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3/19/2015 - For most, a visit to the barber doesn’t lead to being awarded a hand up in life, but that’s exactly what happened to Marine veteran Kristofer Poole. Kristofer visits his local Sport Clips at least once a month for a haircut. After making a donation to Sport Clips’ “Help A Hero” campaign, Kristofer went home and decided to find out more about the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship.” Realizing he was eligible to apply, he gathered the small amount of required paper...

3/5/2015 - “I felt like I hadn’t done much with my life yet, and I wanted to give back to the country that has done so much for me,” said Adrian Hill, 23. “Both my grandfathers served, so it was an easy decision for me.” Hill was a combat engineer in the Army, having served in Afghanistan, where he did route clearance operations. As a father of two, Hill wanted a way to secure his future after the military. He had always dreamed of becoming a teacher, so he decided to go to college...

3/27/2015 - Army veteran Anthony Kennedy’s heart has always been in policy advocacy for veterans. In 2010, after more than 17 years of military service, Kennedy returned to school to follow his passion in serving service members, veterans and their families. However, working toward his Master’s Degree in Social Work Direct Practice exhausted Kenney’s Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits. While searching the VFW website for information on a college scholarship, he stumbled across an...

3/3/2015 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The winners of the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary-sponsored Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay competitions were announced yesterday during the 2015 VFW Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Celebrating its 68th year, the Voice of Democracy program helps encourage a better understanding and appreciation for our great country by requiring entrants to write and record a three- to five-minute script on a patriotic theme. This year’s theme was “Why...

3/10/2015 - WASHINGTON — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is demanding that a Department of Veterans Affairs program manager at the VA Medical Center in Indianapolis be replaced. Last December, Ms. Robin Paul sent an e-mail to her staff with photos of a toy elf in different poses and captions, two of which made light of mental health issues. Paul oversees a staff of more than 30 health care professionals in the Seamless Transition Int...

3/4/2015 - Watch VFW National Commander John Stroud's testimony now! WASHINGTON – The National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. John W. Stroud led this morning’s testimony before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees with the important topic of sequestration. “The VFW has continually warned Congress that sequestration will have devastating effects on veterans programs and DOD’s readiness and quality-of-life programs,” said Stroud. ...

3/3/2015 - WASHINGTON — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. will deliver to Congress this week its initial report on the implementation of the new Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Choice Program. The report is based on a survey of more than 2,500 VFW members over the first three months of the Veterans Choice Program, which VA launched on November 5, 2014. “It is important that veterans have the opportunity to make informed health care decisions that best fit their own...

3/23/2015 - Like many teenagers, Anthony Smotherman didn't have post-high school career plans. At 18-years-old and with no desire to attend college, Anthony wasn’t sure what his next step in life would be. He did know that he was raised to put others before himself, had a strong desire to help defend America from future attacks and recognized America’s need for proactive and vigilant leaders. So, Anthony thought the Army National Guard was a good fit. The Guard played a major role i...

3/25/2015 - Last weekend, VFW National Commander John W. Stroud was at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., to support and cheer on marchers participating in the 26th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March. For the fifth year in a row, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) was the presenting sponsor for the memorial March. Every year thousands of service members, veterans and civilians travel to White Sands Missile Range, N.M., to participate in the rigorous Bataan Memorial Death March. The M...

3/24/2015 - WASHINGTON — Today the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will change the calculation measurement from geodesic straight line to actual driving distances to determine if veterans are eligible for non-VA care closer to where they reside. The announcement was exactly what the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States wanted to hear, especially since more than 2,500 member responses to an initial report released in early March revealed that veterans st...