Department of North Carolina

The American Veteran - July Edition

Posted at 09:41 AM on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 by State Blogmaster

(from The Pentagon Channel)

Taking Pride in the Nation

Posted at 02:38 PM on Friday, July 3, 2009 by State Blogmaster

by Glen Gardner, VFW National Commander

Patriotism is in the air especially this time of year, and we should embrace all it stands for. Those who guarantee our freedoms must not be forgotten.

June and July contain two very important holidays—Flag Day and Independence Day. Both symbolize what it means to be an American. As veterans, these special days may have added meaning. Actually fighting for the values the flag represents and the liberty we celebrate on July 4th has a way of leaving lifelong impressions.

While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have largely receded from the collective public mind, military families and those of us concerned for their welfare still pay close attention. Proudly flying the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, singing along with the national anthem and revering the Founding Fathers are traditions worth maintaining, particularly to this segment of the population.

Other than voting, a USA Today/Gallup Poll last year found that 87% of Americans see serving in the military as the most patriotic act. Obviously, to these Americans, patriotism is not an abstract virtue. It means demonstrating it in a tangible way. Patriotism without sacrifice is hollow, no matter how one defines it.

At the core of this creed is a cause greater than self-interest, something bigger than one's self. Today, only a tiny minority of Americans bear the burden of defending the frontlines against enemies who would destroy everything the nation represents. And GIs have paid a steep price in loss of life, physical and psychological wounds, disrupted family lives and postponement of personal aspirations.

As VFW members, we owe it to them to not allow their immense sacrifices to be forgotten in the rush of backyard barbecues and fireworks displays. Respecting the symbols of our country is essential. But remembering those who have preserved the values they represent is equally, if not more, important.

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VA News - Week of June 29, 2009

Posted at 02:16 PM on Friday, July 3, 2009 by State Blogmaster in VA Information and News

VFW Washington Weekly - June 29, 2009

Posted at 09:29 AM on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by State Blogmaster

In This Issue:

1. GI Bill Hearing

2. GI Bill Transferability Rules

3. House Passes Defense Bill

4. Congress on Recess

1. GI Bill Hearing: The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held another hearing on VA's implementation plans for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The GI bill benefit is scheduled to be fully implemented on Aug. 1, 2009. The application process to determine eligibility opened on May 1. VA has reported over 100,000 applications filed for the education benefit. Keith Wilson, Director of VA's Education Services, testified that VA has a two-part IT strategy that relies on short- and long-term goals for processing the claims. He updated committee members on VA's partnership with the Navy's SPAWAR Systems Center, which is contracted to design, develop, and deploy an end-to-end solution that utilizes rules-based, industry-standard technologies. VA is currently working with SPAWAR on the long-term IT solution, and expects the program to be completed no later than December 2010. For more on the hearing, visit the House VA website at: http://veterans.house.gov/.

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North Carolina Department Officers, District Commanders, and Committees are Announced

Posted at 09:13 AM on Saturday, June 27, 2009 by State Blogmaster in Officers and Schedules

Delegates at the 79th Annual North Carolina VFW convention elected William Sloan to head the Department for the 2009-2010 membership year. 

A complete list of Department Officers, District Commanders, and Department Committees and Committee Members is posted at the "Department Links" under "NC Department Officers" site.

 

VFW National Commander Visits Iraq

Posted at 11:49 AM on Thursday, June 25, 2009 by State Blogmaster

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009 — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. returned home after spending almost four days visiting American troops stationed in Iraq. His overall assessment: "This war is nearing its end, which has our troops pumped with anticipation and the Iraqi people increasingly hopeful for their future."

Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas, entered Iraq on Sunday with the leaders of four other veterans' service organizations for a first-hand view of the progress that has occurred in Iraq. He is the fourth consecutive VFW national commander to visit Iraq.

"Iraq is a different country today because of the tremendous effort of our military to make the surge work," he said. "The assessment that everything is on target for the upcoming handover of the cities was made by everyone I met, from Multi-National Force-Iraq Commanding Gen. Raymond T. Odierno to his officers and enlisted soldiers, all of whom have served multiple tours in-country."

Gardner's trip comes a full year after the conclusion of a three-prong surge strategy that focused on security, the economy and political reconciliation. He said the changes on the ground were most noticeable in the eyes of six amputee veterans who returned to Iraq for the first time since being wounded. Their trip was sponsored by the Troops First Foundation, which has a program that allows wounded troops to return to where they were stationed to help close the loop on their wartime service. Gardner called the program "a great initiative, because departing a warzone strapped to a stretcher is not the last memory anyone should have to carry for a lifetime."

