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NOur on campus American Legion Post 324 will host the District 8 meeting in the Conference Center (UC) on April 3, 2016 beginning with lunch at 11:00 a.m.
The district meeting is the largest Legion meeting the average Legionnaire ever attends. Not all of our Legionnaires attend state conventions, and an even smaller percentage attend national conventions. Therefore, the district meeting becomes primarily the one opportunity to impress the average
Legionnaire and to instill within the knowledge and idealism of our accomplishments and aims.
At every district meeting there will usually be dignitaries of The American Legion or the Auxiliary present. Be certain that you are familiar with the proper method of presenting these people and the proper time for receiving any message they might have.
In courtesy to them, to yourself, and to those attending the meeting, there should never be competing activities that will
distract from the meeting. The intent and meaning of the business part of a district meeting is to improve the performance of the posts andmake more effective The American Legion in the local communities.
To have this meeting bestowed on us, as one of the youngest posts in the area, is a very high honor.
All members are expected to be there. To join, call Pete Snowden at 812-464-1878.
Veteran, Military & Family Resource Center - Student Veteran Association - American Legion Post 3248600 University Boulevard, Education Center 0114, Evansville, Indiana 47712
USI American Legion Post 324 to Host District Meeting
Student Veterans of America is excited to announce the following Spring 2016 Scholarships, funded by Raytheon and Accenture.
In 2016, SVA is on track to grant its one millionth dollar in scholarship awards.
Every student veteran across the country currently enrolled in a four-year institution is eligible for at least one of the scholarships being offered. Raytheon Patriot Scholarship Two U.S. Army veterans pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited four-year institution will each be awarded a $10,000 scholarship.
The Raytheon SVA ScholarshipFive student veterans pursuing a STEM degree will each be awarded a $10,000 scholarship.
The Accenture SVA Scholarship Four student veterans enrolled in a four-year institution will each be awarded a $10,000 scholarship.
All scholarship applications close at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 4th. For more information visit the SVA Scholarship page or contact:
SVA Program Manager, Andy Mandwee at [email protected] or go onto the SVA webpage at http://s tudentveterans.org / index.php/programs/scholarships. From there you can select the scholarship opportunity you would like more information on.
SVA Offering $110,000 in Scholarships in Spring 2016
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 SPRING 2016FEBRUARY MARCH10 - SVA Meeting - VFW Post 1114 2 - Veteran Dental Day - USI Dental Clinic
15 - President’s Day 10 - FAFSA Due (www.fasfa.gov)24 - VA Complience Survey - LOUNGE CLOSED 7 - 11 - SPRING BREAK29 - Veteran Dental Day - USI Dental Clinic 27 - Easter Sunday
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Mr. Joel Matherly, Manager (812) 461-5302
Mrs. Debra Mabern, Associate (812) 461-1857
I There are a lot of new developments with our SVA. As you may know, the national Student Veterans of America and it’s chapters are supported by the VFW. Our mentors are assigned to the VFW
Post 1114 with our first meeting on the 10th of February. You should have received a message from me in your email about this meeting.
During this meeting, SVA members from USI and the University of Evansville
will meet and begin the formation of a “Student Veteran” community. Through this, we will be able to work together on community projects, bounce ideas and stage our first inter-community student veteran competitions aimed at building the comradeire between the two institutions. Our first meeting will be held Wednesday, February 10th at 4:30 p.m. at the VFW Post 1114 on Wabash Avenue.
Also, there are a lot of scholarship opportunities through the SVA (see page 1). Don’t miss out on a chance to earn a scholarship to offset the costs of attending college.
From the Desk: Student Veterans Association - Mr. Mike Benner
Recently we co-hosted the Hoops for Troops Military Appreciation Basketball Game in which our American Legion Post greeted 65 veterans and their families at the PAC arena. It was a great day and just another veteran
community event brought to you by our on-campus American Legion post and SVA chapter.
Our post continues to do many great things on campus and in the community. Our next big event is the 8th District
meeting that we will host on April 3, 2016 at the University Center Room 2218.
It is a very rare honor to get to host a meeting of this magnitude especially as one of the youngest posts in the district. We would like as many of our members to attend to not only show support to our post, but to let the district know that we are here and have a voice to share.
If you have not joined, it’s not too late. Join today by contacting me at [email protected] or call our office at 812-464-1878.
