Archives

Jan 25 2022

VFW Demands Accountability, Transparency in Afghanistan War Investigation

“It has been more than four months since U.S. military operations in Afghanistan came to an end, and yet we still don’t have clarity as to what went wrong and why it ended the way it did. As politicians, the media and society seem to have moved on, Gold Star families, our Afghan allies, and veterans of the war in Afghanistan still bear ...

Jan 20 2022

'I Didn't Back Down'

From the age of 15, Crista Benner, now 57, was set on a career in the military. “I knew I wanted to join the Navy. It wasn’t a matter of if but when,” she said. “I graduated from high school, and shortly after, I was on my first plane ride to boot camp.” Working as a hydraulic technician during her first tour in Jackso...

Jan 20 2022

Understanding Depression Can Help

Depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 18% of adults in the U.S. have some form of depression. People experience depression in different ways. It...

Jan 20 2022

‘A Show for Veterans, By Veterans’

The largest and oldest combat veterans’ organization now has a new way to communicate with its members and other veteran advocates. VFW Washington Office Communications and Public Affairs Director Robert Couture is the host of #StillServing: The VFW Podcast. He said listeners of #StillServing can expect to hear about current information on im...

Jan 19 2022

Reaching Out to the Community

Members of a Nebraska VFW Post last year received a $1,000 #StillServing community support grant from VFW National Headquarters. Instead of using it for the Post, the members thought it was best suited for a few local nonprofit organizations. VFW Post 10725 in Gretna, Nebraska, located about 20 miles southwest of Omaha, donated $1,000 to three nonp...

Jan 19 2022

‘As a Husband and Father … It Took So Much Off My Shoulders'

Charles Schmid, 44, enlisted in the Marine Corps on September 12, 2001. “I was watching TV in my college dorm room when the towers were struck on 9/11,” he recalled. “Immediately, I knew it was my duty to serve. I was a senior in college, but I gave that all up.” Within months, he was training at Parris Island. Schmid served...

Jan 18 2022

Action Drives Success

Active duty Staff Sergeant Samuel Butler, 24, joined the Air Force in 2015. Originally from Portland, Oregon, he and wife Carol are stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Butler enlisted just as his grandfather, father and uncle did before him. Based on their experiences, he knew it would be a worthwhile decision. “It was clear t...

Jan 18 2022

Honoring Women Veterans

When VFW Commander-in-Chief Matthew “Fritz” Mihelcic visited the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, Nevada, on Jan. 7, he was treated to a tour of the facility. Along the way, he viewed a permanent exhibit honoring women veterans. “Through Our Eyes: The Women Veterans’ Experience” aims to increase awareness a...

Jan 18 2022

A Post in Minnesota Strives to Assist Its Community

In finding a way to help the less fortunate in and around their community of Monticello, Minnesota, VFW Post 8731 members donated $1,000 to the local food bank in December. The Monticello Food Shelf, a community pantry for residents with limited financial resources, received the $1,000 donation following a unanimous decision by Post members in Nove...

Jan 17 2022

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

WASHINGTON — On Monday, Jan. 17, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Auxiliary will join the millions of Americans in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a pioneer who would ultimately lay down his life for the cause of civil rights. “It is so important for all of us to remember Dr. King,” said VFW N...