Military and veterans health care should not be part of any national health care bill, says The American Legion
WASHINGTON (July 22, 2009) – The national commander of the nation’s largest veterans service organization has reacted to tonight’s urgent call by President Barack Obama for national health care reform.
“While The American Legion appreciates the complexity of the healthcare reform challenge facing the President and Congress,” said David K. Rehbein, “on behalf of our nation's 26-million veterans and the nearly two million personnel now on active duty in more than 130 countries, we urge Congress to ensure that veterans’ and military health care not be part of any national health care bill. They should be exempt in the legislation.”
Rehbein added, “Our nation must maintain its long standing tradition that veterans’ and military health care systems will remain independent and focused on our most deserving citizens.
“The American Legion has a proud tradition of securing and preserving the earned benefits of America’s veterans,” Rehbein said. “Ensuring timely access to quality healthcare for today’s military and veterans is of paramount concern. These are the citizens who have borne our battles in previous wars as they still are in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have earned our care the hard way. We, as a nation, have an obligation to ensure that their healthcare is not compromised,” he concluded.
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.
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Media contacts: Craig Roberts, (202) 263-2982, Cell (202) 406-0887 or Joe March, (317) 630-1253; Cell (317) 748-1926. A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Rehbein is available at www.legion.org.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Historic Increases in Support of our Military and Veterans:
With passage of this bill, Congress has provided a 58 percent increase in funding for veterans health care and benefits since January 2007. This funding has resulted in a total increase of 8,300 claims processors, 145 community-based outpatient clinics, 70 Vet Centers, and more than 47,000 additional Veterans Health Administration employees. These additional resources will provide our veterans with their benefits more quickly and improve access to health care and other services. Congress has also funded several initiatives to improve the quality of life for our military and their families to include: $2.8 billion for new military hospitals, $1 billion for new child care centers to serve 20,000 military children, and $570 million in additional funding for barracks.
News from Congressman
Chet Edwards
Chairman, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Room H-143 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3047
17th District, Texas • 2369 Rayburn Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-6105
Homepage: www.house.gov/edwards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Josh Taylor
July 10, 2009 202-225-6105
Edwards: Historic Veterans, Military Construction Bill Passes House
Respects Service of Troops, Veterans, Includes Advanced Appropriations for First Time, & Builds on Historic Funding Increases Since 2007
(Washington, DC)— U.S. Representative Chet Edwards announced that the House passed vital funding for troops veterans, and their families under the fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The bill builds on the $17.7 billion in historic increases for veterans passed into law by Congress since January 2007. The bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 415 to 3.
Edwards, Chairman of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee said, “This bill sends a clear message to America’s servicemen and women, their families, and our veterans that we deeply respect their service and sacrifice. With passage of this bill, Congress has provided a 58 percent increase in funding for veterans health care and benefits since January 2007. In addition we have a new 21st Century GI Education bill that now also transfers this important benefit to the children of those service members who have died while serving our country. This is an unprecedented increase in Congress’ commitment to veterans, and in my book, our veterans have earned every dime of this funding.
“This funding has resulted in a total increase of 8,300 claims processors, 145 community-based outpatient clinics, 70 Vet Centers, and more than 47,000 additional Veterans Health Administration employees. These additional resources will provide our veterans with their benefits more quickly and improve access to health care and other services. Congress has also funded several initiatives to improve the quality of life for our military and their families to include: $2.8 billion for new military hospitals, $1 billion for new child care centers to serve 20,000 military children, and $570 million in additional funding for barracks.”
The bill is strongly supported by major veterans service organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, and many others.
Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas, who is the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars said, “This is a huge step forward for disabled veterans, and the historic funding increases the House provides will dramatically improve the healthcare programs our nation delivers to her defenders. We have to thank House leadership from both sides of the aisle for making this happen, especially Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) for spearheading the legislation.”
Overall, the bill provides $77.9 billion in discretionary spending, $53 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $24.6 billion for Military Construction, Family Housing and BRAC, and $266.8 million for related agencies. It is $239 million more than the President’s request and $5 billion more than fiscal year 2009 level. For the first time ever, $48.2 billion is provided in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for three medical accounts: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities.
Bill Total
2009 Enacted: $72.9 billion
President’s Request: $77.7 billion
House Passage: $77.9 billion
KEY INVESTMENTS
Historic Increases in Support of our Military and Veterans: With passage of this bill, Congress has provided a 58 percent increase in funding for veterans health care and benefits since January 2007. This funding has resulted in a total increase of 8,300 claims processors, 145 community-based outpatient clinics, 70 Vet Centers, and more than 47,000 additional Veterans Health Administration employees. These additional resources will provide our veterans with their benefits more quickly and improve access to health care and other services. Congress has also funded several initiatives to improve the quality of life for our military and their families to include: $2.8 billion for new military hospitals, $1 billion for new child care centers to serve 20,000 military children, and $570 million in additional funding for barracks.
Overview of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act:
DEPARMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: $108.9 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $14.5 billion above 2009, for veterans medical care, claims processors, and facility improvements. In addition, for the first time ever, $48.2 billion is provided in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for three medical accounts: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities.
Veterans Health Administration (VHA): $45.1 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $4.4 billion above 2009 after adjusting for transfers approved by the Committee on January 6, 2009, for veterans medical care to include:
• Medical Services: $34.7 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $4.0 billion above 2009 after adjusting for approved transfers, to improve access to medical services for all veterans.
• Mental Health: $4.6 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $800 million above 2009, for mental health care.
• Assistance for Homeless Vets: $3.2 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $949 million above 2009, includes $26 million for a Presidential Initiative to combat homelessness, $150 million for the homeless grants and per diem program, $20 million for supportive services for low income veterans and families, in addition to $21 million to hire additional personnel for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.
• Rural Health: The Department estimates that $440 million will be spent in fiscal year 2010 on innovative practices to improve access to care for veterans in rural areas. More than 3.2 million (41%) of enrolled veterans live in rural or highly rural areas.
• Medical and Prosthetic Research: $580 million, the same as the President’s Request and $70 million above 2009, to include a $48 million increase for research to address the critical needs of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.
Major and Minor Construction: $1.9 billion, $123 million above the President’s Request and $252 million above 2009.
