub Scout Pack 1760

Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation
· Operation Provide Comfort
· Heroes to Hometowns

American Legion Oratorical Contest

American Legion School Awards

*** Montgomery County MD Raffle Permit 08-03

American Legion Post 295 Winter News

2008-12-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

***Next Meeting is Thursday Dec 11 7pm Mangiare Bene, Toys for Tots Collection.***

Happy Holidays,

On behalf of all of Post 295’s American Legion Family, I would like to extend our best wishes to you and yours for a safe and pleasant holiday season, and for those members serving in harms way our thoughts and prayers are with you. If or when you are deployed, please contact me so that we may send a “care package” to you.

Many are called, but few are chosen. That applies to many things in life. As a fellow American, you chose to give service to your country when you joined the military. For those of us who have served in time of war, there is a bond that cannot be broken. Our lives and our backgrounds can be as different as night and day, but we are joined by battle, by service and by experiences that are uniquely ours. And we are joined, too, by an organization founded to serve only us with the privileges and benefits we have earned with blood, sweat and courage. In 1919, the United States Congress approved the charter of The American Legion as an organization of veterans. Some of our members served overseas during war-time while others served stateside. Yet we all served during periods defined by Congress as war-time service.

As we reflect on 2009, our Membership is off to a solid start, there are some exciting benefits for being a member; Gaithersburg Post 295 won the State Championship in American Legion Baseball, our Children and Youth program is running well, and our Veterans Affairs programs has had some success and some not so successful outcomes.

I would like to start off by thanking the 422 members of Post 295, who have renewed or joined us this year. Post 295’s membership goal is 476 members. We have reached 88% of our goal! On January 9th at COB, we need to be 100% in order to qualify for the “Outstanding Commander’s Cap.” Post 295 has reached 100% membership by the 1st week of January for the past 6 years! With just 54 renewals we can achieve that goal. It has been my personal goal to reach 100% membership each year. I have put a lot of effort into our membership program. As a personal plea, please renew before December 31st. Dues are still $25. If the $25 is an issue please contact me at 240-505-4660. There are 254 members whom have not renewed for 2009. I suspect that many will not renew, but if every one did our Post would have well over 672 members! Attached to this letter is a list of ALL Legionnaires that have not paid for 2009.

The American Legion Department of Maryland’s newest benefit is “The American Legion Aggregate Electrical Cooperative” Deregulation in Maryland in 1999 has allowed the American Legion to form an electrical cooperative with the potential to save members a lot of cash. There is no obligation to save money, and the actual savings will be calculated before you sign up. BUT, YOUR DUES MUST BE PAID FOR 2009. So if you are living in Maryland and would like to potentially save $ on your electric bill, renew now. You may renew online at The American Legions Web Site which offers secure payment at www.legion.org. There are plenty of other benefits: such as 20% of Sears through Sears Commercial, 17% of Apple Products, 12% off of Dell

Computers and big savings on prescriptions and eyeglasses.
Our youth programs are doing well. This year our Senior American Legion Baseball Team won The American Legion Maryland State Baseball Championship. This is the 3rd time since 2003, that Gaithersburg Post 295 has won the state title. Their showing in the Regional’s was commendable, defeating Delaware 12-1 in a rain shortened game. The team did lose to two proverbial power houses, these kids made me feel small, Boyerstown, Pa and Edison, NJ. The Junior American Legion team played very well and ended their season vying for the division championship.

Cub Scout Pack 1760 has seen an increase in membership as more children and their parents are interested in scouting. Our annual donation to the Pack assists them in purchasing awards and paying for a location to meet in.

As the financial crisis has gotten worse, we have received numerous requests for Financial Assistance. Our biggest success was helping a member with 2 young dependent children avoid eviction. Our failure has been others have called and we have been unable to provide assistance due to lack of funds. There is a application process to apply for funds provided for Temporary Financial Assistance Program in Maryland. Bills and financial conditions are taken into account and every application is evaluated on it’s own merits. Post 295 is not in the position to make loans that is for banks. Many times since we do not have resources, we forward requests to the Department of Maryland.

On a brighter note, we honored centurion Bart Trimboli (100) a D-Day survivor at our Veterans Day Dinner at the Golden Bull with a US Army Freedom Team Salute. We also honored Mannie Aragon, Jason Errilenne and Mike Stanley, we were set to honor 20 more but many were unable to make it. On December 7th, Post 295 hosted a “Welcome Home/Christmas Party” for the 422d Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services). It was a wonderful event. Post 295 presented a National Commander’s Certificate, American Legion Coin and a US Freedom Team Salute packet to each member of the unit. To get your Army Freedom Team Salute packet, please contact me, active duty members are not eligible, but their family members are.

So as the year’s ends and tax time looms, consider making a charitable donation to “your” American Legion Post 295 so that we may expand our programs to be able to assist more veterans. Our non-profit tax ID No is 52-1299542. Our raffle is another excellent way to give to the Post and maybe get something in return, your choice of a Harley-Davidson 2005 Road King, or 1 of 2 Sharp Aquos 52” LCD TV’s!

All the Best,

Bob Ouellette
Commander, American Legion Post 295
Commander, Montgomery County Council

American Legion Post 295
PO Box 690
Germantown, MD 20875

FW: ALAEC - Electric Coop Details

2008-11-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

I was able to get more info on the American Legion Aggregate Electrical Cooperative this Saturday. I was calling to make sure that Auxiliary members would be eligible for the Coop. The entire Legion family is eligible as long as you live in Maryland! Since this is the most exciting benefit to come along.

