The American Legion is revving up its advocacy efforts, highlighted by dozens of crucial topics important to veterans and their families. The Legislative Agenda for the first session of the 119th Congress is now available for download here. Think of the agenda as a road […]
(INDIANAPOLIS – January 30, 2025) – American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere, Jr., issued the following statement today concerning last night’s collision of a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter and a passenger plane attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: “We don’t know […]
Veterans who served at least two qualifying periods of service may now qualify for up to 48 months of total GI Bill benefits. In a major victory for veterans last April, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Rudisill v. McDonough that veterans who qualify for […]
Military Times By Karen Jowers With the start of new Tricare contracts, beneficiaries can expect some changes to their military health care, including the expansion of some benefits, according to military advocates and officials. Defense Health Agency officials said the new contracts, which went into effect […]
In the past few weeks I have noticed an increase in questions on how to upgrade a military discharge determination. Know, The American Legion Department of Minnesota is here to help our Minnesota Veterans navigate through this process. Our Department Service Officer as well as […]
By SVETLANA SHKOLNIKOVA STARS AND STRIPES • December 18, 2024 WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday approved a $895 billion defense policy that in April will give junior enlisted troops a historic 14.5% pay raise and all other service members a 4.5% pay bump in […]
The American Legion Welcomes Agreement to Keep Government Open, Blasts the Process (INDIANAPOLIS – December 21, 2024) – American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere, Jr. issued the following statement today concerning passage of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government into March: “The […]
Military.com | By Richard Sisk Published December 11, 2024 at 4:40 pm A Vietnam prisoner of war who spent years in captivity in the prison camp they dubbed the Hanoi Hilton and whose story was closely followed by the American public is set to be honored by Congress. For […]
Military & Retirees With ID Cards That Don’t Expire Will Need To Replace Them Within 4 Years Retirees and military family members who have identification cards with no expiration date can choose to upgrade to the new Next Generation Uniform Services Identification, or USID, cards […]
by Ellen Mitchell and Brad Dress – 11/11/24 6:00 a.m. est,THE HILL From expanded health care access to reducing suicide rates, veterans groups are preparing to lobby the 119th Congress on a host of issues affecting retired service members. Veterans groups are highlighting long-standing issues, like mental health […]
Article found in Politico By Ben Leonard 11/14/2024 06:26 PM EST Updated: 11/14/2024 07:24 PM EST President-elect Donald Trump has nominated one of his previous attorneys and former GOP House member Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Collins, 58, a staunch Trump supporter and frequent Fox […]
Sons of The American Legion National Vice Commander Harl “Butch” Ray, American Legion Auxiliary Vice President Lauren Lloyd and American Legion National Vice Commander James Kellogg lay a wreath as part of the Veterans Day ceremonies at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Nov. 11, 2024, […]
Department of Veterans Affairs Delays Air Transportation Reimbursement Rule Until 2029 SOAR Campaign commends Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS), House Appropriations MilCon/VA Subcommittee Chairman John Carter (R-TX), House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL) House MilCon/VA Subcommittee […]
A claim shark is an individual or company that illegally charges fees to “assist” or “consult” veterans with filing their VA benefit claims. Claim sharks are not VA accredited as required by federal law. Claim sharks target veterans or family members of veterans with aggressive […]
(INDIANAPOLIS – November 6, 2024) – American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere, Jr., issued the following statement today concerning yesterday’s election results: “The American people have spoken, and The American Legion congratulates President-elect Trump on his victory. We hope to continue some of the […]
Four Rules of an American Legion Program Whether a program is chartered by a post, department or national, it is incumbent on The American Legion that we control the actions of that program to best meet the needs of our organization, provide oversight and protect […]
A Report from American Legion National Headquarters We are a VOICE: “The Legion was so right to point us to Buddy Checks, which is just an opportunity to carve out time from your day to check in on somebody important to you. This is a community […]
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE PACT ACT? By Henry Howard As the two-year anniversary of the PACT Act approaches, The American Legion held a panel discussion July 11 in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Room on Capitol Hill evaluating the impact of the far-reaching legislation while looking […]
A welcoming environment leads posts to membership success. The American Legion JUN 26, 2024 American Legion Internal Affairs and Membership Division staff at National Headquarters reached out to posts with membership growth this year to share their success stories. We will be sharing the stories […]
Firestorm erupts over requiring women to sign up for military draft The Hill; BY ALEXANDER BOLTON – 06/20/24 6:00 AM ET Senate Democrats have added language to the annual defense authorization bill to require women to register for the draft, prompting a backlash from Republicans and […]
The American Legion expressed its support for legislation that would improve educational and economic opportunities for veterans and servicemembers during a House subcommittee hearing on June 12. Kevin O’Neil, senior policy associate for the Legion’s Veterans Employment and Education Division, testified before the House Committee […]
https://www.military.com/daily-news White House ‘Strongly Opposes’ Proposed 19.5% Pay Hike for Junior Enlisted Troops The White House is opposing a congressional proposal to give junior enlisted service members their biggest pay raise in a generation. In a statement Tuesday about its position on the House’s version of the […]
Through 2027, Veterans no longer need to pay copays for their first three outpatient mental health care visits of each year WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that Veterans no longer need to pay copays for their first three outpatient mental health […]
The American Legion The American Legion is aiming to reduce the rate of veteran suicide through its Be the One mission, as well as build more awareness about the issue and identify solutions to help a veteran in crisis. The American Legion’s newly updated Be […]
Navy veteran Roger Corman, Hollywood mentor and ‘King of the Bs,’ dies at 98 By BOB THOMAS AND AMY TAXIN ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 12, 2024 LOS ANGELES — Roger Corman, the “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little […]
Korean War veteran from Minnesota will finally get his Purple Heart medal, 73 years late By STEVE KARNOWSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS • April 24, 2024 MINNEAPOLIS — A Korean War veteran from Minnesota who still carries shrapnel in his leg from when he was wounded in […]
Military.com/By: Patricia Kime Indefinite’ Defense Department IDs Inconvenience Air Travelers, May Be Dropped as Acceptable Identification Military retirees and some spouses or dependents whose next-generation Department of Defense identification cards have an “INDEF” expiration date continue to face problems using their IDs to traverse Transportation […]
Why Air Force Veteran Lyndsey Leffel chooses VA care April 6, 2024, Kat Manouchehri, VA Contractor Women Veterans are the fastest growing group using VA services, and VA is expanding care to better serve their needs, from primary care to specialized care, including mental health, […]
VOTER VOICE – PLEASE COMPLETE! Please do this voter voice and send it to as many people as you know to complete it. DAV is including our CTF / Legion preferred disabled vets property tax bill and the MDVA education bill in it. The education bill […]
The American Legion National Legislative Division Weekly GRASSROOTS ACTION UPDATES Early on Tuesday, February 13th, the United States Senate passed a long-awaited emergency national defense funding package, aiming to support our allies and improving our national security abroad. The $95.3 billion package has been under […]