VA PUBLISHES AGENT ORANGE PRESUMPTION GUIDELINES

AMVETS applauds extension of benefits for exposed Vietnam veterans

LANHAM, Md., Aug. 30, 2010—This morning the Department of Veterans Affairs published its final guidelines in the Federal Register, outlining how VA will handle benefits claims for presumptive conditions resulting from exposure to the dangerous defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Full Story

AMVETS SELECTS NATIONAL GUARD VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Tennessee’s Jennifer Braden earns third annual AMVETS award

LANHAM, Md., Aug. 30, 2010—The third annual AMVETS Past National Commander John S. Lorec National Guard Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jennifer Braden, a volunteer for the Tennessee National Guard Family Programs, at this summer’s 2010 National Guard Volunteer Workshop and Conference hosted in New Orleans, La.
Jennifer volunteers with 1/1175th Transportation Co., and was nominated by her State Family Programs Director, Lt. Col. Joseph Hollister. Each year nominations are received from the State Family Program Directors or the Wing Family Program Coordinators. AMVETS selects the year’s most noteworthy volunteer.
Each year’s recipient receives a plaque and a cash award of $1,000 that goes to the recipient’s family programs unit to enhance support of the families of those deployed.

National Guard Volunteer of the Year Jennifer Braden accepts her award. Pictured left to right are Maj. Gen. Ray Carpenter, Acting Director of the Army National Guard; Maj. Gen. Larry Ross, National Guard Bureau Director of Manpower and Personnel; Alex Baird, National Guard Bureau Chief of Family Programs; Braden; and Brig. Gen. Max Haston, Tennessee Adjutant General. Photo by Sgt. Darron Salzer.

AMVETS SELECT 2010-2011 NATIONAL COMMANDER

At 66th national convention in Louisville, AMVETS members from across the country select Army and Navy veteran Jerry Hotop to lead organization

LANHAM, Md., Aug. 30, 2010—At the recent 66th annual AMVETS National Convention in Louisville, Ky., U.S. Army veteran and prior service Navy Seabee Jerry Hotop, a life member of AMVETS Post No. 94 in Perryville, Mo., and a prominent veterans’ advocate in Missouri, was elected to serve as national commander of AMVETS for 2010-2011. AMVETS is one of the nation’s largest and most inclusive veterans service organizations, with membership open to anyone who has served honorably in the U.S. military, including those who continue to serve. Hotop will take office on Sept. 1, at AMVETS National Headquarters in Lanham, Md. Full Story

AMVETS CONDEMNS MISSOURI MILITARY FUNERAL RULING

District Court rules 2006 ban on funeral protest violates First Amendment

LANHAM, Md., Aug. 20, 2010—This week, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that two Missouri state laws from 2006 barring protests near funerals to be a violation of free speech rights, making the laws unconstitutional. AMVETS leaders quickly condemned the ruling, calling for an appeal, saying that a family’s right to grieve in privacy should trump tasteless hate speech. Full Story

AMVETS ANNOUNCES SUMMER SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS!

Lanham, Md., August 19, 2010 — AMVETS leaders congratulated AMVETS Summer Sweepstakes grand prize winner Mary LaFrance, of Sun Lakes, Ariz., today. AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin personally called LaFrance from his office in Lanham, Md., to congratulate her on winning the $10,000 sweepstakes grand prize.

AMVETS selected the 10 lucky sweepstakes winners from more than 100,000 entries from around the country for prizes ranging from $100 to the $10,000 grand prize. Full Story

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY VETS DELIVER SYMPOSIUM REPORT TO AMVETS

Participants in the 2010 AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans presented their findings and recommendations to the AMVETS National Convention floor. Since AMVETS' last symposium in 2006, more than 25 issues have been addressed, but this year's participants pointed to new issues and some unforeseen consequences of past corrective actions.