The 1st location to sign up will be Annapolis Post 7 on December 20th at 11am. There is a letter ready to go out to the Department. He outlined how this is going to work.

Every Friday for the 1st 14 weeks ALAEC will receive a quote and select a supplier for that weekend’s sign up. That weekend at one of our American Legion Posts, members will come to the Post with their 2009 Membership card and electric bill to sign up. SWITCHING OVER MUST BE DONE IN PERSON.

There will be 3 tables. At the 1st table you will checked for a 2009 membership card, the 2nd will calculate the savings, if it is not advantageous you will be advised not to switch, at the 3rd members will sign the contract. Rates will be good for a year.

Stand by for more details.

**If you have family or friends eligible for membership please tell them to join ASAP so that they can save as soon as possible.

US Army Freedom Team Salute honors 100 year old D-Day Veteran and others

2008-11-11T21:14:00.001-08:00

The US Army’s Freedom Team Salute’s director Col Dave Griffith presented commendations to Mr. Bartolo Trimboli, 100, of Potomac. MD and three others. Mr. Trimboli who turned 100 on March 15th was recognized during The American Legion, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Post 295’s Veterans Day program held at the Golden Bull on Tuesday November 11th.

On June 7th, 1945, Pvt Bart Trimboli landed in Normandy as part of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He was wounded in action and received the Purple Heart. Mannie Aragon of Bethesda served as Captain during WWII and was assigned to the Manhattan Project was also honored. by the Freedom Team Salute. Also receiving commendations were Mike Stanley, of Montgomery Village who served as a Staff Sergeant in Desert Storm with the 18th Aviation Brigade and SGT Errillene, a US Army recruiter and Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran.

As Post 295 honored these US Army veterans, it should remind everyone that we should not forget those who are currently serving in harms way or serving worldwide. The Veterans Day programs was organized by Bob Ouellette, Montgomery County American Legion Commander, who was pleased with the turnout. Mr. Ouellette also serves as a Freedom Team Salute Ambassador. Any Army Veteran, Parent, Spouse, Supporter or Employer of National Guard or Reservists can receive a Freedom Team Salute Commendation by visiting www.freedomteamsalute.com or American Legion Post 295 at www.post295.org295.org.

Picture1: COL Griffith pins a US Army Veteran Pin on Bart Trimboli, looking on is Mike Stanley and Jean Davis, Veteran Outreach Manager Freedom Team Salute

Picture 2: Bob Ouellette, Montgomery County Commander, Col Griffith, Director Freedom Team Salute, Bart Trimboli, Mannie Aragon, Mike Stanley, and Carol Errilenne

Veterans Day 2008

2008-11-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day Program

November 11, 2008

6:30pm

The Golden Bull Grande Cafe

7 Dalamar St

Gaithersburg, MD 20877

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and goodwill on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

Freedom Team Salute Honorees
World War II December 7, 1941 – December 31, 1946
Manuel Aragon, Signal Corps
Lloyd Biser
Harry Bonfils
Mirek Dabrowski,
George McBain, 6th Infantry Division
Joe MacLeod
Randall Erdley
Andrew Stanley
Bartolo Trimboli, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment D-Day
William L Wolf

Korean War June 25, 1950 – January 31, 1955
Charles Bolcik Sr., SGT, 593d Field Artillery Battalion

Vietnam War Honoree February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975
Richard Gervasoni, SP5, 57th Signal Co, 160th Sig Group, Long Binh

Lebanon/Grenada Era August 24, 1982 – July 31, 1984
Bernie Richardson

Panama Era December 20, 1989 – January 31, 1990
Paul Hustler

Desert Storm Era August 2, 1990 to
Mike Stanley, SSG, 18th Airborne Corps

Operation Enduring Freedom
Carroll Errilenne, SGT, 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 10th MTN

Operation Iraqi Freedom
Jeffrey Hogue, CPT, Commander, 67th Combat Support Hospital

RSVP to: Commander@post295.org

Menu: Prime Rib / Salmon / Chicken Marsala

Cost: $25 per person

Opportunity at Sears for the Legion

2008-10-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Before the news: Please RSVP for the Nov 11 Veterans Day Dinner, $25 for either Chicken, Fish or Beef. We have a great program.

Ok the big news...

The American Legion has been extended a great opportunity with Sears. Throughout the months of November and December Sears is allowing The American Legion to staff tables in many of their locations nationwide to promote American Legion membership while adding to brand awareness. This is the busiest time of year at Sears and they have guaranteed us HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS! Sears will be providing tables and chairs and all we need to do is suit up, and show up.

American Legion Post 295, has been approved to be at the Sears in Lake Forest Mall on the following dates. We will have a table on the lower mall entrance to Sears. Volunteers are needed from about 4 pm to 8:30 pm. At our table we will have information on joining The American Legion, member benefits, donation jar and raffle tickets for the Tribute Bike.

Special note: If you live in Maryland. The American Legion is close to signing a deal (Dec 19th) with a major utility provider to form an American Legion Electric Cooperative, ALEC. ALL current paid members of the Legion, Sons of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary will be eligible. Be sure to look for more info in the future.

Sears Dates:

November 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 (Black Friday!) & 30

December 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24

Please contact me to get more info

For the Veteran!

