National Veterans Foundation

Los Angeles Avengers vs. Kansas City Brigade

In honor of US Army Day, a portion of each ticket purchased for this event will go to the NVF.

When: Sunday, June 15th
Time: 3:30 PM

Where: Staples Center

Bring the entire family for a full day of fun:

-Pre-game Jam featuring music, games, U.S. Army interactive displays -Avengers will be recognizing our troops throughout the game
-Ceremony featuring U.S. Army "Future Soldier Swear In"

-All the action-packed excitement of Avenger football!

To find out more information and buy tickets, click here.

SFGate
Patrick Campbell
Saturday, May 3, 2008

I still laugh when people ask me whether the military paid for my education. When I tell them how meager the actual education benefits are, their shock always make me feel like I just told a child that there is no such thing as the tooth fairy. Unfortunately, many of my battle buddies realized the hard way that the GI Bill isn't what it used to be. The education benefits for troops are so low that they either never enrolled, or dropped out of school because they couldn't handle working two part-time jobs or living back home on Mama's couch to afford to attend school.

My fellow veterans are struggling because the current GI Bill is woefully inadequate. Service members are forced to take out loans just to start classes, and then wait months to get any reimbursement. Even then, the benefit only covers 60 to 70 percent of the cost of a four-year public university. For expensive private schools, the GI Bill is barely a drop in the bucket. And every year, the GI Bill is losing value because education benefits have failed to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of education.

Read More ...

Problems Present Long, Hidden Toll; Help Often Avoided

Wall Street Journal
By YOCHI J. DREAZEN
April 30, 2008

WASHINGTON -- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused heightened stress, depression and sleeplessness among some military personnel and their families, a new report says.

The survey by the American Psychiatric Association, set to be released Wednesday, found that 32% of military members believe their tours in the two war zones had "at least some negative impact" on their mental well-being. Among military spouses, 40% believed their mental health was hurt by their husband's or wife's service overseas.

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VA Media Relations (April 24, 2008) – On May 1, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will begin contacting nearly 570,000 recent combat veterans to ensure they know about VA’s medical services and other benefits.

“We will reach out and touch every veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to let them know we are here for them,” said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “VA is committed to getting these veterans the help they need and deserve.”

Los Angeles, Calif. – February 28, 2008 - A study released today by the National Veterans Foundation reports that the United States Government is shortchanging veterans benefits to the military veterans that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The report, “Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in Crisis,” compares the benefits received by WW II, Korean, and Vietnam War veterans to today’s veterans who have served in the middle-east in order to keep this country safe from terrorists.

Contact:
Jim Goyjer (310) 207-1524
Shad Meshad: (310) 339-0679

By JASON WITZ
Assistant Englewood Editor

Eric Hall would often pinch his lapel to his lips and whisper, as if a microphone was transmitting the cryptic message.

No one knew what to make of the gesture.

A friend would ask the baby-faced Marine whether he needed anything. Hall would release his shirt and smile, downplaying the episode. Nothing more was said.

"During the last seven years, this administration has nickled and dimed our vets," said U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-FL . "It seems to me if we are going to continue to call on people to serve, we need to treat them like gold."

Since the Iraq War started in 2002, Marine, Army and National Guard troops have faced extended deployments, with little rest in-between. Mahoney believes the additional tours increase the risk of soldiers developing mental stress later.

"We have put a burden on them that we have never asked soldiers to do before, and we are seeing the repercussions of it," he said.

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The 'Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities' (EBV) offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines disabled as a result of their service supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The intent of the EBV is to open the door to entrepreneurial opportunity and small business ownership to you, by developing your competencies in the many steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture, and also by helping you coordinate your efforts with programs and services for veterans and others with disabilities.

EBV will be offered at Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University’s College of Business and Mays Business School at Texas A&M.

To learn more and apply, please visit their website.

The Mehadi Foundation is offering scholarships to United States Armed Forces veterans who served in the Iraq/Afghanistan conflict and who have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction but are now at least six months sober. The award is good for tuition at any college or trade school nationwide (international schools will also be considered).

1 award of $1000 USD and 2 awards of $250 will be given for Fall 2008 Semester/Quarter.

The deadline to apply is June 15th, 2008.

More information about The Mehadi Foundation and scholarship applications can be found here.