Thursday, August 31, 2017

2018 Winter Active Duty Reconnect Dates and Times

For more information and to RSVP please call Don Bratsch at 719-201-1610. We need to try to get a good number at each event so please call Don.

17 January 2018
    WED      0900 PST     Showtime at Tacoma Narrows Airport
                 1000 PST     Take off Tacoma Narrows Airport
                 1220 MST    Arrive Hamilton, Montana
                                      Receive rental vehicle
                  1330            Reception Lunch Bitterroot River Inn
                 1800             Dinner Wild Mare www.thewildmare.com
                        
18 January            Ski at Lost Trail Powder Mountain
    THU     1500      Depart Ski area
                1600      Dinner  Rocky Knob Restaurant 
                                            www.therockyknob.com                         

19 January             Snowmobile Trip
     FRI     0900        Breakfast at Sula Store
               1015        Depart Snowmobile Trail Head 
                               *** Three snowmobiles are available to post members,  please call Don at 719-201-1610 to reserve a sled ***
               1630        Dinner Bitterroot Ridge Runners Clubhouse
                               *** There are six dinner spots available for post members, please call Don at 719-201-1610 to reserve a spot ***
                                    663 Grantsdale Road, Hamilton, MT
                                
                                                  
20 January             Ski Day or freeday.
    SAT                     Massages
               1800          Dinner The Edge Hamilton, MT
                                    www.theedgerestaurant.com

21 January             Ski Day or freeday.
    SUN    1800  Dinner Higherground Brewing Co Hamilton, MT
                                                    www.highergroundbrewing.com

22 January   1030 Showtime at Hamilton Municipal Airport
    MON          1100 Take off Hamilton
                     1120 PST arrive Tacoma Narrows Airport

Service Dogs

There is an outfit called Leashes of Valor (LoV) which operates out of Virginia, and has satellite programs in some states – they are getting set up in Montana, as far as a presence.  Their intent is to pair up two Montana disabled veterans with service dogs by the end of October.  Here is the deal:

+ Leashes of Valor looks to be legitimate.
+ The service dogs are trained specifically for PTSD/MST/TBI victims (no other types of disabilities). 
+ The dogs are “free.”  Maintenance and care of the dog, once living with the veteran, are the veteran’s responsibility.
+ A 26-page questionnaire must be filled out by the veteran and sent to LoV.  Leashes of Valor then does their best to match up the person’s needs and circumstances with one of their dogs.  Not every applicant will be provided a dog.
+ Leashes of Valor will pay for the travel/lodging for the veteran to travel to Virginia and stay at their ranch for THREE WEEKS of training/”getting to know each” time with the dog and staff.
+ The relationship between the veteran (who receives a dog) and the LoV is lifetime.  Reportedly, one veteran client who received a dog from them received another one after the first one passed away.
+ The people that run LoV are veterans.
+ You might want to check out their website.

Anyway – some names are needed in the near future, and if you have any veterans you think would qualify/need a service dog of this nature – please contact him/her and find out if he/she is willing to be part of this program.  If so, then send the name to me (with contact info) and it will be forwarded to LoV.

I don’t have any more specifics at this point, will provide them as I get them.

Paid Up For Life

The American Legion | Get Paid Up For Life!
Dear James,
It’s never been more exciting to think about The American Legion’s future.
Last week, Legionnaires from across America gathered at our National Convention to determine how we will better serve our members and veterans like you through our programs in the coming year — and for years to come.
As The American Legion’s leadership shared a vision for the future, they also asked our most dedicated members to take the next step by becoming Paid Up For Life — or “PUFL” Legionnaires.
Today, we’re extending the invitation to become a PUFL Legionnaire to you.
GET PAID UP FOR LIFE NOW

Paid Up For Life members receive all the benefits The American Legion offers … uninterrupted, for LIFE. All you have to do is request your membership quote today to join the ranks of our lifetime Legionnaires.
Your exclusive lifelong discounts will save you and your family money on travel, prescription drugs, and health screenings. Being a PUFL member also means you’ll:
Lock in your dues rate for life — even if membership rates go up
Receive a special PUFL Lifetime Legion Membership Card
Never receive a renewal notice ever again! You’re a member for life
GET PAID UP FOR LIFE

James, you’re an important part of The American Legion, and by getting Paid Up For Life, you secure the benefits you’ve earned for the rest of your life AND help give fellow veterans and their families the critical support they need.
For God and country,
Billy Johnson
Membership Director
P.S. You’re an important part of The American Legion, and we want to extend an invitation to get Paid Up For Life. Keep your benefits and discounts for life, AND never worry about another renewal notice. Act now to get your Paid Up For Life membership quote.