From the Desk: American Legion Post 324 - Mr. Pete Snowden
Sometimes help is needed after hours and often you or someone you know may not know where to get assistance.
The caring responders at the Veterans Crisis Line
are specially trained and experienced in helping Veterans of all ages and circumstances. Some of the responders are Veterans themselves and understand what Veterans and their families and friends have been through and the challenges Veterans of all ages and service eras face.
Since its launch, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered nearly 2 million calls and
initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in crisis over 53,000 times.
The Veterans Crisis Line anonymous online chat service, added in 2009, has engaged in more than 250,000 chats. In November 2011, the Veterans Crisis Line introduced a text-messaging service to provide another way for Veterans to connect with confidential, round-the-clock support, and since then has responded to more than 44,000 texts (more information can be found on page 5).
If this happens to you or someone you know, please call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or visit https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/About/AboutVeteransCrisisLine.aspx
Thomas Jefferson died
broke. Before his death, Jefferson was able to alleviate part of his financial problems by accepting $25,000 for books from Congress. Those books were used to begin the Library of Congress.
From the Desk: Vet Center On-Campus Counselor - Mrs. Wendy Freeman
Did You Know?
VETERAN HOLDS—Veteran holds are placed on the Monday following the 100% drop/add period and run until priority registration. They are reestablished after the PR period ends and will come off during finals.
PRIORITY REGISTRATION—If you are currently using VA Benefits (GI Bill), you qualify for priority registration regardless your academic alignment (Freshman—Senior). Plan your next semester before this date and schedule an appointment with your advisor.
VA CERTIFICATE OF ENROLLMENT FORM DUE EACH SEMESTER you plan to use benefits. Find this form at http://www.usi.edu/reg/ssl/vaformlogin.asp . Complete yours as soon as you register for classes.
VFW 1114 Dining Room Open to Public—Friday, Saturday, Sunday BrunchBreakfast $6.00 1st/3rd SaturdayPrime Rib 1st/3rd SaturdayBuffet Friday Night $9.95
File you DD214 for FREE:Vanderburgh County Chief Deputy Recorder at 1 NW Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Rm 231Evansville IN 47708 812.435.5215
When I represented Veterans at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, my clients usually had a lot of questions about the appeals process and the differences between a claim and an appeal. Even in my current position as a public affairs specialist for the Veterans Benefits Administration, I continue to get asked the same questions, so I thought I’d explain the process and address common questions through a series of blog posts.
What’s the difference between a claim and an appeal?
Often when I speak to many of you, you will say something like, “I have had a claim pending for 10 years.” Almost always, you have an appeal pending and not a claim. I don’t say this to undermine the frustration you feel from being in an appellate status for so long. But understanding the difference between a claim and an appeal, and using the correct term can help your VA representative know where to look, or advise you when discussing your case.
Claims Defined
You submit a claim when seeking VA disability benefits (or increased benefits) for one or more medical conditions you believe are related to military service. These claims can be filed online through eBenefits, submitted by mail or in person at the nearest VA regional office. The claim submission, the military service and health care records and any other evidence associated with the claim are reviewed in order to provide you a rating determination.
Every claim in VA’s inventory is as distinct as the Servicemember, Veteran or survivor who filed it. A complex set of laws, regulations and court decisions govern how, and to whom, VA administers benefits. The laws and the process allow Veterans and their survivors ample opportunity – and even assistance – to provide VA the evidence necessary to approve their claims.
Under those laws, VA grants service connection and pays disability compensation (if warranted) for a disability when evidence shows three things: injury or illness in service, a current disability and a link — usually medical evidence — connecting the two. The laws also allow for
service connection for conditions caused or aggravated (permanently worsened) by conditions that are already service connected.
Once the decision is made to grant service connection, VA examines the medical evidence and assigns a level of disability under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. You are always afforded the benefit of the doubt. This means that if the evidence is weighed equally, 50 percent in your favor and 50 percent against, the claim is granted or the higher of two evaluations is assigned.
You can work with a state, county or Veterans service organization. These accredited service officers can help you sort out the best option for you claim. They cannot charge a fee during the claim process, and they provide guidance that can help identify and obtain the evidence necessary for VA to grant a claim. Remember, there are options for receiving assistance with a claim, so look for someone who files online, provides information about the Fully Developed Claims Program and takes time to answer questions.