From this morning's presentation, AMVETS will compile the raw data from the week's working groups, follow up with participants, compare notes with VA, Department of Defense and Department of Labor codes, and compile a comprehensive symposium report to be released on Oct. 1. Full Story

ARMY RESERVE DEPUTY CHIEF TO ADDRESS AMVETS

Brig. Gen. Leslie Purser to discuss veterans’ transition issues facing today’s Reserve soldier

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 10, 2010—On Friday, Aug. 13, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Army Reserve, Brig. Gen. Leslie Purser, will speak to the delegation of veterans gathered at the Galt House in Louisville for the 66th annual AMVETS National Convention. Full Story

AMVETS SYMPOSIUM COMMENCES IN LOUISVILLE

Yesterday, the 2010 AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans commenced at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky., with nearly 50 of today's veterans gathered to discuss issues critical to their generation, such as education benefits, employment and the invisible wounds of war.

Congressman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) also joined the symposium early yesterday morning to discuss why veterans' issues are critical to him and his constituents in Louisville.

Full Story.

AMVETS ANNOUNCES MOBILE APP FOR iPHONE, iPOD TOUCH AND BLACKBERRY

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 9, 2010—AMVETS, one of the nation’s leading veterans’ organizations, and FraternalSoft, Inc., an innovator in mobile software, announced AMVETS Mobile for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Blackberry platforms today at the 66th annual AMVETS National Convention. AMVETS Mobile is the first mobile communications tool for of its kind for America’s veterans. Full Story

AMVETS TO HOST SYMPOSIUM FOR TODAY’S VETERANS

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 6, 2010—This summer, AMVETS will bring up to 100 of this nation’s young veterans to the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky., for three days, Aug. 9-11, to discuss issues facing their generation as they return from the battlefield as part of the 66th annual AMVETS National Convention. Full Story

AMVETS NATIONAL CONVENTION WELCOMES KENTUCKIANA VETS

AMVETS gather to discuss issues facing today’s veterans

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 5, 2010—AMVETS welcomes veterans from across northern Kentucky and southern Indiana to the Galt House Hotel for the 66th annual AMVETS National Convention and Veterans’ Expo. During this year’s convention, AMVETS will also host its 2010 Symposium for 21st-Century Veterans, bringing in Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans from around the country to discuss issues critical to their generation. Full Story

AMVETS APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF 2011 VA BUDGET

LANHAM, Md., July 29, 2010—The House of Representatives passed the fiscal year 2011 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill by a vote of 411-6, providing VA for the coming year and advance appropriations for VA health care in 2012.

AMVETS leaders applauded the swift passage of the budget and called on the Senate to pass their version of the appropriations bill, ensuring timely delivery of the VA budget.
Full Story

AMERICAN VETERAN:
PENTAGON IDs MISSING SAILORS; AMVETS REACTS

Military Times reported that the two sailors captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan have been identified. One of the sailors was killed in the attack on the two men's armored sport utility vehicle in Logar province, Afghanistan on July 23. The Pentagon said that the July 23 incident is still under investigation.

"We owe it to our brave military men and women to ensure that no one is left behind on the battlefield and AMVETS hopes that the Pentagon and the State Department will exhaust any and all resources to make sure our POWs and those missing-in-action are brought home," said AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin. Full Story

AMVETS REACTS TO STOLEN VALOR RULING

LANHAM, Md., July 19, 2010—A U.S. District Court in Colorado ruled that the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 was unconstitutional and that the false claims of military service by phony veteran Rick Strandlof qualified as protected free speech. Full Story

AMVETS APPLAUDS VA’S NEW PTSD RULES

VA Eases Evidence Requirements for PTSD Service-Connection

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2010— VA published new criteria for veterans seeking service-connected benefits and care for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. AMVETS applauded the rule change, which drops the “additional evidence” requirements for veterans suffering from the invisible wound. VA has published a Q&A on the new guidelines, which is available on the VA Web site by Clicking Here. Read Full Story

AMERICAN VETERAN: AMVETS ASKS FOR CLARIFICATION ON SERVICE DOGS

AMVETS National Deputy Legislative Director Christina Roof sent a formal letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki asking for a formal update on VA's study of service dogs for wounded veterans and clarification on VA's outreach efforts on current benefits available to veterans using eligible service animals. Under the 2010 defense authorization, VA had 270 days to clarify how it would conduct its two-year study--a deadline which is approaching on July 8.

In the last few months, AMVETS and partner non-profit Paws With A Cause have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the issue with VA leadership and on Capitol Hill to ensure responsible implementation of veterans' service dog programs. Full Story.