General Operating Expenses: $2.1 billion, $132 million below the President’s Request and $290 million above 2009, to enable the Department to hire roughly 1,200 additional claims processors to continue to work down the backlog of benefits claims and to reduce the time to process new claims. The most recent VA quarterly status report estimates that nearly 397,000 claims are pending. Additionally, the bill funds the Paralympics Program at the fully authorized amount of $10 million.
Inspector General: $106 million to include increased funding to provide additional oversight personnel including initiatives regarding financial audit and information technology program reviews.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION: $23.2 billion, $1.8 billion below 2009 is provided for the base programs. The decrease from 2009 is attributable to the expected decline in BRAC construction requirements and the success of the family housing privatization program. In addition, $1.4 billion is provided for Overseas Contingency Operations, for a total funding level in the bill of $24.6 billion, $226 million above the President’s Request and $472 million below 2009.
• Trainee Troop Housing Initiative: $450 million to accelerate the Army’s program to modernize troop housing facilities for trainees. The Army has a need for $2.2 billion to bring all 115,413 trainee barracks spaces up to standard and the program currently is not scheduled to finish until 2017.
• Guard and Reserve Initiative: $200 million in additional funding is provided for Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy and Marine Corps Reserve, and Air Force Reserve construction to address critical unfunded requirements, in recognition of the tremendous contributions made by Guard and Reserve personnel to emergency assistance, homeland security, and national defense.
• BRAC 1990 Environmental Cleanup: $537 million, $140 million above the President’s Request and $78 million above 2009, to address the large unfunded backlog of environmental cleanup for bases that were closed during the four previous BRAC rounds.
• 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and Re-stationing: $7.5 billion, same as the President’s request, to implement base closures and realignments, and support the re-stationing of troops and their families from overseas to the United States.
• Military Housing: $2 billion, same as the President’s Request, to further eliminate inadequate military housing.
• Overseas Contingency Operations: $1.4 billion to support additional military construction requirements to support operations and troop increases in Afghanistan.
RELATED AGENCIES
American Battle Monuments Commission: $61.8 million, $1.5 million above the President’s Request and $2.3 million above 2009. This funding provides for the care and operation of our military monuments and cemeteries around the world.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: $28.1 million, including $2.8 million for the Pro Bono Program to provide assistance to low income veterans.
Cemeterial Expenses: $42.5 million, $5.3 million above the President’s Request and $5.8 million above 2009, for Arlington cemetery. The additional funding will enable relocation of power and telephone line to make ground available for over 8,000 gravesites.
Armed Forces Retirement Home: $134 million, the same as the President’s Request and $71 million above 2009, for the Armed Forces Retirement Home, including $72 million for capital expenditures.
- 3 0 -
Joshua P. Taylor
Communications Director
Office of U.S. Representative Chet Edwards
2369 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
202/225-6105
News from Congressman
Chet Edwards
Chairman, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Room H-143 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3047
17th District, Texas • 2369 Rayburn Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-6105
Homepage: www.house.gov/edwards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Josh Taylor
July 10, 2009 202-225-6105
Edwards: Historic Veterans, Military Construction Bill Passes House
Respects Service of Troops, Veterans, Includes Advanced Appropriations for First Time, & Builds on Historic Funding Increases Since 2007
(Washington, DC)— U.S. Representative Chet Edwards announced that the House passed vital funding for troops veterans, and their families under the fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The bill builds on the $17.7 billion in historic increases for veterans passed into law by Congress since January 2007. The bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 415 to 3.
Edwards, Chairman of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee said, “This bill sends a clear message to America’s servicemen and women, their families, and our veterans that we deeply respect their service and sacrifice. With passage of this bill, Congress has provided a 58 percent increase in funding for veterans health care and benefits since January 2007. In addition we have a new 21st Century GI Education bill that now also transfers this important benefit to the children of those service members who have died while serving our country. This is an unprecedented increase in Congress’ commitment to veterans, and in my book, our veterans have earned every dime of this funding.
“This funding has resulted in a total increase of 8,300 claims processors, 145 community-based outpatient clinics, 70 Vet Centers, and more than 47,000 additional Veterans Health Administration employees. These additional resources will provide our veterans with their benefits more quickly and improve access to health care and other services. Congress has also funded several initiatives to improve the quality of life for our military and their families to include: $2.8 billion for new military hospitals, $1 billion for new child care centers to serve 20,000 military children, and $570 million in additional funding for barracks.”
The bill is strongly supported by major veterans service organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, and many others.
Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas, who is the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars said, “This is a huge step forward for disabled veterans, and the historic funding increases the House provides will dramatically improve the healthcare programs our nation delivers to her defenders. We have to thank House leadership from both sides of the aisle for making this happen, especially Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) for spearheading the legislation.”
Overall, the bill provides $77.9 billion in discretionary spending, $53 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $24.6 billion for Military Construction, Family Housing and BRAC, and $266.8 million for related agencies. It is $239 million more than the President’s request and $5 billion more than fiscal year 2009 level. For the first time ever, $48.2 billion is provided in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for three medical accounts: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities.
Bill Total
2009 Enacted: $72.9 billion
President’s Request: $77.7 billion
House Passage: $77.9 billion
KEY INVESTMENTS
Historic Increases in Support of our Military and Veterans: With passage of this bill, Congress has provided a 58 percent increase in funding for veterans health care and benefits since January 2007. This funding has resulted in a total increase of 8,300 claims processors, 145 community-based outpatient clinics, 70 Vet Centers, and more than 47,000 additional Veterans Health Administration employees. These additional resources will provide our veterans with their benefits more quickly and improve access to health care and other services. Congress has also funded several initiatives to improve the quality of life for our military and their families to include: $2.8 billion for new military hospitals, $1 billion for new child care centers to serve 20,000 military children, and $570 million in additional funding for barracks.
Overview of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act:
DEPARMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: $108.9 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $14.5 billion above 2009, for veterans medical care, claims processors, and facility improvements. In addition, for the first time ever, $48.2 billion is provided in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for three medical accounts: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities.
Veterans Health Administration (VHA): $45.1 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $4.4 billion above 2009 after adjusting for transfers approved by the Committee on January 6, 2009, for veterans medical care to include:
• Medical Services: $34.7 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $4.0 billion above 2009 after adjusting for approved transfers, to improve access to medical services for all veterans.
• Mental Health: $4.6 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $800 million above 2009, for mental health care.