Forward to a Friend | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
This email was sent to: corvallispost91@gmail.com

This email was sent by: The American Legion National Headquarters
700 North Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Saturday, August 26, 2017

New national commander: 'Are you ready?' By Steve B. Brooks


Standing at the podium after being the first woman elected as American Legion national commander, Denise Rohan had one question for the delegates to the Legion’s national convention in Reno, Nev.: “Are you ready?"
The Wisconsin resident challenged Legionnaires to work together to continue the organization’s 98 years of service to the nation, and its veterans, military and their families.
“Are you ready to continue to join forces as part of the nation’s largest veteran service organization’s family?” Rohan asked. “Are you ready to Purple Up and show the nation that we are a family that not just takes care of our own members, we stand ready to take care of our active-duty military and their families, we take care of our veterans and their families and, in reality, when you look at our four pillars and all of our programs, are you ready to continue to take care of our entire nation’s families?”
Rohan said her theme this year will be “Family First,” and that the theme is based on The American Legion’s motto of “For God and Country."
“I believe we were put here, where you are today, and in the positions you hold currently for the greater good,” Rohan said. “We are not here to judge one another. We are here to nurture and take care of one another. Families grow through love and support for one another. As an American Legion family – we need to treat each other in that same spirit – like part of our larger extended family."
Taking a cue from the U.S. armed forces, Rohan chose the color purple for her membership shirts. “I chose purple for this year’s membership shirts to show that we are joining forces as an American Legion family,” she said. “Just like all branches of the military started working together and joined forces, they purpled up over the last several years, it is time for The American Legion family to also purple up as we all work together for the common good.”
A 33-year Legionnaire and current member of Post 385 in Verona, Wis., and U.S. Army veteran, Rohan has served as post and department commander. But when her husband, Mike, was first approached about joining The American Legion and Denise identified herself as an eligible veteran, she said she was informed ‘Women join the Auxiliary.’
“That post that denied me membership 37 years ago, they have a picture of me on the wall with a sign that reads ‘She could have been a member of our Post. Remember, women are veterans too!’” Rohan said. “It is a great reminder that since the birth of The American Legion back in 1919, our leadership knew that a veteran was a veteran regardless of race, religion or gender. Women could vote for national commander before they could vote for the president of the United States. I know that women have been and continue to be in leadership positions in this organization.”
Rohan urged delegates to keep up the support for military families as servicemembers continue to be deployed across the world. “The American Legion family will stand tall next to our heroes and their families,” she said. “There are National Guard and reserve families living in your home towns who are feeling alone and afraid. Please continue to step up and make connections with those families. And, whenever possible, make that connection before the family member is deployed.
“Get to those Yellow Ribbon events that are happening prior to deployment. Get to know the Family Readiness Group leader for your units and let the families know what we do, who we are and what assistance we can offer on a daily basis.”
Rohan shared the story of being at a Veterans Day event in a community a few years ago. The main speaker, a Gold Star father, shared the story about his son who had been killed in Afghanistan. During his speech a girl in the choir began crying and was escorted to the back of the room.
“When the program was over, the mother, who I had never met, sought me out in the crowd,” Rohan said. “She wanted to say thank you to The American Legion on behalf of her family. You see, one of the times that her husband had been deployed there was a fire in her home, and they also had a broken water heater. The local American Legion stepped up, helped her apply for Temporary Financial Assistance and then came to her home and helped make repairs.
“The mom said she is confident that had it not been for The American Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance program and the Legionnaires who helped repair their home, her husband may not have returned home safely. With things being taken care of at home, she knew that she did not need to trouble her husband with those issues. He could concentrate on his mission and could have one less worry on the battlefield, thanks to The American Legion family. Because that’s what we do and that’s who we are.”
Rohan said that along with Temporary Financial Assistance, she also will ask Legion family members to provide financial support to the Legion’s service officers program. “We witnessed history here yesterday as President Trump signing The Veterans Appeals Modernization Act of 2017 here on our stage,” she said. “This will help claims and appeals get processed faster, but we need trained service officers to assist in getting claims properly submitted. The faster we can get veterans the benefits they earned, the faster they can go on to lead happy, productive lives. It doesn’t just help the veteran; it helps the entire family.”
Rohan also said it’s time for Legion posts to start inviting the community in to show all the great work they are doing. She said hosting a Veterans Day meal is a perfect opportunity to do so.
“Make sure to include current and expired members, members of your holding post, Blue Star and Gold Star mothers, student veterans, military recruiters, members of the National Guard and reserve along with their families, veterans in local care facilities or hospitals and their families,” Rohan said. “Let’s light up social media with the world’s largest Veterans Day celebration this nation has ever seen. Let’s feed the entire community, because putting on great community meals is another great part of who we are and what we do.
“To make a difference in someone's life, you don't have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect. You just have to care enough to be there.”
Rohan was employed with the University of Wisconsin Madison as the assistant bursar of student loans until her retirement in 2012. She managed the University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Wisconsin Green Bay and University of Wisconsin Colleges’ $120 million loan portfolio made up of approximately 200 different federal, institutional and state programs in compliance with all laws, regulations and policy.
Elected as national vice commanders were Bobby Bryant of the Department of Oklahoma, Larry Marcouillier of the Department of Delaware, Paula Stephenson of the Department of Utah, William Flanagan of the Department of Illinois and Byron Callies of the Department of South Dakota.
Appointing to the remaining national offices were National Historian Richard Dubay of Michigan; National Chaplain Robert Vick of Florida and National Sergeant-at-Arms Roy Helms.