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State Districts and Posts Named "ALL AMERICAN"

Posted at 02:16 AM on Sunday, June 21, 2009 by State Blogmaster in Membership

Our congratulations are extended to the following District Commanders and Quartermasters as well as Post Commanders and Quartermasters for being named by National Headquarters as "ALL AMERICAN"

All American
Districts and Posts	Cmdr/QM
District 4	Sigwalt/Erhardt
District 5	Ray/Schoolcraft
District 16	Burleson/Taylor
Post 1142	McMillan/Eller
Post 7383	Hagen/Hiser
Post 8866	Durkin/Ausley
Post 9103	Hamel/Enos
Post 9133	Fiel/Sherwood
Post 10349	Tresslar/Taylor
Post 10630	Bellflowers/Zavesky

Department of NC Announces All-State Commanders and Quartermasters

Posted at 01:41 AM on Sunday, June 21, 2009 by State Blogmaster in Membership

 

State Commander Larry Flood has announced the winners of the All-State Commanders and Quartermasters for 2008-2009 membership year.

ALL-STATE LIST FOR PRESENTATION OF CAPS

                       

                        DISTRICT COMMANDER           DISTRICT QUARTERMASTER

 

            District 7         Allen Daniels                          Larry Watkins

 

POST COMMANDERS AND QUARTERMASTERS

 

            POST              COMMANDER                                QUARTERMASTER

 

            1142                Joe McMillan                                     Ward Eller

 

            1920                Monty Freshwater                              Curtis Clark Jr.

               

            6060                   Dayle Fish                                          Allen Alger

 

            6724                  Donald Thompson                              Steve Youngblood

 

           7315                   Arthur Erhardt Jr.                                William Sigwalt

 

           7383                   Rick Hagen                                          Paul Hiser

 

           8719                   Joe King                                              Edward Weatherman

 

            8866                  William Durkin                                     Gale Ausley

 

            9103                  David Hamel                                         Manuel Enos

 

            10225                Jesus Mendoza Jr.                                Thomas Morey

 

             10226               Howard Hursey                                      Larry Kostbade

Congratulations to all the above comrades.

 

NC Convention Photos

Posted at 12:21 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009 by State Blogmaster in Special Photos

Photos from the Department of North Carolina VFW Convention held in Raleigh.  Includes photos from Friday's flag presentation and raising at the North Raleigh Hilton.  North Carolina members are invited and encouraged to add photos to this album at My VFW WebCOM.

VA Reopening Health Care Enrollment to Thousands of Veterans

Posted at 10:56 AM on Friday, June 19, 2009 by State Blogmaster in VA Information and News

WASHINGTON (June 19, 2009) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which now has nearly 8 million Veterans enrolled in its award-winning health care system, is poised to welcome nearly 266,000 more Veterans into its medical centers and clinics across the country by expanding access to health care enrollment for certain Veterans who had been excluded due to their income.

"This incremental approach to expanding enrollment ensures that access to VA health care for a greater number of beneficiaries does not sacrifice timely access or quality medical care for those Veterans already enrolled in VA's health care system," Dr. Gerald Cross, VA's Acting Under Secretary for Health, said. "Over the next four years, we hope to provide enrollment to more than 500,000 Veterans."

Under a new regulation effective June 15, VA will enroll Veterans whose income exceeds current means-tested thresholds by up to 10 percent. These Veterans were excluded from VA health care enrollment when income limits were imposed in 2003 on Veterans with no service-connected disabilities or other special eligibility for care. There is no income limit for Veterans with compensable service-connected disabilities or for Veterans being seen for their service-connected disabilities.

Veterans who have applied for VA health care but were rejected due to income at any point in 2009 will have their applications reconsidered under the new income threshold formula. Those who applied before 2009, but were rejected due to income, must reapply. VA will contact these Veterans through a direct-mail campaign, Veterans service organizations, and a national and regional marketing campaign.

Information about enrollment and an income and assets calculator are available at www.va.gov/healtheligibility. The calculator provides a format in which Veterans enter their household income, number of dependents, and zip codes to see if they may qualify for VA health care enrollment.