• Assistance for Homeless Vets: $3.2 billion, the same as the President’s Request and $949 million above 2009, includes $26 million for a Presidential Initiative to combat homelessness, $150 million for the homeless grants and per diem program, $20 million for supportive services for low income veterans and families, in addition to $21 million to hire additional personnel for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.
• Rural Health: The Department estimates that $440 million will be spent in fiscal year 2010 on innovative practices to improve access to care for veterans in rural areas. More than 3.2 million (41%) of enrolled veterans live in rural or highly rural areas.
• Medical and Prosthetic Research: $580 million, the same as the President’s Request and $70 million above 2009, to include a $48 million increase for research to address the critical needs of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.
Major and Minor Construction: $1.9 billion, $123 million above the President’s Request and $252 million above 2009.
General Operating Expenses: $2.1 billion, $132 million below the President’s Request and $290 million above 2009, to enable the Department to hire roughly 1,200 additional claims processors to continue to work down the backlog of benefits claims and to reduce the time to process new claims. The most recent VA quarterly status report estimates that nearly 397,000 claims are pending. Additionally, the bill funds the Paralympics Program at the fully authorized amount of $10 million.
Inspector General: $106 million to include increased funding to provide additional oversight personnel including initiatives regarding financial audit and information technology program reviews.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION: $23.2 billion, $1.8 billion below 2009 is provided for the base programs. The decrease from 2009 is attributable to the expected decline in BRAC construction requirements and the success of the family housing privatization program. In addition, $1.4 billion is provided for Overseas Contingency Operations, for a total funding level in the bill of $24.6 billion, $226 million above the President’s Request and $472 million below 2009.
• Trainee Troop Housing Initiative: $450 million to accelerate the Army’s program to modernize troop housing facilities for trainees. The Army has a need for $2.2 billion to bring all 115,413 trainee barracks spaces up to standard and the program currently is not scheduled to finish until 2017.
• Guard and Reserve Initiative: $200 million in additional funding is provided for Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy and Marine Corps Reserve, and Air Force Reserve construction to address critical unfunded requirements, in recognition of the tremendous contributions made by Guard and Reserve personnel to emergency assistance, homeland security, and national defense.
• BRAC 1990 Environmental Cleanup: $537 million, $140 million above the President’s Request and $78 million above 2009, to address the large unfunded backlog of environmental cleanup for bases that were closed during the four previous BRAC rounds.
• 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and Re-stationing: $7.5 billion, same as the President’s request, to implement base closures and realignments, and support the re-stationing of troops and their families from overseas to the United States.
• Military Housing: $2 billion, same as the President’s Request, to further eliminate inadequate military housing.
• Overseas Contingency Operations: $1.4 billion to support additional military construction requirements to support operations and troop increases in Afghanistan.
RELATED AGENCIES
American Battle Monuments Commission: $61.8 million, $1.5 million above the President’s Request and $2.3 million above 2009. This funding provides for the care and operation of our military monuments and cemeteries around the world.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: $28.1 million, including $2.8 million for the Pro Bono Program to provide assistance to low income veterans.
Cemeterial Expenses: $42.5 million, $5.3 million above the President’s Request and $5.8 million above 2009, for Arlington cemetery. The additional funding will enable relocation of power and telephone line to make ground available for over 8,000 gravesites.
Armed Forces Retirement Home: $134 million, the same as the President’s Request and $71 million above 2009, for the Armed Forces Retirement Home, including $72 million for capital expenditures.
- 3 0 -
Joshua P. Taylor
Communications Director
Office of U.S. Representative Chet Edwards
2369 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
202/225-6105
Monday, June 8, 2009
I received quite a bit of responses from my original message regarding “another Veterans Corps”…
Thank you all for caring.
From many of the responses, there are valid arguments made for and against this new “Veterans Corps”.
On the one hand, this new initiative, if properly supported by existing VSOs, can help launch an awareness program to returning veterans and introduce them to the traditions of “veterans serving veterans”. This will help increase awareness for VSOs like The American Legion amongst younger veterans and get them involved. And with some mentoring from older veterans, we can expect these young veterans who get involved in the “Veterans Corps” eventually volunteer their time with the VSOs and continue to make an impact. As one legionnaire wrote “If the new Veterans Corps is to strengthen and enable organizations to build capacity for their own missions to assist fellow veterans, then there is a chance this new initiative will actually accomplish something.”
On the other hand, if improperly executed, this program risks wasting taxpayer money and further disenfranchise veterans who are already doing everything they can.
Your collective wisdom has enlightened me in the fact that given this initiative, we can either be counter-productive and argue who can provide the best assistance to our veterans, or we can see this opportunity and work together to help mentor a generation of returning veterans the importance of peer-support and volunteer services to strengthen their communities.
And keeping true to the grassroots, I urge you to find out more about this Veterans Corps and ask your American Legion representatives, and your congressional representatives, to ensure VSOs critical role in developing the “Veterans Corps”.
Thank you all for caring.
From many of the responses, there are valid arguments made for and against this new “Veterans Corps”.
On the one hand, this new initiative, if properly supported by existing VSOs, can help launch an awareness program to returning veterans and introduce them to the traditions of “veterans serving veterans”. This will help increase awareness for VSOs like The American Legion amongst younger veterans and get them involved. And with some mentoring from older veterans, we can expect these young veterans who get involved in the “Veterans Corps” eventually volunteer their time with the VSOs and continue to make an impact. As one legionnaire wrote “If the new Veterans Corps is to strengthen and enable organizations to build capacity for their own missions to assist fellow veterans, then there is a chance this new initiative will actually accomplish something.”
On the other hand, if improperly executed, this program risks wasting taxpayer money and further disenfranchise veterans who are already doing everything they can.
Your collective wisdom has enlightened me in the fact that given this initiative, we can either be counter-productive and argue who can provide the best assistance to our veterans, or we can see this opportunity and work together to help mentor a generation of returning veterans the importance of peer-support and volunteer services to strengthen their communities.
And keeping true to the grassroots, I urge you to find out more about this Veterans Corps and ask your American Legion representatives, and your congressional representatives, to ensure VSOs critical role in developing the “Veterans Corps”.
another Veterans Corps???