Free Speech Poster

dholdwjuqaakbae.jpg (783×1200)

LEWIS & CLARK DISTRICT 5

DEPARTMENT OF MONTANA
THE AMERICAN LEGION
August 20, 2017
Legionnaire
District 5, Fall Conference will be at the Drummond Community Hall on Sunday, September 24, 2017.
Registration will be from 9AM to 10AM, the registration fee is $20 to cover lunch and hall rental.


Commanders and Adjutants of the following Posts make sure all their current memberships have been sent to the Department: 27,101,125, & 131.
Sincerely, 
Gregory A. Marose, Sr.
Commander, American Legion District 5
703 S. 3rdm Hamilton, MT  59840
Retired Army (406)363-5213    




Montana Game Wardens

The Montana Game Wardens would like to extend an invitation to the hero's of our United States Armed Forces who were wounded or disabled in the line of duty.
The Game Wardens in cooperation with landowners around the state are offering several private landowner hunts in various areas around the state.
If hunting is not your thing, or you are just interested in something else, there are also opportunities for such things as boat, float, horseback, or even back country patrols
with a local Game Warden. If you are a Purple Heart recipient , and are interested in a hunt or other activity, you will need to give a email address, phone number, and
the area that you might be interested exploring. Please contact Chuck Bartos at Cbartos@mt.gov.
For all our Montana Veterans, we would also like to show our appreciation for your service. If you would like to do a ride along with a Game Warden please contact your local Fish
Wildlife and Parks office, or your local Game Warden. In the future, we hope to expand our involvement with the Veterans of this great state with more opportunity for hunts and other activities. God Bless you for your service.

Montana Game Wardens

President Trump speech in Reno, Nevada. Aug 23, 2017. National Conventio...

