A pavilion to remember BAYPORT — It’s been 100 years since South Stillwater changed its name to Bayport. City Councilor Michele Hanson wanted to mark the name-change centennial with a project in a park, and she walked into Bayport American Legion Post 491 asking for […]
VA Unveils New Scholarships for Future Mental Health Workers as Agency Works to Combat Shortages 21 Nov 2022 • Military.com • By Drew F. Lawrence The Department of Veterans Affairs, facing “severe” specialist shortages including in psychiatry, is offering prospective health care workers new scholarships […]
19 November 2022 is a day set aside for survivors of suicide loss. International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is an event in which survivors of suicide loss come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience. This year, International Survivors of […]
By COREY DICKSTEIN • STARS AND STRIPES • November 15, 2022 When Capt. Kelsey Hastings takes command of the Marine Corps’ revered Silent Drill Platoon later this month, she will become the unit’s first female leader — and its first-ever female member. Hastings, a 2017 […]
By DOUG G. WARE • STARS AND STRIPES • November 15, 2022 WASHINGTON — Close to 100 candidates with military service won or are winning their midterm elections and the results of these races could yield the largest influx of veterans voted into office on […]
By Michael Ash What? Minnesota has an American Legion College? Yes, we do! Who would benefit the most from attending this “college”? You may have guessed it, but the answer is … you! We not only teach you all kinds of important stuff that makes […]
ALCON Background The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 – better known as the PACT Act, signed into law Aug. 10, 2022 – opens the door for certain individuals to file lawsuits and collect damages from […]
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2022 — Today, on National Cancer Awareness Day, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will prioritize the processing of Veterans’ benefits claims for cancers associated with the PACT Act. VA will expedite these claims to ensure Veterans with cancer are getting […]
Screenings mark key step in implementing the PACT Act, which President Biden signed into law on August 10 WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2022 — Beginning tomorrow, Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and clinics across the country will offer enrolled Veterans a new toxic exposure screening. […]
For the November newsletter from Veterans Benefits please click on the link below. If the link doesn’t work for you copy and paste into your browser. Thanks https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAVBA/bulletins/331a772
MINNEAPOLIS — The University of St. Thomas will host a special event on Veterans Day, and The American Legion is invited. Called Honoring Veterans with Restorative Justice, this two-hour program at the university’s law school in downtown Minneapolis will highlight why veterans need restoration and […]
Mission Day Break: September 19, 2022 Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the 30 finalists and 10 Promise Award recipients in Phase 1 of Mission Daybreak, a $20 million grand challenge to reduce Veteran suicides. Mission Daybreak is part of VA’s 10-year strategy to […]
Follow this link to read the VA Benefits newsletter for October 2022; https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAVBA/bulletins/32c9340
ST. PAUL — Recently in statewide news, members of Congress from Minnesota jointly signed and sent a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay for emergency transportation as part of the episode of care when veterans need emergency […]
Military Times By Irene Loewenson • Oct 5, 12:51 PM The Supreme Court listened to arguments Tuesday in a case to determine whether veterans with disabilities can collect decades’ worth of retroactive benefits from the Veterans Administration. Adolfo Arellano, who joined the Navy in 1977, […]
By SARA SAMORA • STARS AND STRIPES • September 29, 2022 WASHINGTON — An organization that challenged the accuracy of a recent veteran suicide report from the Department of Veterans Affairs told House lawmakers on Thursday that the agency’s data is missing a key piece: […]
By Tim Engstrom The Minnesota Legionnaire Have you ever wondered about the Post numbers? Why is Minneapolis 1, Shakopee 2, Jordan 3, Lakefield 4, Worthington 5 and so on? The nearest answers can be found in an excellent history book by Ben Gimmestad called “Legion […]
Military Times By Leo Shane III • Sep 28, 05:29 PM Veterans Affairs physicians will begin screening all department patients for military-related toxic exposures starting in November, the latest step in efforts to understand the scope and severity of injuries caused by burn pit smoke […]
The PACT Act is a historic new law that will help VA provide health care and benefits to millions of toxic-exposed Veterans and their survivors. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law on August 10th, VA has been hard at work on implementing […]
Military Times By Katelyn Peters • Sep 27, 04:32 PM While the GI Bill will not change dramatically for 2023, there are still updates that veterans should familiarize themselves with to get the most from their benefits. In addition, there are education and tuition assistance […]
Military Times By Vincent Troiola • Sep 27, 03:06 PM Recently, I was in a room with several thousand veterans and a simple request was made, “If you, or someone close to you, has experienced mental health issues, please stand.” As I stood up, nearly […]
Mike, The American Legion’s “Buddy Check” program has been a great tool for our membership, and we were proud to endorse legislation that expands this program to VA. This legislation has since been included in a comprehensive package that includes dozens of bipartisan mental healthcare […]
NBC News Sept. 24, 2022, 7:00 AM EDT • By Melissa Chan Tony Miller killed countless enemy forces while deployed in Iraq, where his Army unit captured so many high-value targets that they received a valor award. “Violence was good,” said Miller, a paratrooper, who […]
Military Times By Leo Shane III • Friday, Sep 23 Veterans could see their benefits boosted by the biggest margin in four decades after Congress on Thursday finalized plans to guarantee that veterans’ checks see the same cost-of-living boost as Social Security payouts. Federal officials […]
Minnesota gives endorsement to Kelley Adelsman WILLMAR — Past National Commander Dan Ludwig of Red Wing Post 54 stood at the podium on Friday, July 15, and addressed the floor at the American Legion Department of Minnesota Convention in Willmar. “I move this convention endorse […]
By NANCY MONTGOMERY • STARS AND STRIPES • September 17, 2022 An exhaustive study four years in the making has found nearly a 40% higher rate of veteran suicides than that reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The study’s interim report, based on service […]
St. Cloud’s health care system could lose about fifth of staff By Tim Engstrom The Minnesota Legionnaire ST. CLOUD — As of July 11, there were 390 union employees in the St. Cloud VA Health Care System who have requested religious or medical exemptions from […]
These are images from Tuesday, Aug. 20, to Thursday, Sept. 1. Click on an image to enlarge it. Right-click to download it. See a gallery from the first three days of the convention by clicking here.
These are images from Saturday, Aug. 27, to Monday, Aug. 29. See scenes from the second half of the convention on Tuesday! Click on an image to enlarge it. Right-click to download it. See a gallery of photos from the last three days of […]
By SARA SAMORA • STARS AND STRIPES • August 31, 2022 WASHINGTON — The Veterans Affairs Department has declared all 23 health conditions outlined in the recently enacted PACT Act “presumptive” from the date the bill was signed, reducing the burden on veterans or their […]