Bob Ouellette

Veteran Updates

2008-10-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

== VA Presumptive POW Diseases [01] ---------- (Updated List)
== Veteran Legislation 2008 ----- ( S.3023 Omnibus Bill Passes)
== Traumatic Brain Injury [04] ---------------- ( Rating Changes)
== COLA 2009 [04] ------------------------------ (5.9% Projected)
== Combat Vet Health Care [03] ------ ( Combat Vet Eligibility)
== SBP Paid Up Provision [06] ------------------- ( SBP Counter)
== Arlington National Cemetery [04] ----- ( New Media Policy)
== VA Health Care Funding [16] ---------------- (Ending Delays)
== Purple Heart ---------------------------------- (POW Eligibility)
== Military ID Cards [02] --------------- (New Requirements)
== DOD Disability Eval System [11] --- (Army Not Complying)

VA PRESUMPTIVE POW DISEASES UPDATE 01: The Department of Veterans Affairs presumes that specific disabilities diagnosed in certain veterans were caused by their military service. If one of these conditions is diagnosed in a former POW, VA presumes that the circumstances of his/her service caused the condition, and disability compensation can be awarded. This includes DIC education and CHAMPVA for spouses of veterans rated 100% or surviving spouses late-veterans that died from discussed medical problems. Disabilities may be presumed under the circumstances described and for the conditions listed as follows:

(1) Imprisoned for any length of time, and disability at least 10 percent disabling:
€ psychosis
€ any of the anxiety states
€ dysthymic disorder
€ organic residuals of frostbite
€ post-traumatic osteoarthritis
€ heart disease or hypertensive vascular disease and their complications
€ stroke and its residuals

(2) Imprisoned for at least 30 days, and disability at least 10 percent disabling:
€ avitaminosis
€ beriberi
€ chronic dysentery
€ helminthiasis
€ malnutrition (including optic atrophy)
€ pellagra
€ any other nutritional deficiency
€ irritable bowel syndrome
€ peptic ulcer disease
€ peripheral neuropathy
€ cirrhosis of the liver
[Source: County of Humboldt Veterans Service office 12 Oct 08 ++]

VETERAN LEGISLATION 2008: After months of delay, the Senate passed an omnibus veterans¹ benefits bill on 16 SEP that includes bigger benefits for veterans and their families, expanded home loans and a variety of other programs. The bill, S.3023, had passed the Senate Veterans¹ Affairs Committee in June but lingered in limbo because of disputes over dozens of
details. With congressional leaders aiming to end this legislative session of Congress soon, passage of the Senate bill was essential for any hope of passing a compromise bill in conjunction with the House this year. The Senate passed the bill by voice vote and with no debate. Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), chairman of the veterans¹ committee, and Richard Burr of North
Carolina, the committee¹s ranking Republican, said the bill passed by the Senate includes a host of compromises and includes the following provisions:

- It would order VA to simplify what it tells veterans when it denies benefits claims or asks for more information.³Notification letters to veterans about the status of their claims have become increasingly long, complex and difficult to understand,² Akaka said. ³These notification letters must be simplified. They should use plain and ordinary language rather than bureaucratic jargon. Veterans should not be subjected to confusing information as they seek benefits.²
- It would temporarily extend an increase in veterans¹ home loans through the end of 2011. The temporary measure allows loans of up to $730,000, but it is due to expire at the end of 2008. Akaka said extending the loan limits for several more years ³would enable more veterans to utilize their VA benefit to purchase more costly homes.²
- It would apply the maximum loan limit to home refinancing, and let homeowners refinance with a veterans¹ loan if they have 5% equity in their homes instead of the current 10% requirement.
- It would require more federal help for service members who have problems with employment and re-employment rights. Under the bill, the Labor Department would investigate more complaints and federal agencies would provide more assistance. The bill calls for mandatory training for federal human resources workers in the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act. Burr said every employer should obey the law, but the federal government has a particular responsibility to be a model employer. ³The federal government should make sure that not a single returning service member is denied proper reinstatement to a federal job,² Burr said. ³Unfortunately, this is not happening yet.²
- It would grant spouses of severely injured disabled veterans up to 20 years after the veterans are discharged to use education benefits, twice the time currently allowed.
- It would prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from making changes in its disability rating schedule without first notifying Congress. Burr said the current ratings system is ³riddled with outdated criteria that do not track with modern medicine,² especially in the areas of combat stress and traumatic brain injuries. VA has been working on several studies that could lead to an overhaul, but many veterans and lawmakers remain concerned that a change could result in lower benefits. Burr said the bill would ³make sure these studies do not get put on a shelf to collect dust² by requiring a report to Congress on the findings and what action is planned by VA.
[Source: NavyTimes Rick Maze article 19 Sep 08 ++]

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY UPDATE 04: The Dept. of Veterans Affairs announced changes to its schedule for rating disabilities for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), the "signature wound" of Iraq and Afghanistan.A VA press release noted, "Traumatic brain injuries result in immediate effects such as loss or alteration of consciousness, amnesia and sometimes neurological impairments." In some cases "prolonged or even permanent problems with a wide range of impairment in such areas as physical, mental and emotional/behavioral functioning may occur." People with TBI may experience headache, sleep difficulties, decreased memory and attention, slower thinking, irritability, and depression. 22,000 veterans presently are being compensated for TBI, including 5,800 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Those already receiving compensation for TBI injuries can be reevaluated under the new rating schedule criteria. The VA stressed, however, that veterans with the "most severe" forms of TBI would not receive much, if any, extra compensation because the current rating schedule provides adequate compensation in such cases. The rating schedule change mainly has the potential to affect those with mild or relatively moderate TBI who may have been assigned low or modest ratings in the past. Under the new rules, TBI ratings will be based on the degree of "cognitive impairment" and other
"residuals" of TBI. These may include mild to severe loss of memory, attention, concentration, judgment, motor activity, visual spatial orientation, ability to communicate and other functions. The rating schedule goes into effect in late October. Because of the complexity of each individual evaluation, it's not possible to assert that a particular person or particular condition would receive a particular rating increase. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 26 Sep 08 ++]