Congress is trying to establish a new “Veterans Corps” under the established programs of AmeriCorps. (http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/worthy-AmeriCorps-program-benefit-veterans) The provisions introduced to both the House and Senate asked that the taxpayers to put more money into a bureaucracy and establish a program from the ground up to do the job that so many Veterans Service Organizations are already doing. From what I can tell, this new initiative will give AmeriCorps the funding it needs to establish transition assistance volunteers to help veterans.
Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve always thought the point of VSOs, like The American Legion, are chartered by Congress to organize volunteer efforts, manage donations, and bypassing the government bureaucracy, and putting the efforts and initiatives at the hands of veterans who understand how to help another veteran. Maintaining true grassroots and empowering fellow veterans to serve their peers not only ensure the quality but also the bond that ties a veteran to his/her community. Why do we want to waste more taxpayer’s money to build something that is already there???
So why is the Obama administration looking in another direction on helping our veterans??? Can it be simply that Obama, or Congress, didn’t really think this through? Are they just jumping into the bandwagon to simply do something for the sake of doing something???
If it were up to me, I’d say instead of building another veterans’ service organization under AmeriCorps, Congress and Obama should look at what all of the VSOs are doing, and help build partnership across the board and help facilitate peer support to reduce the redundancy and maximize support to those returning veterans that need the help…
I think this is a case where politics and the appearance of doing something needs to take a backseat. Acting with reason and operating with the best interests of our veterans and servicemembers should be our first responsibility. Congress can really make a difference by coming to the VSOs and ask for an alliance or some sort to establish this “Veterans Corps”… but that’s just my opinion…
Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve always thought the point of VSOs, like The American Legion, are chartered by Congress to organize volunteer efforts, manage donations, and bypassing the government bureaucracy, and putting the efforts and initiatives at the hands of veterans who understand how to help another veteran. Maintaining true grassroots and empowering fellow veterans to serve their peers not only ensure the quality but also the bond that ties a veteran to his/her community. Why do we want to waste more taxpayer’s money to build something that is already there???
So why is the Obama administration looking in another direction on helping our veterans??? Can it be simply that Obama, or Congress, didn’t really think this through? Are they just jumping into the bandwagon to simply do something for the sake of doing something???
If it were up to me, I’d say instead of building another veterans’ service organization under AmeriCorps, Congress and Obama should look at what all of the VSOs are doing, and help build partnership across the board and help facilitate peer support to reduce the redundancy and maximize support to those returning veterans that need the help…
I think this is a case where politics and the appearance of doing something needs to take a backseat. Acting with reason and operating with the best interests of our veterans and servicemembers should be our first responsibility. Congress can really make a difference by coming to the VSOs and ask for an alliance or some sort to establish this “Veterans Corps”… but that’s just my opinion…
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
How to start a good social network for veterans:
I hear a lot of ambitious people wanting to start a social network these days to “provide transitional service and connect the veteran community”. While I admire their initiative and desire to help, often they lack the knowledge of what social networking really is and don’t know how to really tap the potential of social networking and employ the power of social media and new media.
One example:
I recently received a call from CPT “Socialnetwork Champion” to discuss his social network for the Marines. I asked a few questions about his desires, and this is the facts I collected:
• They have a brief market analysis and have determined that their targeted audience should be Marines and Veterans age between 18 and 35.
• They want to provide transitional services to these veterans.
• They have lined up one headhunting company to provide this employment service.
• They want to provide a matching feature to connect Marines with potential mentors and employers.
• They want to provide a vehicle of communication for active duty Marines and veterans.
I think what they have so far is great, but here are some problems:
• Their market research is incomplete and failed to capture the growing market share in Baby Boomer generation that encompasses the Vietnam generation veterans.
• If they do not target the older generation then how are they to provide the matching service for young veterans? Just peer-peer will not get them the experience and institutional knowledge our older veterans have with regards to the VA and other processes necessary to ensure a successful transition.
• Their identified goal of providing transitional services is too general. There are just too many issues for any one person to tackle. Transition means anything from PTSD support, to financial services, to family life mentoring, to job placement, to social reintegration. If a social network does not identify and target a function to provide a service, users may be distracted and do not recognize the things that makes your social network unique. The point here is that social networking is like any other competitive market, where you have to offer something new and useful in the product you are trying to deliver to ensure users return. Social networks are nothing if you don’t have users and no one is coming back for a unique service and/or function.
If you are thinking about using a social network to connect and provide a service to our veterans, here are some of the things to think about to ensure your success:
• You need to identify your targeted audience. Be as precise as you can and cast your net as wide as you can. What you may need to do is to segment your audience types and by demographic. Once you have that, then do your market analysis to determine just what the needs are in each segmented section and determine the services and function you can provide to that section.
• Then you have to carefully determine the risk and return on your investment on each of the sections of your segmented audience group. If you are providing a peer-peer support service to women veterans, then you need to determine what competitive edge you have, is there a existing social network providing the exact thing? Also keep in mind that the functions you decide must meet a need and has to depend on your Voice of Customer analysis. So you may want to do a small online survey to see just how many people may be interested in getting online peer support for VA home loan process (or whatever else you have identified). What you don’t want to end up with is a high price function, connecting Marines with golf courses that provide discount to veterans, that only serves a small population and is not demanded by users on the social network environment.
• Also you need to design a functional process that your social network will adopt and practice. You must always identify key input variables and output variables of that functional process so you can improve on this process int eh future depending on user input.
• You must identify all open-sourced social networks and see if any of them can provide what you wish to accomplish before you decide to spend a few million dollars on tech cost. A lot of times software companies will sell you on things that they know won’t work because they know the exact same function is being performed by Facebook or Boomj. But they will sell you the software solution anyhow just to make money off you. So do as much as you can open-source, and host only critical information on paid technology. I recommend that database functionalities are a must pay service since that allows you to collect user data for your own segmentation and targeted marketing.
• And lastly, know your users and keep up on your users. Drive your users to your site. Your social network is nothing without users so don’t focus too much on the technology and forget your users…
One example:
I recently received a call from CPT “Socialnetwork Champion” to discuss his social network for the Marines. I asked a few questions about his desires, and this is the facts I collected:
• They have a brief market analysis and have determined that their targeted audience should be Marines and Veterans age between 18 and 35.
• They want to provide transitional services to these veterans.
• They have lined up one headhunting company to provide this employment service.
• They want to provide a matching feature to connect Marines with potential mentors and employers.
• They want to provide a vehicle of communication for active duty Marines and veterans.
