VFW at the DNC: Vets' Tribute and Final Thoughts

President Obama accepting his party's nomination for a second term capped off the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte last night.

Your VFW was encouraged to see that the Democrats focused on our military service members and veterans every day of the convention, culminating with an arena-wide tribute to the troops that included some 20,000 attendees waving signs with the simple message, "Thank You."

In stark contrast to what the VFW witnessed at last week's RNC in Tampa, many of the DNC speakers took the opportunity to thank those who serve, to include the president in his acceptance speech.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry went so far as to criticize Republican candidate Mitt Romney for failing to mention veterans or service members in his acceptance speech, calling the oversight "unacceptable" in a time of war.

The VFW was happy to see the DNC focus so much on thanking veterans, and highlighting initiatives to improve benefits. Unfortunately, many of the week's speakers failed to outline any specific plans to address issues like unemployment, suicide or the disability claims backlog.

The VFW believes that despite certain improvements in recent years, much work remains to ensure our service members can transition successfully into civilian life, and that we can provide the timely care and benefits our veterans have earned.

After attending both the RNC and DNC over the past two weeks, the VFW has reached the following conclusions:

• The DNC succeeded in thanking America's heroes, whereas the RNC missed a major opportunity to demonstrate solidarity with the men and women who protect our nation.

• Both Democrats and Republicans have a lot of work to do to make the case for how they intend to better serve our veterans, service members and their loved ones over the next four years.

Your VFW will continue to push both the Romney and Obama campaigns to outline how they plan to serve our veterans, if elected. Check back for updates as the candidates hit the campaign trail.

(Images: Top: Attendees at the DNC say "Thank You" to our veterans. Bottom: President Obama and his family greet the DNC after accepting the party's nomination. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

VFW at the RNC: Final Thoughts as Romney Accepts Nomination

The 2012 Republican National Convention drew to a close last night with a star-studded lineup, including legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood. An impressive lineup of American Olympians both past and present, ranging from figure skater Scott Hamilton to skeet shooter Kim Rhode, also made an impression on the audience.

Many of the speakers worked to highlight the character and success of the man of the hour, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The excitement and anticipation reached a crescendo with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s lead-in remarks that highlighted his family story of hard work and achievement.

Though Romney’s articulate and passionate remarks largely focused on the economy and his vision for solving the problems leading to lingering unemployment, he also spoke on a broad range of other topics, including national defense, pending budget cuts to the Pentagon, and foreign policy.

However, one point that the VFW noticed was lacking in his remarks was much mention of our reliance on the brave men and women who wear the uniform to execute those policy decisions; and the moral obligation our nation has to honor their service and to care for those who have borne the battle.

Looking back on the convention, we cannot recall a single mention of a specific policy relating to veterans. It’s clear that we have a lot of work to do – regardless of who may be elected to the White House – to advance the needs and interests of those who have served our nation. We hope we can count on you to join in this noble and important work.

Your VFW will now head to Charlotte, N.C., for the Democratic National Convention. Check back next week for daily updates, as we seek to hold our leaders accountable for the needs of our nation’s heroes.

(Image: Mitt and Ann Romney, alongside Paul and Janna Ryan, wave to the crowd as the 2012 Republican National Convention draws to a close in Tampa. Photo by Ray Kelley.)

VFW at the RNC: Defense Issues Take Center Stage Wednesday

The Amputee Veterans of America Support Team set the tone for day two of the Republican National Convention when they took center stage Wednesday to present our nation’s colors with Ayla Brown, daughter of National Guardsman and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, singing the Star-Spangled Banner.

Jeanine McDonnell, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and daughter of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, spoke as one of the 212,000 service women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade. Her central message: “We need leaders who don’t play chicken with our nation’s defense.”

She was not alone in referencing the military and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Many of the speakers last night, including Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, made foreign policy and our military and veterans’ communities the cornerstone of their remarks.

McCain struck hard at President Obama for his handling of the situation in Libya and Syria, and for the pending cuts to the Department of Defense that the senator claimed were substituting military strategy with a political timetable.

Rice connected with the crowd early in her speech by recognizing we are “fortunate to have men and women who volunteer – they volunteer to defend us on the front lines of freedom,” and urged everyone to remember that “we owe them our eternal gratitude.” She also spoke of the challenges the previous administration faced as well as the ongoing sacrifices of those who continue to serve on our behalf.

These comments came on the heels of Mitt Romney’s remarks yesterday afternoon at the American Legion national convention, where he pledged to not increase fees on TRICARE; however, back here in Tampa, the remarks of his vice presidential running-mate, Paul Ryan, were noticeably devoid of words about our military or our veterans.

Though Ryan did publicly thank veterans in the context of sacrifices made by the “founding generation,” our leaders must also be attuned to the needs of those serving today, who are living with physical and emotional scars from more recent conflicts in our nation’s history.

Last night’s speakers were all a prologue for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who speaks tonight to officially accepting his party’s nomination. Will he deliver for veterans, service members and their families? Stay tuned.

(Image: Vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan and his family wave to the crowd last night during the Republican National Convention. Photo by Shane Barker.)