COLA 2009 UPDATE 04: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor reported 16 SEP that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.4% in August, before seasonal adjustment. The August level of 219.086 (1982-84=100) was 5.4% higher than in August 2007. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers(CPI-W) decreased 0.5 percent in August, prior to seasonal adjustment. The August level of 215.247 (1982-84=100) was 5.9%higher than in August 2007. Using seasonally adjusted data the BLS found that energy prices were down 3.2% from July and food prices were up 0.6%. Energy prices continue to have the most effect on the CPI. If the September CPI-W remains unchanged from the August CPI-W, the December COLA would be 5.9%. This would
be the highest COLA since the early 1980s. SEP 08 CPI data are scheduled to be released on 16 OCT at 0830 EST and can be viewed at www.bls.gov/cpi. [Source: MOAA News Exchange 24 Sep 08 ++]

COMBAT VETERAN HEALTH CARE UPDATE 03: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) utilizes the Department of Defense (DOD) ³Combat Zones² listing of designated hostile fire or imminent danger pay areas in establishing whether or not veterans¹ are eligible for this category of health care. Although DOD Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger pay existed prior to 11 NOV 98, only proof of such pay after 11 NOV 98, is acceptable. The table provided at http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/pubs/CombatOperations should assist in the determination of combat veteran eligibility. The following definitions are applicable in determining combat veteran status:

a.) Combat Veteran. A combat veteran is a veteran who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after November 11, 1998.
b.) Combat Zones. Combat zones are designated by an Executive Order from the President as areas in which the United States (U.S.) Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat. An area usually becomes a combat zone and ceases to be a combat zone on the dates the President designates by Executive Order.
c.) Minimum Active Duty Service Requirement. The minimum active duty service requirement is the shorter of the following two periods: (1) The full period for which they were enlisted, called or ordered to active duty, or (2) Twenty-four months of continuous active duty. NOTE: There remain categories of veterans who are expressly excluded by statute from the minimum active
duty service requirement; e.g., veterans who were discharged or released from active duty for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty, those discharged or released from active duty under an early out or hardship discharge, etc.
d.) Hostilities. Hostilities refers to conflict in which the members of the Armed Forces are subjected to danger comparable to the danger to which members of the Armed Forces have been subjected in a theater of combat operations during a period of war. To determine whether a period of hostilities is within the scope of this special authority, VA relies upon the same citation and criterion used to determine eligibility for VA Readjustment Counseling Service contained in 38 U.S.C., Section 1712A(a)(2)(B), as it applies to veterans in service after November 11,
1998. More specifically, criteria used to determine whether a veteran¹s service meets the qualifications required by statute include:

(1) Receipt of an expeditionary medal or other DOD authorized combat related medal. Note: A certificate of award, or presentation of a medal, in and of itself, will not suffice for VA health care eligibility verification purposes without the submission of supporting documentation (such as DD 214, Proof of Receipt of Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay, proof of exemption of Federal tax status for Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay after November 11, 1998), other military service records or orders indicating combat service.

(2) Service in a location designated by an Executive Order as a combat zone;

(3) Receipt of DOD Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger pay or combat pay tax exemption for serving in the area subject to hostilities; or (4) Other factors as may be defined in policy and regulation by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
e.) Hostilities or Imminent Danger Pay. Hostile fire pay is defined as pay to anyone exposed to hostile fire or mine explosion, while imminent danger pay is paid to anyone on duty outside the United States area who is subject to physical harm or imminent danger due to wartime conditions, terrorism, civil insurrection, or civil war.
f.) Medals. Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (does not include Global War on Terrorism Medal); Kosovo Campaign Medal; Southwest Asia Campaign Medal; and other DOD-authorized combat related medals. [Source: VHA Directive 2008-054 Addendum A 9 Sep 08 ++]

SBP PAID UP PROVISION UPDATE 06: As of this month, SBP payments ended for retirees who are at least age 70 and have paid 30 years (360 cumulative months) of SBP premiums. This affects 137,000 retirees, who will see their retired pay go up in the November checks. The net increase in the check won't be quite as much as the premium, because retired pay is taxable,
whereas the SBP premiums were deducted before taxes. In December, DFAS will display an "SBP Counter" on a retiree's Retiree Account Statement. It will show the total months of SBP premiums paid to date, so individuals can better project when their premiums will end. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 10 Oct 08 ++]

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY UPDATE 04: Army Secretary Peter Geren recently
signed a new media policy for Arlington National Cemetery that calls for the creation of an oversight board to include representatives from the cemetery, the Army and the media. Media coverage of funerals at Arlington became an issue in April, when the Washington Post ran a column about how the media was kept so far away from the funeral of a Marine killed in Iraq that reporters could not hear the service. Under the new policy, family members will have three options for media coverage of their loved-ones' funerals: No coverage, visual coverage, or visual coverage and limited audio coverage. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 8 Oct 08 ++]