I think what they have so far is great, but here are some problems:
• Their market research is incomplete and failed to capture the growing market share in Baby Boomer generation that encompasses the Vietnam generation veterans.
• If they do not target the older generation then how are they to provide the matching service for young veterans? Just peer-peer will not get them the experience and institutional knowledge our older veterans have with regards to the VA and other processes necessary to ensure a successful transition.
• Their identified goal of providing transitional services is too general. There are just too many issues for any one person to tackle. Transition means anything from PTSD support, to financial services, to family life mentoring, to job placement, to social reintegration. If a social network does not identify and target a function to provide a service, users may be distracted and do not recognize the things that makes your social network unique. The point here is that social networking is like any other competitive market, where you have to offer something new and useful in the product you are trying to deliver to ensure users return. Social networks are nothing if you don’t have users and no one is coming back for a unique service and/or function.
If you are thinking about using a social network to connect and provide a service to our veterans, here are some of the things to think about to ensure your success:
• You need to identify your targeted audience. Be as precise as you can and cast your net as wide as you can. What you may need to do is to segment your audience types and by demographic. Once you have that, then do your market analysis to determine just what the needs are in each segmented section and determine the services and function you can provide to that section.
• Then you have to carefully determine the risk and return on your investment on each of the sections of your segmented audience group. If you are providing a peer-peer support service to women veterans, then you need to determine what competitive edge you have, is there a existing social network providing the exact thing? Also keep in mind that the functions you decide must meet a need and has to depend on your Voice of Customer analysis. So you may want to do a small online survey to see just how many people may be interested in getting online peer support for VA home loan process (or whatever else you have identified). What you don’t want to end up with is a high price function, connecting Marines with golf courses that provide discount to veterans, that only serves a small population and is not demanded by users on the social network environment.
• Also you need to design a functional process that your social network will adopt and practice. You must always identify key input variables and output variables of that functional process so you can improve on this process int eh future depending on user input.
• You must identify all open-sourced social networks and see if any of them can provide what you wish to accomplish before you decide to spend a few million dollars on tech cost. A lot of times software companies will sell you on things that they know won’t work because they know the exact same function is being performed by Facebook or Boomj. But they will sell you the software solution anyhow just to make money off you. So do as much as you can open-source, and host only critical information on paid technology. I recommend that database functionalities are a must pay service since that allows you to collect user data for your own segmentation and targeted marketing.
• And lastly, know your users and keep up on your users. Drive your users to your site. Your social network is nothing without users so don’t focus too much on the technology and forget your users…
Friday, February 6, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Good morning to all legion college grads.
First I want to thank you for your dedicated work in membership.
I also want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May the new year bring you renewed passion for the world’s greatest and largest Veteran Service Organization.
Allow me to be a bit philosophical for the moment: it was taught to me that no matter of our success, we shall continue to learn and better ourselves in whatever our endeavors maybe. With that said, there is a wonderful upcoming opportunity for all of us to sharpen our skills and rejuvenate our minds.
This year’s National Grassroots Conference will be February 4-7, 2009 - Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club - St. Petersburg, FL. There are a range of topics you may find interesting. Such as:
- (Re)Building Your Grassroots Program
- How to Write Effective Messages
- Ethics & Transparency in Grassroots
- Finding & Training Your Key Contacts
- Speed Networking
- Web 2.0/Social Media Crash Course
- Grassroots and Diversity
- Effectively Involving Your Senior Management
- Integrating CSR and Grassroots Strategies
- Prioritizing Issues and Managing Demands
- Association Grassroots Management
- Grassroots Communication
- Embracing Social Media
As you can see, there is something for everyone there. I have always heard that volunteer management is difficult, and our most profound challenge is to motivate and utilize our dedicated workers effectively. I believe this conference will give you some ideas and help you with your work at the department level.
To view a complete agenda please go to http://pac.org/conferences/grassroots/agenda
You can also visit http://pac.org/conferences/grassroots/registration for registration information. Note: we are not a member of the Public Affairs Council and will have to pay the non-member registration fee if attending.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
First I want to thank you for your dedicated work in membership.
I also want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May the new year bring you renewed passion for the world’s greatest and largest Veteran Service Organization.
Allow me to be a bit philosophical for the moment: it was taught to me that no matter of our success, we shall continue to learn and better ourselves in whatever our endeavors maybe. With that said, there is a wonderful upcoming opportunity for all of us to sharpen our skills and rejuvenate our minds.
This year’s National Grassroots Conference will be February 4-7, 2009 - Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club - St. Petersburg, FL. There are a range of topics you may find interesting. Such as:
- (Re)Building Your Grassroots Program
- How to Write Effective Messages
- Ethics & Transparency in Grassroots
- Finding & Training Your Key Contacts
- Speed Networking
- Web 2.0/Social Media Crash Course
- Grassroots and Diversity
- Effectively Involving Your Senior Management
- Integrating CSR and Grassroots Strategies
- Prioritizing Issues and Managing Demands
- Association Grassroots Management
- Grassroots Communication
- Embracing Social Media
As you can see, there is something for everyone there. I have always heard that volunteer management is difficult, and our most profound challenge is to motivate and utilize our dedicated workers effectively. I believe this conference will give you some ideas and help you with your work at the department level.
To view a complete agenda please go to http://pac.org/conferences/grassroots/agenda
You can also visit http://pac.org/conferences/grassroots/registration for registration information. Note: we are not a member of the Public Affairs Council and will have to pay the non-member registration fee if attending.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Monday, December 15, 2008
eligibility question
I received an email today regarding the eligibility of Lebanon and Grenada veterans. apparently there are some confusions... here is my reply, with some research, i think will benefit you in case you are being asked the same questions...
Here is the original message:
"Maybe I am looking in the wrong areas but when I look for eligibility for the Grenada area, it either don't show up or I see a statement such as "Congress has not enacted legislation that would make the periods covering the 1983-1984 Lebanon crisis or the invasions of Grenada and Panama wartime service.92". Can you link me to something or send me a congress act which declares this as a wartime? I guess I am one of them stubborn ones that just have to see it in writing somewhere. You attention to this is appreciated. ....And "Merry Christmas" to You and all your Staff!"