He Fights by Evan Sayet

“My Leftist friends (as well as many ardent #NeverTrumpers) constantly ask me if I’m not bothered by Donald Trump’s lack of decorum.  They
ask if I don’t think his tweets are “beneath the dignity of the office.”  Here’s my answer: We Right-thinking people have tried dignity.  There could not have been a man of more quiet dignity than George W. Bush as he suffered the outrageous lies and politically motivated hatreds that undermined his presidency.  We tried statesmanship.  Could there be another human being on this earth who so desperately prized “collegiality” as John McCain?  We tried propriety – has there been a nicer human being ever than Mitt Romney?And the results were always the same.  This is because, while we were playing by the rules of dignity, collegiality and propriety, the Left has been, for the past 60 years, engaged in a knife fight where the
only rules are those of Saul Alinsky and the Chicago mob.



I don’t find anything “dignified,” “collegial” or “proper” about Barack Obama’s lying about what went down on the streets of Ferguson in order to ramp up racial hatreds because racial hatreds serve the Democratic Party.  I don’t see anything “dignified” in lying about the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi and imprisoning an innocent filmmaker to cover your tracks.  I don’t see anything “statesman-like” in weaponizing the IRS to be used to destroy your political opponents and any dissent.  Yes, Obama was “articulate” and “polished” but in no way was he in the least bit “dignified,” “collegial” or “proper.”



The Left has been engaged in a war against America since the rise of the Children of the ‘60s.  To them, it has been an all-out war where
nothing is held sacred and nothing is seen as beyond the pale.  It has been a war they’ve fought with violence, the threat of violence,
demagoguery and lies from day one – the violent take-over of the universities – till today.  The problem is that, through these years,
the Left has been the only side fighting this war.  While the Left has been taking a knife to anyone who stands in their way, the Right has
continued to act with dignity, collegiality and propriety.  With Donald Trump, this all has come to an end.  Donald Trump is America’s
first wartime president in the Culture War.



During wartime, things like “dignity” and “collegiality” simply aren’t the most essential qualities one looks for in their warriors.  Ulysses
Grant was a drunk whose behavior in peacetime might well have seen him drummed out of the Army for conduct unbecoming.  Had Abraham Lincoln applied the peacetime rules of propriety and booted Grant, the Democrats might well still be holding their slaves today.  Lincoln
rightly recognized that, “I cannot spare this man.  He fights.”

   
General George Patton was a vulgar-talking, son-of-a-bitch.  In peacetime, this might have seen him stripped of rank.  But, had
Franklin Roosevelt applied the normal rules of decorum then, Hitler and the Socialists would barely be five decades into their
thousand-year Reich.



Trump is fighting.  And what’s particularly delicious is that, like Patton standing over the battlefield as his tanks obliterated
Rommel’s, he’s shouting, “You magnificent bastards, I read your book!” That is just the icing on the cake, but it’s wonderful to see that
not only is Trump fighting, he’s defeating the Left using their own tactics.  That book is Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals – a book so
essential to the Liberals’ war against America that it is and was the playbook for the entire Obama administration and the subject of
Hillary Clinton’s senior thesis.  It is a book of such pure evil, that, just as the rest of us would dedicate our book to those we most
love or those to whom we are most indebted, Alinsky dedicated his book to Lucifer.



Trump’s tweets may seem rash and unconsidered but, in reality, he is doing exactly what Alinsky suggested his followers do.  First, instead
of going after “the fake media” — and they are so fake that they have literally gotten every single significant story of the past 60 years
not just wrong, but diametrically opposed to the truth, from the Tet Offensive to Benghazi, to what really happened on the streets of
Ferguson, Missouri — Trump isolated CNN.  He made it personal.  Then, just as Alinsky suggests, he employs ridicule which Alinsky described
as “the most powerful weapon of all.” ...  Most importantly, Trump’s tweets have put CNN in an untenable and unwinnable position....  They
need to respond.  This leaves them with only two choices.  They can either “go high” (as Hillary would disingenuously declare of herself
and the fake news would disingenuously report as the truth) and begin to honestly and accurately report the news or they can double-down on
their usual tactics and hope to defeat Trump with twice their usual hysteria and demagoguery.  The problem for CNN (et al.) with the
former is that, if they were to start honestly reporting the news, that would be the end of the Democratic Party they serve.  It is
nothing but the incessant use of fake news (read: propaganda) that keeps the Left alive.  Imagine, for example, if CNN had honestly and
accurately reported then-candidate Barack Obama’s close ties to foreign terrorists (Rashid Khalidi), domestic terrorists (William
Ayers), the mafia (Tony Rezko) or the true evils of his spiritual mentor, Jeremiah Wright’s church.  Imagine if they had honestly and
accurately conveyed the evils of the Obama administration’s weaponizing of the IRS to be used against their political opponents or
his running of guns to the Mexican cartels or the truth about the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the Obama
administration’s cover-up.…  So, to my friends on the Left — and the #NeverTrumpers as well — do I wish we lived in a time when our
president could be “collegial” and “dignified” and “proper”?  Of course I do.  But these aren’t those times.  This is war.  And it’s a
war that the Left has been fighting without opposition for the past 50 years.  So, say anything you want about this president — I get it, he
can be vulgar, he can be crude, he can be undignified at times.  I don’t care.  I can’t spare this man.  He fights for America!"