VA HEALTH CARE FUNDING UPDATE 16: The chairs of the House and Senate Veterans¹ Affairs committees have introduced legislation, to be taken up next year, to ensure timelier and fully funded budgets for the VA health care system. Proponents say passage of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act (H.R. 6939 and S. 3527) also might lead to a gradual reopening of VA health care to thousands of priority group 8 veterans. These are veterans with no service-connected ailments and, by government standards, adequate income. Priority group 8 enrollments were stopped in 2003. The thrust of the VA health budget reform bill, however, is to approve VA health care funds a year in advance and end a disturbing pattern by Congress of passing VA budgets months after the budget year begins 1 OCT. These two- and three-month delays have forced VA hospitals and clinics to operate with funds frozen at previous year levels, creating supply and staff shortages, hiring freezes, and delays in equipment purchases. The health care budget reform bill would put the VA health care budget under an ³advance appropriation² schedule. If it were in effect this year, Congress would be passing a VA health budget now to take effect OCT 09. Part 2 of the package would improve the level of VA health care funding by requiring the department to use a new actuarial model that quite accurately can project the per capita cost of providing health care to the VA¹s enrolled-patient population. The GAO would be tasked with verifying the accuracy of VA health care cost projections each year. Therefore, if the VA proposed a health budget short of requirements, the White House would feel the political heat and would have to explain both to Congress and to veterans why health
services were being targeted for reductions.

This legislation is an innovation from the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform (PVHCBR), a group of eight veteran-service organizations: AMVETS, the Blinded Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the American Legion, VFW, and Vietnam Veterans of America. In introducing their plan as a bill, Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) chair of the House committee, called it a ³historic new approach to guarantee that our veterans have access to comprehensive, quality health care.² Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Senate committee chair, said it would end
VA budgets that are ³untimely and unpredictable.² A bipartisan group of cosponsors came forward in both chambers. Joining Akaka were Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Ted Stevens (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AR), and John Thune (R-SD). Cosponsors with Filner in the House were Reps. Walter Jones (R-NC), Michael Michaud (D-ME), and Phil Hare (D-IL). The veterans¹ group partnership choose
a new path toward VA health care budget reform after Congress declined year after year to back a law that would mandate full funding of the VA health care system for every veteran needing care. Lawmakers argued it would limit congressional prerogatives. It also would expand VA entitlements in violation of the pay-as-you-go budget rule that the cost of any new entitlement be offset by a cut in another entitlement account or by raising taxes.

One proponent of VA budgeting reform is Bob Perrault, who served as director of three VA medical centers before retiring from the Veterans Health Administration in 2004 as its top business officer. Perrault says that in every year he can remember as the director of those medical centers, congressional delays in passing a VA health care budget resulted in disruptive shortages and inefficient spending patterns. ³We¹d stopped buying equipment. We¹d stopped doing maintenance just to try to maintain [staff] as long as we could,² Perrault says. Patient waiting lists would grow, and dedicated staff got blamed for management lapses, when the real culprit was Congress. Until VA health budgets are reformed, even veterans¹ advocates say
it isn¹t practical to swing open the doors of VA health care again to priority group 8 veterans. If that happens, says Peter Dickinson, a consultant to Disabled American Veterans and former staff member on the House Veterans¹ Affairs Committee, ³we could be in danger of returning to
the days of ¹03 and ¹04, when more than 300,000 veterans waited six months or longer to get an appointment.² Ironically, this year, a day before the new fiscal year began, Congress passed and the president signed into law the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance and Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 2638). It raised VA spending to $94.35 billion in fiscal 2009 NDAA, an
increase of $6.75 billion or 7.7%. Two-thirds of that increase, $4.1 billion, is for health care. This won praise from veteran service organizations. Proponents say passage of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform Act next year could make legislative performances &lsqauo; like this one on
behalf of veterans &lsqauo; the rule rather than the exception. [Source: MOAA Observation Post Tom Philpott article 10 Oct 08 ++]

VA CLAIMS BACKLOG UPDATE 19: Lawmakers have high expectations that they can reduce the backlog and processing time for veterans¹ benefits claims through a combination of new procedures, including two pilot projects. The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which passed Congress on Saturday and is being prepared for submission to the White House for President Bush¹s signature, pushes the Department of Veterans Affairs to use electronic
filing and processing of claims to try to improve the speed of claims decisions, reduce the disparity in decisions involving similar issues and cut the number of claims decisions that end up being overturned. The bill also creates a new authority to provide a temporary disability rating for some veterans who have severe and multiple disabilities that are not fully healed. Stabilized and unstabilized disabilities that have an impact on employment could be considered in assigning the temporary rating that would be used to provide disability compensation during the first year after leaving the military.

One of the pilot projects ordered by the compromise bill requires special, expedited treatment for disability claims where the veteran had the help of a veterans¹ service officer to prepare the paperwork. This one-year test would be carried out in at least 10 regional offices. A second pilot
project, to run over three years in at least four regional offices, would have processors and veterans use a checklist when submitting claims in an effort to bring more organization and uniformity to the claims process. The bill also gives VA one year to develop a program using information technology to process claims that would allow veterans to file applications
and to track the progress of their claim online. Several provisions in the bill were drawn from a claims modernization bill sponsored by Rep. John Hall (D-NY) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) that attempts to improve training for VA workers who are processing claims and to change how employees are evaluated. Hall said processing a first-time claim by a disabled veteran can
take 180 days and even longer if a veteran appeals the initial decision. The long processing time is part of the reason there is a backlog of about 400,000 claims awaiting a decision by VA.