What I continue to find interesting is that the accuracy of claim decisions has little bearing on whether we appeal our claims. In fact, regional offices with the highest quality can often have the highest appeal rates. That’s not to say processing errors don’t happen, they do, and VA continues to work to improve claims accuracy. Currently, VBA’s accuracy rate at the issue (or medical contention) level is 96 percent and the percentage of claim decisions being appealed remains in line with historical averages of 10 to 12 percent.
The Appeals Process
The multi-stage appellate process is available to you after you have already received one or more decisions on your claim, but disagree with some aspect of VA’s decision. During the appellate process, an appeal undergoes additional independent reviews, often multiple times and by different adjudicators, as you or your representative submit new evidence and/or a new argument.
The appeals process: Appeals and claims are as different as apples and oranges - Catherine Trombley, DoVA
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The University of Southern Indiana Dental Hygiene Clinic will provide FREE dental cleaning, fluoride and X-rays for military veterans this spring on February 29 and March 2. Dental Hygiene faculty have expanded the appointment schedule to include evening hours for the first time in attempt to serve more veterans.
The USI Dental Hygiene program collaborates with Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC) and USI’s Veteran, Military & Family Resource Center to offer these special clinic hours for veterans.
USI Dental Hygiene faculty will supervise the students who will be
working in the clinic.Appointments are required and can be made by calling 812-464-1706. Proof of military affiliation and a picture identification is required.
The USI Dental Hygiene Clinic is located on the USI campus in the Health Professions Center Room 1040, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, Indiana 47712.
The Dental Hygiene Program at the University of Southern Indiana is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary
Accreditation and by the United States Department of Education.Southwest Indiana AHEC began as a regional center in 2008, and it is hosted by the University of Southern Indiana in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. SWI-AHEC is part of a national network with a mission to improve health by leading the nation in the recruitment, training and retention of a diverse health workforce for under-served communities.
We are pleased that this program has returned to our campus. This was a pilot program from the spring semester which was extremely well received. The program is open to all Veterans of all eras and current military.
USI Dental Hygiene Clinic to Offer FREE Dental Cleanings for All Veterans of All Era’s Again for the Second Year
Many student veterans do not know the history of the GI Bill and how it transformed A m e r i c a . Today, we look
at this as a benefit we “earned”, but to understand our benefits, we also must know our history.
The VA grew exponentially at the end of World War II with the return of 16 million veterans. To offer new opportunities to these returning soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill, was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt just two weeks after D-day. It was, according to historian Stephen Ambrose, “the best piece of legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress, and it made modern America.” This historic legislation was the result of the hard work of the American Legion.
During organizational meetings held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., in 1943, past National Commander Harry W. Colmery of Topeka, Kansas, drafted - in longhand on stationary - what would become the GI Bill. Ironically, this bill passed
by a slim margin and did not even get much attention at the time. It’s long-term impact on American society was yet to be understood,
The historian Michael Beschloss believes that the GI Bill of 1944 “linked the idea of service to education. Youserve the country; the government pays you back by allowing you educational opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have had, and that in turn helps to improve this society.”
TODAY’S GI BILLToday the GI Bill has evolved in to many different chapters based upon the servicemember’s service. There’s active duty, reserve, Post 9/11 and dependent benefits. This is due in part to Congressman Gillespie V. “Sonny” Montgomery, who in 1984, revamped the GI Bill. Know known as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) the previous Servicemen’s Readjustment Act evolved to provide VA home loan guarantees and funds for veterans to use for education and training.
This evolution is not without the growing pains normally expected with change. To attempt to answer some of the questions, we will look at the commonalities and overview of each type of benefit.
OVERVIEW OF THE MGIB PROGRAMThe MGIB provides up to 36 months of education assistance to eligible veterans for most legitimate education and training programs.
The monthly benefit you receive is based on several criteria: the type of training you take, the length if your service, your category (there are four categories), and if you have earned additional funds through “kickers” (supplemental bonuses through special military service).
When the GI Bill was first enacted, the money a veteran received was enough to support him/her and a family while he/she went to school, even full-time. Today, except in certain cases under Chapter 33, Post 9/11, the monthly amount is usually not enough to pay for classes and living expenses. To offset this, many students have to supplement their income, and if necessary, take loans if they plan to be in school full-time. But it is a benefit that you have earned through your service. Take advantage of it.