Armed to Farm

Reminder!
Armed to Farm' Veteran Training
Set for Montana This Fall

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is now accepting applications from military veterans living in the Northwest region of the US who want to attend our Armed to Farm (ATF) training in Montana’s Mission Valley.
The week-long ATF training gives veterans and their spouses an opportunity to see sustainable, profitable,small-scale farming enterprises and examine farming as a viable career.
ATF offers a dynamic blend of farm tours and hands-on experience with classroom instruction. Participants will learn about business planning, budgeting, recordkeeping, marketing, livestock production, vegetable production, small grain production, and more. Participants will leave the training with a strong foundation in the basic principles of operating a sustainable farming enterprise.
NCAT sustainable agriculture specialists will teach the training sessions. Additional contributors will include staff from USDA Agencies, plus experienced crop and livestock producers.
Dates, Location, and Cost
Armed to Farm is scheduled for October 9-13 at Ninepipes Lodge in Montana’s Mission Valley. Participants will attend classroom sessions at the lodge, and the hands-on instruction will take place at several area farms.
The number of participants will be limited, and veterans living in the Northwest region of the US are eligible to apply. Applications are due August 18, and selected participants will be notified no later than August 25. Spouses are encouraged to apply as well because running a farm will impact their lives even if they are not directly involved.
The event is free for those chosen to attend; lodging, transportation to local farms, and most meals will be provided. Participants must pay their own travel costs to and from the event.
Application
To apply, click here

LINKEDIN

LINKEDIN HELPS TRANSITIONING SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS! From the Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP): LinkedIn is providing a free one-year premium Job Seeker Subscription ($360 value) for all Servicemembers and Veterans (available at https://linkedinforgood.linkedin.com/programs/veterans). The subscription allows Veterans to appear as featured applicants to potential employers when applying via LinkedIn, enables them to contact anyone on the LinkedIn network, and provides greater visibility and insight on the LinkedIn network.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Missoula College To Offer Course On Veterans Studies By Peter Christian

There are many college courses offered specifically for veterans, but not many about veterans.
That will change in the spring semester at Missoula College with a new course on veterans studies, made possible by a $97,000 grant from the National Endowment For The Humanities.
Associate Dean Clint Reading said the idea came from a retired officer with the U.S. Army who is studying for her doctorate at the University of Montana.
“We were approached by a grad student at the University of Montana, Lt. Col. Elizabeth Barrs, who came to us from Eastern Kentucky University, where she had been teaching a very similar course. So, she’s here now and working on a PhD, and  is very keen on keeping that research going. She approached us and we found a grant and the ball got rolling.”
Reading said the course will look at the history of U.S. military veterans, from the Revolutionary War to the present Gulf War conflicts.
“The focus will be on the Vietnam era forward, and the interaction between vets as they were coming back out of the service to civilian life,” he said. “We’ve already had a lot of interest from veterans themselves to learn more about their history. It’s a great opportunity to connect and see how both sides live.”
Reading said the course is still in its formative stages, and should be available in the spring semester of 2018. Call Missoula College and ask for a registration counselor. The number is 243-7811, or visit their website. 


Read More: Missoula College To Offer Course On Veterans Studies | http://newstalkkgvo.com/missoula-college-to-offer-course-on-veterans-studies/?trackback=tsmclip