In effect, Lebanon and Grenada are not Congressionally declared wars. Since the Constitution of the United States divides the war powers of the federal government between the Executive and Legislative branches: the President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces (Article II, section 2), while Congress has the power to make declarations of war, and to raise and support the armed forces (Article I, section 8). Over time, questions arose as to the extent of the President's authority to deploy U.S. armed forces into hostile situations abroad without a declaration of war or some other form of Congressional approval. Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in the aftermath of the Vietnam War to address these concerns and provide a set of procedures for both the President and Congress to follow in situations where the introduction of U.S. forces abroad could lead to their involvement in armed conflict.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a United States federal law providing that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the United States is already under attack or serious threat. The War Powers Resolution requires that the president notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war.
After Republican President Ronald W. Reagan dispatched U.S. Marines to Lebanon in 1982, he reported to Congress, along the lines mandated in the War Powers Act. With a Republican majority in the Senate but a substantial Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Reagan's military initiative encountered considerable opposition in Congress, resulting in persistent challenges to the deployment of troops in Beirut. The congressional challenges, motivated primarily by narrowly partisan political considerations, weakened and undermined the Reagan Presidency's negotiating position with Syria and with the various warring political factions in Lebanon, thereby making the situation in which the Marines were involved a whole lot more dangerous than it would been in the absence of congressional challenges.
In late 1983, however, congressional leaders worked out a compromise authorizing the President to keep the Marines in Lebanon for a period of eighteen months. Approved by the two houses of Congress, the compromise was sent to the President for his signature.
In other military actions initiated by President Reagan, he proceeded without invoking the War Powers Act and, in general, acted as if his military initiatives did not require congressional authorization in advance. A notable example was the U.S. invasion of Grenada on October 25, 1983. Seeing a serious threat to American national interests in the southern Caribbean region, Regan had the National Security Council and Joint Chiefs of Staff draw up a plan for the U.S. military operation in Grenada, explained the situation to Democratic House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and informed him of the presidential decision that had already been made, as regards what was to be done about the situation. Speaker O'Neill, top leader of the overwhelming Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, indicated that, if the Grenada mission turned sour, Congress would not accept responsibility for the fiasco, that responsibility for the disaster (and its attendant political costs) would be borne either by the President alone or by the President and the Republican Party. Accepting responsibility for the operation, Reagan sent U.S. military forces to Grenada, effecting liberation of the small island nation from the Marxist-Leninist (Communist), pro-Cuban dictatorship that had been established through a coup d'etat.
Shortly after the American invasion of Grenada had begun, all resistance was overcome, since the greater part of the Grenadan population welcomed the invading forces as liberators. A rapid sequence of events ensued: U.S. citizens were safely evacuated from the island, the Cuban agents and so called "construction workers" (in reality, heavily armed and well trained paramilitary personnel) were expelled, the despotic Marxist- Leninist regime was overthrown, and a political coalition committed to democratic elections and more favorably disposed toward American interests was allowed to assume governing authority. Faced with a fait accompli, the U.S. Congress, after the fact, applied the War Powers Act, declining to grant an extension to the 60-day time limit and, in effect, requiring U.S. military forces to be removed from Grenada no later than December 25, 1983. However, the U.S. troops did not leave Grenada until June, 1985.
Therefore, the mechanism was there to enact the War Powers Resolution to justify Lebanon and Grenada, President Regan, however, did not fulfill his executive duties in compliance with Congress to resolve the conflict.
The Department of VA at this time does not recognize Servicemembers of this conflict to be eligible for wartime benefits. Therefore, The American Legion in support of our fellow veterans and recognizing their sacrifices, at the 19th Convention, passed a resolution to recognize operations in these countries. Please visit http://www.legion.org/documents/resolutions/08n124.pdf for review of this resolution.
To conclude, please keep in mind that The American Legion, although federally chartered, is a grassroots organization guided by the collective wisdoms of our membership. While our dates of eligibility reflects Congressionally declared period of war, it is not strictly bounded by congressional actions. Our eligibility dates are solely determined by our membership, amended at times to reflect the need for service to our fellow veterans. Under these conditions, The American Legion has seen fit to expand our eligibility dates to those veterans thereby ensuring their protection under civil engagements.
Here is the original message:
"Maybe I am looking in the wrong areas but when I look for eligibility for the Grenada area, it either don't show up or I see a statement such as "Congress has not enacted legislation that would make the periods covering the 1983-1984 Lebanon crisis or the invasions of Grenada and Panama wartime service.92". Can you link me to something or send me a congress act which declares this as a wartime? I guess I am one of them stubborn ones that just have to see it in writing somewhere. You attention to this is appreciated. ....And "Merry Christmas" to You and all your Staff!"
In effect, Lebanon and Grenada are not Congressionally declared wars. Since the Constitution of the United States divides the war powers of the federal government between the Executive and Legislative branches: the President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces (Article II, section 2), while Congress has the power to make declarations of war, and to raise and support the armed forces (Article I, section 8). Over time, questions arose as to the extent of the President's authority to deploy U.S. armed forces into hostile situations abroad without a declaration of war or some other form of Congressional approval. Congress passed the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in the aftermath of the Vietnam War to address these concerns and provide a set of procedures for both the President and Congress to follow in situations where the introduction of U.S. forces abroad could lead to their involvement in armed conflict.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a United States federal law providing that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the United States is already under attack or serious threat. The War Powers Resolution requires that the president notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war.
After Republican President Ronald W. Reagan dispatched U.S. Marines to Lebanon in 1982, he reported to Congress, along the lines mandated in the War Powers Act. With a Republican majority in the Senate but a substantial Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Reagan's military initiative encountered considerable opposition in Congress, resulting in persistent challenges to the deployment of troops in Beirut. The congressional challenges, motivated primarily by narrowly partisan political considerations, weakened and undermined the Reagan Presidency's negotiating position with Syria and with the various warring political factions in Lebanon, thereby making the situation in which the Marines were involved a whole lot more dangerous than it would been in the absence of congressional challenges.
In late 1983, however, congressional leaders worked out a compromise authorizing the President to keep the Marines in Lebanon for a period of eighteen months. Approved by the two houses of Congress, the compromise was sent to the President for his signature.