Over the last two years, members of the House and Senate veterans¹ affairs committees have tried to push VA to process claims more quickly while also complaining about the rate of mistakes in claims and evidence that similar claims are decided differently between VA regional offices. In the report accompanying the benefits bill, the two committees say they want
a process that is perceived as fair by veterans, but realize ³it is unreasonable to expect states to have exactly the same average compensation or percentage of veterans receiving compensation.² The bill requires a report &lsqauo; due one year from now &lsqauo; that looks at variances in benefits between regional offices and between veterans of different states to determine whether the differences are justified. [Source: NavyTimes Rick Maze article
2 Oct 08 ++]

PURPLE HEART: Congressman Bob Filner announced on 7 OCT that the Purple Heart will be presented posthumously to all prisoners-of-war who die in captivity. The revised policy allows retroactive award of the Purple Heart to qualifying prisoners-of-war since 7 DEC 41. Posthumous award will be made to the deceased service member's representative, as designated by the secretary of the military department concerned, upon application to that military department. The legislation that makes this possible is Filner¹s bill, Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act, passed by Congress in 2006. The Department of Defense announced its complete implementation 6 OCT. ³The law now presumes that the death of all service members who die in captivity was the result of enemy action or the result of wounds incurred in action with the enemy during capture and imprisonment,² said Congressman Filner. ³Before passage of my bill, prisoners of war who died during imprisonment of wounds inflicted by an instrument of war were eligible for posthumous Purple Heart recognition, but those who died of starvation, disease, abuse, freezing or other causes during captivity were not. There should be no false distinction indicating more courage or more sacrifice by some prisoners of war over others,² said Filner. The Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act had over 200 co-sponsors and broad bi-partisan support in Congress. In addition, many major Veteran Service Organizations supported the bill, including the American Legion, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the American Ex-Prisoners of War. The Senate bill was introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer. ³The inspiration for my bill came from Wilbert ŒShorty¹ Estabrook, who was imprisoned for more than three years during the Korean War, and Rick and Brenda Tavares. Brenda¹s uncle, Corporal Melvin Morgan,
died in Korea of starvation and beatings in 1950 at the age of 20,² said Filner. Each military department will publish application procedures and will ensure that they are accessible to the general public. Family members with questions may contact the Services: Army Military Awards Branch (703) 325-8700, Navy Personnel Command Retired Records Section (314) 592 -1150,
Air Force Personnel Center (800) 616-3775, and Marine Corps Military Awards Branch (730) 784-9340. For further information, media representatives should contact Eileen Lainez, (703) 695-3895, eileen.lainez@osd.mil. [Source: Filner Press Release 7 Oct 08 ++]

MILITARY HISTORY OCTOBER ANNIVERSARIES: Significant October Events in Military History are:

1781 - British troops under General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending the American Revolution.
1775 - The US Navy was established.
1901 - The first British Navy submarine was commissioned.
1944 - Battle of Leyte Gulf
1950 - The invasion of North Korea started.
1952 - Battle of Hill 598 began, Korean War
1957 - The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, first man-made earth satellite.
1962 - The U.S. began its blockade of Cuba to compel the Russians to remove long-range missiles aimed at the U.S.
1964 - The Chinese exploded their first atomic bomb.
1965 - The Battle of the La Drang Valley, Vietnam War.
1968 - The Bombing of North Vietnam ended.
1969 - Battle of Loc Ninh, Vietnam War
1971 - Operation Jefferson Glenn, the last major operation in which US ground forces participated in Vietnam
1973 - Egypt and Syria launched military offensive against Israel
1983 -Terrorist attack on Marine Barracks, Beirut
1983 - Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada
1993 - Battle of Bakhara Market, Mogadishu, Somalia
2000 - Bombing of the USS Cole by Al-Queda terrorists
2001 - Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan
2001 War on Terror Began
[Source: VetJobs Veteran Eagle Oct 08 ++]

MILITARY ID CARDS UPDATE 02: Homeland Security Directive 12 now requires retirees and family members seeking to renew or replace a military identification card to provide two types of ID. Retirees and family members needing identification cards must have two of the following types of current identification -- one of which must include a photo:
€ Driver¹s license or ID issued by a state or outlying U.S. commonwealth or possession ID card issued by federal, state or local government agencies or entities.
€ School ID card with a photograph
€ Voter¹s registration card
€ U.S. military ID card
€ U.S. passport
€ Certificate of U.S. citizenship
€ Certificate of naturalization

For persons younger than 18, who are unable to present a document previously listed, they may bring:
€ School record or report card
€ Clinic, doctor or hospital record
€ Day-care or nursery school record

The above listing is not all inclusive. A list of acceptable documents can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf. [Source: VetJobs Veteran Eagle Oct 08 ++]

VA FRAUD UPDATE 13: A Pittsburgh woman pleaded guilty 29 AUG to stealing her dead mother's VA benefits for more than two years. Laurie Davin withdrew more than $38,000 from her mother's bank account from FEB 05 to OCT 07 She pleaded guilty to theft of government property before U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone. According to the prosecution, Ms. Davin's mother, Helen Lang, was receiving the dependency payments on behalf of her husband. But
Ms. Lang died on 3 FRB 05, and the payments should have stopped. Under what is known as the "Death Match" project, investigators with Veterans Affairs inspector general's office found that money was still being deposited to Ms. Lang's account. When confronted, Ms. Davin told investigators that she was having financial problems and that her mother had lived with her for 10 years and contributed toward household expenses. The woman also said she was trying to sell her home, support her daughter in college and was working two jobs at the time. She also had recently for filed bankruptcy. Ms. Davin had power of attorney over her mother's account and used an ATM card to make 144 withdrawals before she stopped. Judge Cercone set sentencing for 15 DEC 08. [Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Paula Reed Ward article 16 Sep 08 ++]

