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 DNC: Veterans' Council Meeting and Secretary Shinseki

Yesterday the Democratic National Committee hosted a Veterans and Military Families Council meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center as part of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Your VFW was on hand to listen to speakers about the party's platform to better serve veterans, service members and their loved ones.

The council, chaired by retired Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, brought together leaders in the Democratic party like Dr. Jill Biden, co-founder of the "Joining Forces" program; Beau Biden, Delaware Attorney General and National Guardsman; Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Sen. Daniel Inoue, World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, to discuss how the current administration and the Democratic party hope to address the ongoing concerns of the veterans' community, like education and employment.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki also made an appearance at the council meeting before addressing delegates on the convention floor last night. In his remarks before the convention, Shinseki touted the successes of the Obama Administration expanding access to VA healthcare for 800,000 veterans and improving access to mental health care for veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war.

While the VFW appreciates the DNC's focus on veterans' issues over the last two days, we noticed that most of the discussion centered on past successes. We were hoping to hear more about how the party plans to address persistent issues moving forward, such as veterans' unemployment, suicide, military downsizing, and the daunting VA disability claims backlog.

Last night, President Obama was officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate by President Bill Clinton, who touted the president's record of pragmatic leadership. Tonight, the president will officially accept the nomination and your VFW will be on hand at the Time Warner Arena in Charlotte.

Your VFW will be looking for the president to discuss veterans' issues and his plans to address the ongoing concerns of our nation's heroes; particularly while we are at war. Check back tomorrow for highlights and check in on Monday, as we compare our experiences at both the RNC and the DNC over the last two weeks.

(Image: Dr. Jill Biden addresses the Veterans and Military Families Council yesterday at the DNC. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)

VFW at DNC: Opening Night Dems Focus on Veterans

Last night, VFW legislative advocates made their way into Charlotte for the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Though most of the evening's discussions focused on social issues, the Democrats also took the time to focus on issues critical to military families and veterans.

The night kicked off with the introduction of Marine Corps Iraq veteran Nate Davis discussing how the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill allowed him to pursue a quality education after leaving the military. Next, noteworthy veterans' advocate and wounded warrior Tammy Duckworth, who is currently running for Congress in Illinois, took to the stage to make the case for how the current administration has made caring for veterans and military families a priority.

The theme of honoring America's military families and veterans continued on during the night, when Blue Star Mother Elaine Brye introduced First Lady Michelle Obama, whose program "Joining Forces" has made a difference in the lives of thousands of military families, like Brye's.

While the first lady made an impassioned speech as to why she believes her husband deserves four more years in the White House, Mrs. Obama also took the time to discuss why family values are so important to her and how she sought to make the lives of military families easier, as their loved ones continue to sacrifice for our nation overseas.

The VFW was happy to see the DNC focus on veterans' issues early on in the convention. This afternoon, VFW will join in a Veterans and Military Families Caucus as part of the convention in an effort to ensure Democrats understand the issues critical to the military and veterans' communities.

The VFW hopes this dialogue on veterans and military quality-of-life continues throughout the convention, and that the president takes the time to outline his plans to care for our nation's heroes when he formally accepts his party's nomination Thursday night. Check back for updates.

(Images: Top: First Lady Michelle Obama greets the delegates before making her speech before the DNC last night. Bottom: Tammy Duckworth explains how she believes the Obama administration has made an effort to serve veterans. 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 Applauds White House Efforts to Stop Military Suicide

The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., the nation’s largest organization of combat veterans, applauded the president’s signing of an executive order this morning designed to curb military and veteran suicide and improve the delivery of mental health resources to our nation’s heroes.

“Today, more American service members die by their own hands than at the hands of our enemies, which is why the VFW is proud to see our commander-in-chief taking action to address this national crisis,” said VFW National Commander John E. Hamilton. “Long, repeat deployments through more than a decade of war have taken an immeasurable toll on our nation’s newest generation of heroes. We have an obligation to care for these brave men and women when they return from the front lines, and we think this executive order will be a critical step in fulfilling that obligation.”

The executive order, “Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members and Military Families,” which President Obama announced during a visit to Fort Bliss in Texas, includes nearly a dozen specific initiatives designed to improve mental health resources and intervention tools.

Among the initiatives included in the executive order, VA and its partner agencies are directed to increase the capacity of the veteran crisis line, 1-800-273-8255; leverage training initiatives to hire 800 peer-to-peer counselors and 1,600 mental health professionals by June 2013; ensure veterans in crisis receive care within 24 hours; develop a National Research Action Plan across federal agencies to improve early intervention for those suffering from invisible wounds; and create an Interagency Task Force reporting directly to the White House on strategies to improve outreach and intervention for veterans, service members, and their families.

The VFW fully supports the president’s vision to prevent military suicides and improve mental health care delivery, but Hamilton also expressed concerns about potential funding shortfalls to accomplish the president’s goals.

“We hope that as VA and the Pentagon work with their partner agencies to deliver on these initiatives, that a comprehensive plan is in place to fund it without negatively affecting the continuum of care that our veterans rely on,” said Hamilton, who received three Purple Hearts for wounds sustained as a Marine Corps rifleman in Vietnam. “This morning the president pledged to help the brave military men and women who continue to suffer in silence, and the VFW stands ready to assist the Administration in delivering on this pledge.”

To read the executive order, click here.

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.)

VFW at the RNC: Tuesday Highlights

Last night, VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley and Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker were on hand for the first night of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. The theme of the evening was “We Built It,” which provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of entrepreneurship and to showcase the differences between the parties on the role of government in job-creation and the economy.

Many of the speakers featured last evening were small business owners from across the country or rising stars within the Republican Party, such as Mia Love from Utah and Ted Cruz from Texas.

The evening’s marquee speakers, Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, are well known and admired among the ranks, and they didn’t fail to deliver for the crowd.

Mitt Romney, who earlier in the day officially secured the Republican nomination, made a brief cameo, stepping on stage to personally congratulate his wife, thanking her for her remarks. She electrified and prepped the audience for Christie with her words, which focused from several aspects on her view that the Romneys “don’t have a storybook marriage… but a real marriage.” The boldest statement of the evening from Ann Romney was that her husband “Will not fail.” Ann Romney was the ideal message bearer of this conviction, and with those words she deftly moved the crowd to a roaring applause.

Christie energized the crowd by speaking about responsible government, making hard choices, and the need to agree with leaders in the Democratic Party without forfeiting conservative principles.

Noticeably absent from last night’s speeches was any substantive talk about the policies that affect our nation’s military and our veterans. With vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan speaking tonight, and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney speaking tomorrow, the VFW fully hopes and expects concrete ideas and policy positions on these important issues to be front and center.

Check back tomorrow for more VFW highlights from the Republican National Convention.

(Image: The floor of the Republican National Convention when Mitt Romney officially secured the Republican nomination for president. Photo by Ray Kelley.)