In other military actions initiated by President Reagan, he proceeded without invoking the War Powers Act and, in general, acted as if his military initiatives did not require congressional authorization in advance. A notable example was the U.S. invasion of Grenada on October 25, 1983. Seeing a serious threat to American national interests in the southern Caribbean region, Regan had the National Security Council and Joint Chiefs of Staff draw up a plan for the U.S. military operation in Grenada, explained the situation to Democratic House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and informed him of the presidential decision that had already been made, as regards what was to be done about the situation. Speaker O'Neill, top leader of the overwhelming Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, indicated that, if the Grenada mission turned sour, Congress would not accept responsibility for the fiasco, that responsibility for the disaster (and its attendant political costs) would be borne either by the President alone or by the President and the Republican Party. Accepting responsibility for the operation, Reagan sent U.S. military forces to Grenada, effecting liberation of the small island nation from the Marxist-Leninist (Communist), pro-Cuban dictatorship that had been established through a coup d'etat.
Shortly after the American invasion of Grenada had begun, all resistance was overcome, since the greater part of the Grenadan population welcomed the invading forces as liberators. A rapid sequence of events ensued: U.S. citizens were safely evacuated from the island, the Cuban agents and so called "construction workers" (in reality, heavily armed and well trained paramilitary personnel) were expelled, the despotic Marxist- Leninist regime was overthrown, and a political coalition committed to democratic elections and more favorably disposed toward American interests was allowed to assume governing authority. Faced with a fait accompli, the U.S. Congress, after the fact, applied the War Powers Act, declining to grant an extension to the 60-day time limit and, in effect, requiring U.S. military forces to be removed from Grenada no later than December 25, 1983. However, the U.S. troops did not leave Grenada until June, 1985.
Therefore, the mechanism was there to enact the War Powers Resolution to justify Lebanon and Grenada, President Regan, however, did not fulfill his executive duties in compliance with Congress to resolve the conflict.
The Department of VA at this time does not recognize Servicemembers of this conflict to be eligible for wartime benefits. Therefore, The American Legion in support of our fellow veterans and recognizing their sacrifices, at the 19th Convention, passed a resolution to recognize operations in these countries. Please visit http://www.legion.org/documents/resolutions/08n124.pdf for review of this resolution.
To conclude, please keep in mind that The American Legion, although federally chartered, is a grassroots organization guided by the collective wisdoms of our membership. While our dates of eligibility reflects Congressionally declared period of war, it is not strictly bounded by congressional actions. Our eligibility dates are solely determined by our membership, amended at times to reflect the need for service to our fellow veterans. Under these conditions, The American Legion has seen fit to expand our eligibility dates to those veterans thereby ensuring their protection under civil engagements.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
SURVEY
If you have a second, please take this survey... it's a communication audit conducted by the national headuqarters...
thank you
CLICK HERE
thank you
CLICK HERE
Monday, December 1, 2008
Major Themes from the NALC Survey
What do you tell others when they ask you about your membership in The American Legion?
I am a member of “largest and best” organization for U.S. veterans of war time
I describe the many programs and interactions with the community
I am a part of an organizations for veterans, that helps other veterans and builds relationships with veterans
What do you value most about your membership in The American Legion?
Making a difference in the lives of veterans
Building comradeship with other members
Helping the community through Legion programs
What led you to join The American Legion in the first place?
Someone asked me to join
Sought a sense of fellowship and belonging
Family history
Wanted to give back to the veterans and community
Based upon your own experiences, what do members at the local, post level think or say about The American Legion?
They worry about the increasing age of membership, remember the “good old days”
They hold the organization in high regard
They value the contributions they make to the community and the support they provide for one another
They want more interaction and direction from the top
Based upon your own observations, what do others in the local community – non-members – think or say about The American Legion?
·The people who know about the Legion and its programs love it and appreciate all that they do
·The people who don’t know about the Legion believe it is a place for “old guys to drink”
·Many people don’t know the American Legion exists
Thinking of The American Legion’s vision for a strong America:
● Strong National Security
● Taking Care of Veterans
● Mentoring Youth
● Promoting Patriotism and Honor
How would you synthesize these four pillars of service into a single, simple paragraphthat explains the Legion’s reason for being? Assume you were writing this for a family member or friend to explain why you are a member of The American Legion.
·Several members described the American Legion as a family who supports each other and supports the four pillars.
·Several members mentioned the American Legion as a continued commitment and service to their country.
·Many members also listed their actions and activities which help fellow veterans, the youth, the community and the country.
Considering the future, what do you think are The American Legion’s three greatest opportunities for growth and recognition at the national level? At the local, post level?
Note: The major opportunities for national and local were often the same.
·Creating cyber posts
·Increasing advertising and public relations
·Increasing membership and membership involvement
·Reaching out to Vietnam veterans
If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask.
I am a member of “largest and best” organization for U.S. veterans of war time
I describe the many programs and interactions with the community
I am a part of an organizations for veterans, that helps other veterans and builds relationships with veterans
What do you value most about your membership in The American Legion?
Making a difference in the lives of veterans
Building comradeship with other members
Helping the community through Legion programs
What led you to join The American Legion in the first place?
Someone asked me to join
Sought a sense of fellowship and belonging
Family history
Wanted to give back to the veterans and community
Based upon your own experiences, what do members at the local, post level think or say about The American Legion?
They worry about the increasing age of membership, remember the “good old days”
They hold the organization in high regard
They value the contributions they make to the community and the support they provide for one another
They want more interaction and direction from the top
Based upon your own observations, what do others in the local community – non-members – think or say about The American Legion?
·The people who know about the Legion and its programs love it and appreciate all that they do
·The people who don’t know about the Legion believe it is a place for “old guys to drink”
·Many people don’t know the American Legion exists
Thinking of The American Legion’s vision for a strong America:
● Strong National Security
● Taking Care of Veterans
● Mentoring Youth
● Promoting Patriotism and Honor
How would you synthesize these four pillars of service into a single, simple paragraphthat explains the Legion’s reason for being? Assume you were writing this for a family member or friend to explain why you are a member of The American Legion.
·Several members described the American Legion as a family who supports each other and supports the four pillars.
·Several members mentioned the American Legion as a continued commitment and service to their country.
·Many members also listed their actions and activities which help fellow veterans, the youth, the community and the country.
Considering the future, what do you think are The American Legion’s three greatest opportunities for growth and recognition at the national level? At the local, post level?
Note: The major opportunities for national and local were often the same.
·Creating cyber posts
·Increasing advertising and public relations
·Increasing membership and membership involvement
·Reaching out to Vietnam veterans
If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask.