VA FRAUD UPDATE 14: Three Lowell MA residents residing in the same household are facing federal charges that they bilked disabled vets living at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford MA out of thousands of dollars through identity fraud. Wilfredo Hernandez, 41, has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, identity fraud and
access-device fraud, as have his 60-year-old mother, Gladys Hernandez, and his 27-year-old girlfriend, Jessica Rivera. The Hernandezes were both released on a $10,000 unsecured bond 29 SEP after their initial appearance in federal court. Rivera will appear before the court 9 OCT. Federal investigators allege that Wilfredo Hernandez, who worked at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford as a custodian for about 20 years, and Rivera, a nurse's assistant for about seven years, stole credit-card information, bank-account numbers and blank checks from a handful of veterans. They then shared the stolen information with Gladys Hernandez before using it to pay bills and purchase goods online and by telephone, the indictment says. They also allegedly made out the stolen checks to other family members, who would then hand over that amount in cash.

The trio's indictment lists four veterans who were allegedly targeted. They are permanent residents of the hospital "due to the extensive nature of their disabilities," the indictment says. The trio initiated the fraud in AUG 07, when they used one veteran's information to apply for a credit card with Capital One, the indictment says. There appears to have been no further
activity until 5 OCT 07, when Wilfredo Hernandez allegedly accessed the Sovereign Bank account of a second veteran to initiate a $350 payment toward his cell-phone bill. That veteran's bank accounts were then targeted six more times over the next two months for another $2,430. Federal officials say the trio used that money as cash or applied it toward cell-phone and
cable bills. A third veteran's credit card was also used in NOV/DEC 07 to purchase $1,758.96 worth of products from cable shopping channels QVC and Home Shopping Network, the indictment says. The trio allegedly targeted the Ocean Bank account of the fourth veteran once, in PCT 07, attempting to initiate an electronic payment of $4,947 to the CMD Wholesale clothing
company. The thefts were uncovered in JAN 08, when relatives of the veterans reported the unusual bank activity to the hospital, the indictment says. The case was then investigated by officials from the Veterans Administration and U.S. Secret Service. If they are convicted, the
Hernandezes and Rivera face up to 15 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. [Source: Lowell sun Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl article 30 Sep 08 ++]

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY UPDATE 03: Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for more than 340,000 soldiers, presidents and other distinguished Americans, has moved a step closer to adding thousands of grave sites. On 16 SEP Arlingtoin County officials approved a 4.3-acre land swap with the federal government that will allow the cemetery to add as many as 3,440 burial sites. The move is part of expansion plans set forth more than four decades ago that military officials say will allow burials to continue until 2060. After that, plans are less clear. The 4.3-acre portion will convert Navy Annex land west of the Pentagon to grave sites. Arlington County's Southgate Road would have divided the new cemetery space. The
county will swap land that includes the road for a comparable piece of the annex that the county can use for a potential history complex and for redevelopment along Columbia Pike. The exchange is scheduled for 2011, although that timeline could change, federal and local officials said.

George W. Dodge, president of the Arlington Historical Society said, "It's not just a cemetery now; it's a shrine. It's a shrine to valor and the sacrifices American men and women have made. Given the space constraints, there are only a finite number of days or years it can stay open . . . so acreage becomes an issue. You can trace the history of this country through all the interments there. It's like a walk through history. If it's cut off at some point, you're going to lose that." Soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq war have been buried on the 624-acre grounds, including William Russell, a colonel from the Virginia regiment who was present during
the winter at Valley Forge. Presidents William H. Taft and John F. Kennedy are there, as are North Pole explorers Robert Peary and Matthew Henson. Dirt dug from graves today is moved nearby to help prepare future sites. Officials estimate that each acre can accommodate 600 to 800 graves. In other expansion plans, the cemetery is building a wall along Route 110 that
will hold 6,500 niches for cremated remains. A third project will add sites near Fort Myer. And what happens a half-century from now, when the land runs out? "It's hard to say," said Kaitlin Horst, a cemetery official. "I don't know that that's been discussed at this point. We're working on the three we have now, and I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." [Source: Washington Post Michael Laris article 18 Sep 08 +]

DOD DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM UPDATE 11: In JAN 08 Congress ordered the Pentagon to drop its disability ratings rules and strictly follow the VA¹s criteria in assigning ratings to injured and wounded service members. In March, the Army said it would comply. All the other services were to follow suit. The change in law was among the most significant changes to emerge in the wake of 2007¹s Walter Reed scandal. Veterans¹ groups hailed the change, having complained for years that the military had shortchanged wounded combat veterans on their disability ratings and compensation. But seven months later, the Army still isn¹t living up to its promise, at least not when it comes to assessing troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The VA ratings schedule says PTSD sufferers should receive a minimum 50% disability rating from the rating agency and then be reassessed within six months to determine if the initial evaluation should be changed for the longer term. But a number of soldiers suffering from PTSD have been given disability ratings of just 10%, and then separated from service without the required follow-up assessment. Worse, the Pentagon seems to be gearing up for a broader policy change that would take this approach to PTSD across all the armed services, according to veterans¹ advocates.
This should hardly come as a surprise; it is just the latest in a string of unconscionable decisions coming from the office of Pentagon personnel chief David Chu. This is the same executive who sought to cut combat pay for troops in the war zones and once proposed shunting off the
Defense Department¹s obligations for military retirees onto the VA. Over the past three years, he has advocated doubling and tripling some of the health care fees paid by many military retirees. And just a few weeks ago, Chu narrowed the definition of ³combat related² to reduce the number of disabled troops who might benefit under another provision of the 2008 Defense
Authorization Act, which says some disabled troops do not have to return any severance pay they receive from the military before they can draw disability payments from VA. Chu¹s definition of combat related is significantly narrower than the one already in use to determine eligibility for a separate program for disabled retirees called Combat Related Special Compensation.