In addition to applying online, Veterans may also contact VA's Health Benefits Service Center at 1-877-222 VETS (1-877-222-8387). Each VA medical center across the country has an enrollment coordinator available to provide Veterans with enrollment and eligibility information.

Click here for official press release

Important Tax-Exempt IRS Form 990 Changes

Posted at 10:23 AM on Friday, June 19, 2009 by State Blogmaster

 

 The following information was received from the Internal Revenue Service concerning non-profit organizations that file the IRS Forms 990 and 990EZ.

“Form 990, the annual information return filed by most tax-exempt organizations, has been significantly revised. Organizations filing the 2008 form 990 must use the new form; do not use previous year forms.

The IRS is giving smaller organizations time to adapt to the new form by allowing them to file Form 990-EZ instead of Form 990. For 2008 returns, this applies to organizations with gross receipts greater that $25,000 but less than $1 million and assets less than $2.5 million.”

For IRS forms, go to:  www.irs.gov and select the More Forms and Publications option and follow the directions for accessing forms, instructions, and other tax products.

Posts with gross receipts less than $25,000 may file a 990n electronically. Posts that are unable to file the 990n may have the Department file their 990n for them. Contact the Department QM/Adjutant for more information at qm@nc.vfwwebmail.com  or by telephone at 919-828-5058.

Scam Artist Hits VFW Posts

Posted at 07:12 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009 by State Blogmaster

A con artist has been preying on the generosity of sympathetic veterans and has managed to bilk numerous VFW Posts around the country out of as much as $400 each by posing as either a veteran who has "filled out an application" to join a specific Post or as a current VFW member.

The scammer has used a couple of different approaches when he calls a Post asking for a specific Post Officer by name for financial assistance, usually alleging to be experiencing some sort of car trouble and has even gone as far as to claim to be the parent of an Iraq veteran on his "way to the funeral for his son killed in Iraq." He has also used a bogus story about how he recently visited a Post while introducing his son, "just back from Iraq" to various Post members. The swindler apparently goes on-line beforehand and obtains information about the Post in order to include details about the Post to help lend credibility to his story.

According to information received by VFW national headquarters, VFW Posts in AL, OK, WV, TX, KS and MO have responded by wiring money to the man who promises to repay the cash as soon as he returns home. So far, the sum being requested is in the $200- $500 range. Western Union doesn't require identification for sums under $1000.

Local Soldier Available to Speak at Community Events

Posted at 11:52 AM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by State Blogmaster

Did you know that you could have a local soldier speak at your VFW Post events this summer? Operation Tribute to Freedom (OTF), an Army outreach program, can help coordinate a recently returned Soldier to speak at your meetings and functions this summer. OTF offers community event organizers the chance to invite a local Soldier who served in Iraq or Afghanistan to speak at group meetings or special events. For more information, please visit the OTF Web site: http://www.army.mil/otf/eventorganizers.html.

Department of North Carolina 2009 Golf Tournament

Posted at 01:04 PM on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by State Blogmaster

The Department of North Carolina's 2009 State Golf Tournament is scheduled for the weekend of 18 and 19 September 2009.

Any Comrade interested is serving on the State Golf Committee should contact the State Quartermaster, Bruce Edwards NOW. E-mail:  vfwnc@msn.com  or telephone at 919-828-5058.

Posts interested in hosting the tournament should contace David Joe Duncan at 704-334-1448. He will be at the February 6 to 8 Council of Administration meeting in Raleigh.

More information and forms will be provided at a later date.

Over 700 Schools Partner with VA to Help Veterans Pay for Education

Posted at 10:59 AM on Monday, June 8, 2009 by State Blogmaster in VA Information and News

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today [June 5] that it has entered into more than 700 agreements with institutions of higher learning across the nation to participate in the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s "Yellow Ribbon Program."

Many schools signed agreements for participation in not only undergraduate programs, but graduate and doctoral programs as well. Some schools entered into one agreement that covered all their campuses throughout the United States.

"VA is very pleased with the wide-spread interest in the program," said Under Secretary for Benefits Patrick W. Dunne. "We strongly encourage any interested universities to formally sign-up with the agency before the June 15 deadline to ensure participation in the 2009-2010 academic year."

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that allows degree-granting institutions to voluntarily enter into a formal agreement with VA to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the highest public, in-state undergraduate rates.

The institution can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and VA will match this additional funding for eligible students. This may enable qualified students to potentially attend school tuition-free.

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