For information on different benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov or call 1-888-442-4551.
The American Legion and It’s Role in Developing the GI Bill - By Peter Gaytan, Executive Director, American Legion
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) is pleased to announce 133
service members and veterans have been named recipients of the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship,” making the 2016 spring semester the highest award period since the program’s inception in 2013. These student veterans will receive over $563,500 in combined aid.
See a complete list of the 2016 spring recipients.
For many student veterans, military educational benefits are often exhausted before the full costs of a college education are accounted for, leaving many without a completed degree or burdened with excessive
student loans.
The VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program, created through the VFW’s long-standing relationship with Sport Clips Haircuts, provides service members and veterans with the financial support they need to complete their educational goals without incurring unmanageable student loan debt. Funding for the scholarships is made possible through Sport Clips’ annual Help A Hero fundraiser, in which locations across the nation participate. In mid-October through November 11, Veterans Day, Sport Clips stylists raise funds in-store and in their communities to benefit the scholarship program. In 2015, the company exceeded their $750,000 fundraising goal with a donation total of more than $900,000.
The Help A Hero scholarship program has experienced great success,
awarding more than $1.8 million in financial aid and has provided scholarships to 444 service members and veterans to date.
“It is challenging to convey the amount of gratitude I feel,” explained scholarship recipient Joshua R. East. “Even though the gesture of a scholarship may seem insignificant to some, it is a beacon of hope and inspiration to me, and to those like me.”
Help A Hero scholarships are awarded twice a year, exclusively to service members and veterans to help cover the cost of tuition and fees. Scholarship applications are currently being accepted for the 2016 fall semester.
To apply, visit http://www.vfw.org/scholarship/
VFW Announces Landmark Semester for VFW’s ‘Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship’ - By Lynn Rolf, III, Director of VFW Programs, [email protected]
It’s the holiday season. Much of the country is celebrating, feasting, partying, gathering with family, attending religious services, watching football, and, of course, exchanging gifts. Meanwhile, consider a Veteran, who, lonely and depressed, isolates him or herself from their family, who in turn may feel helpless to give assistance.
It’s not just the holidays – any time can be stressful to many people, but even more so if you’ve seen unspeakable atrocities of war, experiences that are a far cry from the American life you’ve been protecting. Such has been the case for Veterans of our wars whose hidden memories haunt their dreams. Fortunately, that pattern is changing with the Veterans Crisis Line.
Since its founding in 2007, the staff has answered nearly 2 million calls and initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in crisis over 53,000 times. The Veterans Crisis Line anonymous online chat service, added in 2009, has engaged in more than 250,000 chats. In November 2011,
the Veterans Crisis Line introduced a confidential text messaging service that has responded to more than 44,000 texts.
During their shifts (which can happen at any time, any day), responders immediately let the caller know that the person on the other end of the line cares and will listen as long as needed. Responders stay on the line until they are either assured of the caller’s safety via a family member or forward the situation to local emergency response teams, who have the situation in hand. Because the Crisis Line is anonymous, it can be difficult at times to pinpoint where an emergency team should go. That’s when responders initiate some amazing detective work to get a Veteran to hands-on help.
The Veterans Crisis Line works because responders care about each Veteran who contacts the hotline as if they were family. And the concept of family is a constant thread throughout the team. This is an opportunity to belong to a close-knit team in order to save lives and make a life-altering
difference.
The impact of a connection with the Veteran, her family, and the responder is twofold: a partnership between the two, bonding with mere minutes to turn the corner and save a life – true crisis intervention. The responder lets the caller know she is not alone anymore.
In the next post in this series, I’ll talk about the inner rewards of being a responder for the Veterans Crisis Line.
In the meantime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, Veterans in crisis and their loved ones can receive confidential support:•Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1•Chat online•Send a text message to 838255
For more information, visit https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
If you’re interested in a job on the Veterans Crisis Line or supporting Veterans in many other ways, please visit VA Careers.
A Day in the Life of a Veterans Crisis Line Responder - By Darren Sherrard, DVA
ANNOUNCEMENTS & FAMILY EVENTS
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Meetings on the 3rd Tuesday Each Month at the VFW Post 1114
Contact Barbara Kortz - [email protected]
Facebook: Tri-State Womens Veterans