Lawmakers had assumed defense officials would use the definition already in place and were stunned to find a new and narrower interpretation. Indeed, Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., already has drafted an amendment to the pending 2009 defense authorization bill directing the Pentagon to use the more generous definition of combat related for both programs. A similar retroactive correction is needed to force the Pentagon to live up to its legal responsibilities regarding the assignment of disability ratings for all medical conditions &lsqauo; including PTSD. A central theme coming out of the Walter Reed hearings was the need to get the Defense Department and VA to share a single government standard in assessing disabilities. Congress¹ intent was to make the VA standard apply across the board. The Pentagon needs to comply with that direction. [Source: ArmyTimes Editorial 17 Sep 08 ++]

HAVE YOU HEARD: A farmer's three daughters leave one night for dates with their new boyfriends, one an Airman, the other a Soldier, and the third a Sailor. The girls all bring their dates home that night, and the next morning, the farmer wakes up bright and early at 05:30 to cook breakfast and meet the boys his daughters have brought home.

- The Marine comes down at 5:45, clean, pressed, and spit-shined, eats two eggs, an apple, and a glass of milk, says, "Thank you for breakfast, sir", and leaves.
- The Airman comes down looking fairly squared-away at 06:30, eats three eggs, two slices of bacon, two pieces of toast, and has a glass of orange juice. He says, "Thanks for the chow" and walks out the front door.
- At 10:00, the farmer gets tired of sitting inside, so heads to the back yard to do some chores, when the Sailor comes dashing out of the house, dress white top stained, neckerchief missing, one shoe in one hand and a scorched old cup of coffee in the other, and yells "Later!" on his way out
of the yard and down the street.
His daughters come down a short time later, and he asks them all for accounts of their evenings. The girl who'd been out with the Airman says, "He was a perfect gentleman. He bought me dinner and a couple of drinks, gave me a hundred dollars to buy myself something nice, and retired at 22:00 to the spare bedroom to sleep". The girl who'd been out with the Soldier
said, "He was a nice guy, we each paid for our own meals, and he tried to sneak a kiss off me. He was sort of drunk, so I let him sleep in my bed, while I took the floor, but, he did give me fifty dollars to buy myself something nice". The third daughter, looking ragged and worn down, talking about her date with the Sailor, says, "That asshole! He came over last night smelling like booze, and finished a bottle of whiskey he'd brought with him. He passed out on my bed last night after repeatedly trying to get my pants off, and this morning he borrowed a hundred bucks 'til payday."

Lt. James ³EMO² Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio
City RP

Boycott Venezuelan Goods and Services

2008-09-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

I don't normally get excited, but... Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has done everything but declare war on the US.

Sep 12, From Time Magazine "Who needs diplomacy and all its excruciating politeness? Not even the traditional "Yankee Go Home" was enough to convey the pique of President Hugo Chávez on Thursday, as he announced that he had given U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy 72 hours to leave Venezuela. "Shithead Yankees, go to hell!" Chávez thundered at a campaign rally in Carabobo state Thursday, announcing that he had also asked Venezuela's Ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, to return home until a new government is elected in the U.S. that would "respect the peoples and governments of Latin America.""

Feb 25, President Hugo Chavez's government is taking its battle against U.S. "imperialism" into Venezuelans' vocabulary, urging state phone company workers to eschew English-language business and tech terms that have crept into the local vernacular. through a campaign launched Monday, newly nationalized CANTV hopes to wean employees and others from words like "staff" ("equipo"), "marketing" ("mercadeo") and "password" ("contrasena").

Well who needs Venezuela! Why don't we show the anit-US Chavez and his people that we don't need him. Stop buying goods and services from Venezuelan Companies. On top of the list is CITGO.

With Venezuelan Exports (2006): $68 billion and 57% to the US we can help slow thier ecomony and send a message to Chavez.

Chavez would rather deal with China and Russia than deal with the US. Why should we, the citizens of the United States continue to fund, Terrorists, Dictators, and Kings who wish harm on us? In the past, Chavez sparked concern in the United States when he announced that he would like to see more of Venezuela's oil exports go to China. Venezuela, for instance, increased 2005 oil exports to China by five times the 2004 amount, amounting to 70,000 barrels of oil per day; Chavez has stated that he wants this number to hit 300,000 barrels per day by the end of 2006. Currently, about 50 percent of Venezuela's oil exports go to the United States. http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=406&language_id=1

Jun 2007 ~ Venezuela has moved closer to nationalising its oil-rich Orinoco River basin, as four foreign oil companies signed deals giving Venezuela the lion's share of the profits and two US companies pulled out altogether. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/27/1963092.htm

Time to send a message. Time to Boycott Venezuela and thier goods and services.

Let's start with Citgo,

Citgo Petroleum Corporation or Citgo is a United States-incorporated, Venezuela-owned[2] refiner and marketer of gasoline, lubricants, petrochemicals and other petroleum products.

For a Larger List http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_of_Venezuela#Import-Export

Buy American, Keep US Dollars in the US!

Bob Ouellette
American Patriot