Monday, November 17, 2008
VetCam
The American Legion launches VetCam, a free one-on-one video conferencing – to enable you to talk face-to-face with friends and family across town or overseas; one-on-one; or with several people at a time.
Members of The American Legion, as well as members of the United States Armed Forces (active duty, Reserve and National Guard), their families and friends, are welcome to use this complimentary technology to remain connected with those people most important to you.
Visit http://vetcam.ncbintl.com/ for more information.
Members of The American Legion, as well as members of the United States Armed Forces (active duty, Reserve and National Guard), their families and friends, are welcome to use this complimentary technology to remain connected with those people most important to you.
Visit http://vetcam.ncbintl.com/ for more information.
Friday, November 14, 2008
2008 Legion College Grads
Here is a link to Legion TV with video recordings of our most recent grads and their thoughts...
http://www.legion.org/whatsnew/legiontv
http://www.legion.org/whatsnew/legiontv
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Do you really think debates make a difference now?
Statistics are showing that debates don't make much of a difference at this stage of the game. Everyone has picked their candidates and are ready to defend them, right or wrong.
Are we so apathetic that we really allow the media to sway us in our beliefs? What's happened to us? No more porches, no more getting to know your neighbors, no more time to enjoy the good things in life. Taking a walk, laughing with friends, listening to your kids. I guess I'm getting old!!!
Are we so apathetic that we really allow the media to sway us in our beliefs? What's happened to us? No more porches, no more getting to know your neighbors, no more time to enjoy the good things in life. Taking a walk, laughing with friends, listening to your kids. I guess I'm getting old!!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
"Best of the Best"
As you think back over your Legion College experience, is their a particular moment that stands out? What class or event has been your personal favorite to participate in?
Friday, September 5, 2008
Web page for Legion College Alumni
I am looking for input on developing a web site for the NALCAA. I have the web master but need your ideas on what should be on our site.
Keith Kerbaugh
President NALCAA
Class of 2006
Keith Kerbaugh
President NALCAA
Class of 2006
Friday, August 29, 2008
In Memory of William John Cowie, November 23, 1963 - August 26, 2008
WILLIAM JOHN “WILL” COWIE, 44, of Stark, NH died unexpectedly Tuesday, August 26, 2008 after an electrocution accident at work in Wilmington, New York.
Born November 23, 1963 in Saugus, Mass a son of Edward F. and Elaine M. (Mattos) Cowie; he was a resident of Stark since 2000 coming from Carlyle, Mass.
Will graduated in 1981 from Burlington High School in Burlington, Mass. During High school he was a member of the All State and District Chorus and played the lead roll in “Guys and Dolls. After high school he joined the U.S. Air Force and proudly served his country with the 819th Red Horse Squadron from 1983-1987 and then again from 2002-2005 in the with the National Guard and the Maine Air National Guard 265th CBCS/ACC.
In 1995 he attended college and obtained his certification in small scale farm management, animal breeding and horse sciences then in 1997he received his Level II Municipal Waste Water Treatment Operators Certificate. From 1988 until 2007 he owned and operated Red Horse Construction Company and he was employed at the Graymist Farm in Groveton for a few years.
Will was currently employed by Transformers Service Inc. in Concord, NH.
Through out the years he was very active with the American Legion in both Groveton and Colebrook, he was past Commander, District 8; Past Adjutant Post #17; Chairman Leadership Committee; 2006 graduate National American Legion College.
Will was Treasurer for the Coos County UNHCE (County and State Advisory Council Rep.); North Country Council Economic Development/Trans/Plan Rep for Stark; Coos Economic Development Corp.; State OMK Committee with the NH 4-H, Guard Bureau; Past Stark Planning Board member; and past member of the Stark Volunteer Fire Department.
His hobbies included raising Siberian Huskies and amateur sled dog racing; recreational hiking and biking; and local politics. Will is on the State of New Hampshire September 9, 2008 ballot for State Representative. He was a member of the Yankee Siberian Husky Club and the Patriot Siberian Husky Rescue League.
Will was a true patriot and had many friends and was loved by all, he will be greatly missed and will never be forgotten for his sense of humor, integrity, leadership, and commitment to civic duty.
Will is survived by his wife of 18 years Margaret(Mize) Cowie of Stark; his mother Elaine Cowie of Billerica, Mass.; grandmother Marie Masci or Arlington, Mass.; his “Kids” Sasha; Isabella and Duke; sister Maria Reddington of Arlington, Mass.; brother Michael Cowie of Lynne, Mass. and sister Susan Cowie of Florida; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his father Edward Cowie in 1989 and his “son” Ivan.
Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 from 6-9 pm at the Armstrong-Charron Funeral Home in Groveton. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 11:00 am the St. Francis Xavier Church in Groveton, with Fr. Daniel Deveau, pastor officiating. Inurnment of cremains will be at a later date in the Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Will’s name to either the Patriot Siberian Husky Rescue League; at www.pshr.org.; or to the 4-H Foundation of NH-memorial William J. Cowie; Moiles House; 180 Main Street; Durham, NH 03824.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sad News Concerning a fellow graduate...
It is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of a fellow NALC Graduate. William "Willy" Cowie (Class of 2006, Department of NH) passed away as a result of a tragic and unexpected accident the morning of August 26th. You can view the obituary and sign a guest book at the following website: www.armstrongcharronfuneralhome.com
I apologize if I have erred in posting this information on this blog. I felt that word needed to get out to all NALC Alumni.
Wayne Beauregard
Class of 2002
Dept. of NH
I apologize if I have erred in posting this information on this blog. I felt that word needed to get out to all NALC Alumni.
Wayne Beauregard
Class of 2002
Dept. of NH
Friday, August 8, 2008
Welcome new bloggers
Good morning Legion College Graduates, I want to welcome the new bloggers this morning. Ms. Katrina Bentley from Idaho. I hope she will share with us her experiences and her adventures.
There is another feature i want all our official bloggers to try. You can set up your cell phone with this blogger account and this feature will allow you to take pictures on the go to send it directly to the blog... this is a exciting way to share with our readers the many places you visited on your Legion travels.
If you are interested on how to use this, please feel free to ask me...
jin
There is another feature i want all our official bloggers to try. You can set up your cell phone with this blogger account and this feature will allow you to take pictures on the go to send it directly to the blog... this is a exciting way to share with our readers the many places you visited on your Legion travels.
If you are interested on how to use this, please feel free to ask me...
jin
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