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Volume 1, Issue 8 October 2014
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DAV Mount Vernon-Alexandria Chapter 11 Newsletter
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Mission Statement
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We are dedicated to a single purpose:
Empowering veterans to lead high- quality lives with respect & dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America's injured heroes on Capitol Hill; & educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
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Meetings
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Chapter 11 meets on the last
Last Tuesday of month @ 7 PM.
Next meeting is October 28.
Meeting location:
American Red Cross
Bldg 1161
9716 Middleton Rd
(15th St @ Middleton Rd)
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
Parking is in the rear and side
Address correspondence to:
Mail:
Commander, Mt Vernon Chapter 11
P.O. Box 244
Mount Vernon, VA 22121-0244
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Upcoming Events
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DAV Mobile Service Office
AAFMAA Reston Campus
1850 Old Reston Ave
Reston, VA 20190
Sunday, October 19, 9AM-4PM
Dept of Virginia Fall Conference
Holiday Inn Tanglewood
Roanoke, VA
October 23-26
Auxiliary Unit Meeting American Red Cross bldg 9716 Middleton Rd
(corner of 15th & Middleton) Ft Belvoir, VA 22060 Tuesday, October 28, 6:30PM Chapter Meeting American Red Cross bldg 9716 Middleton Rd
(corner of 15th & Middleton) Ft Belvoir, VA 22060
Tuesday, October 28, 7PM
VEC/SkillSource Career Fair
Stratford University
14349 Gideon Dr.
Woodbridge, VA 22192
Thursday, October 30, 11am-2pm
Veterans Information Seminar
South Fairfax County Govt Center
8350 Richmond Hwy, Rm 221
Alexandria, VA 22309
Saturday, November 1, 10AM-4PM
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Upcoming Articles
(not prioritized)
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Jobs for Disabled Veterans
Homeless Veterans
Military discounts
Presumptive Service-Connected Diseases
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Click here to join the Chapter 11 Newsletter |
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Welcome to the October issue of the Mount Vernon DAV electronic newsletter. As we heavily promoted in last month's newsletter, the dedication ceremony of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial was a big success. For those of you who were unable to attend, please view the full report in the article below.
Also note that the Department of Virginia Fall Conference will be held over the weekend before our next meeting. I encourage all Chapter members to attend, especially all of the record number of our members who were appointed to Department committees, including your Chapter Commander and all of the Vice Commanders.
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Veterans Information Seminar, November 1st
South Fairfax County Government Center
Mount Vernon DAV Chapter 11 is pleased to announce that it is hosting its first ever Veterans Information Seminar on Saturday, November 1, from 10 AM - 4 PM at the South Fairfax County Government Center located at 8350 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22309. The seminar will be conducted in Room 221 (2nd floor) of the Government Center. The entrance to the parking lots in the rear and both sides is at a traffic light at Mohawk Lane and Richmond Hwy. Presenting our Information Seminar will be Marquis Barefield, Supervisor of the Washington, DC DAV National Service Office. Mr. Barefield is an Army veteran who served as a combat engineer and also as an Army Intelligence specialist. He was medically retired as a result of injuries incurred on active duty.
He has been a DAV National Service Officer (NSO) for over 16 years. He has served as the Assistant Supervisor of the DAV Atlanta office, and as a Senior National Appeals Officer, before moving to his current position as the Supervisor of the DAV NSO Office in DC.
In his current position, Marquis oversees the DAV NSO Office and the four Transition Service Officers (TSOs) in the DC Metro area. His office is responsible for representation at the VA Regional Office, working with the Appeals Management Center, the Military Discharge Review Boards, Military Evaluation Boards, and Physical Evaluation Boards, plus assisting service members transitioning from active duty.
Among his staff are our own NSO and First Junior Vice Commander Esther Yangas and our own Fort Belvoir TSO Jerry Johnson. Thus, if you have any questions regarding your benefits, to include the recent VA reform legislation signed by President Obama right here at Fort Belvoir, be sure to attend. If you have questions regarding filing a claim, or the status of your claim or appeal, bring all of your relevant documentation, including medical records and VA ratings or other correspondence.
In conjunction with the Information Seminar, representatives from the VA will be on hand to answer your questions regarding eBenefits, and will assist individuals in registering for an eBenefits account if they do not already have one.
We expect a big turnout and will need Chapter members to assist with setting up the event and signing in the attendees. We will also need the support of Service Officers from adjacent DAV chapters to assist with answering veterans' benefits and claims questions to minimize their wait time.
Since there is no requirement to be a member of the DAV to attend this free seminar, please forward this newsletter to any other interested parties. There will also be a notice published in the Fort Belvoir Eagle weekly newspaper on the Belvoir Briefs page.
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Grace James Appointed as Alternate NEC
District 6 Names Virginia Unit 11 Commander to NEC
 During the District 6 DAVA meetings, Grace James was honored for her work within the DAVA, which includes two stints as our Mount Vernon Unit 11 Commander and also as a Past Department Commander of the DAVA, by being selected as the Alternate Member of the DAVA National Executive Committee. This is especially noteworthy since District 6 is comprised of 5 separate Departments, compared to many other districts that consist of only one or two departments. Also, since Mt Vernon Chapter Commander Jim Spencer was appointed to the National General Resolutions and Membership Committee, Mount Vernon continues to expand its influence beyond our Chapter/Unit borders.
Congratulations, Grace! We expect your experience and dedication will continue to expand your influence at the DAVA National level. |
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DAV at the Ft Belvoir Retiree Appreciation Day, September 12th
Chapters 11 & 48 enlighten veterans about DAV services
 | | Gwen Lott, Dir of HR, conducts a Q & A session |
The Fort Belvoir Directorate of Human Resources conducted their Annual Retiree Appreciation Day on Friday, September 12th, at the Barden Education Center at Fort Belvoir from 8 AM - 1 PM, and the DAV was there. Sean McCarthy, Chapter 48 Commander, and Jim Spencer, Chapter 11 Commander were there to discuss the services that the DAV provides, answer questions, and pass out business cards. We gained a number of leads for prospective members and added them to our e-mail lists.
Gwen Lott, the event organizer stated that 263 retirees signed in and 191 of them received their flu shots. Your Commander also noted a number of late arrivals not counted in that official total. Nonetheless, it was a better turnout than the previous year. Other organizations represented were the VA National Cemetery Administration, Tricare, AUSA, Red Cross, and DMV.
The National Cemetery Administration dispelled the myth that Arlington Cemetery is run by the VA. In fact, it is an Army cemetery, but the VA has 131 other cemeteries nationwide that it runs. The Tricare representative discussed how Tricare works with Medicare Part B and the DMV representative discussed requirements for Handicapped license plates, driver's licenses, and vehicle registrations. The Red Cross offered free blood pressure checks and literature on hypertension.
A good time was had by all, with many planning to return next year to get the latest updates. For the DAV, many had questions about the recent VA reform legislation, especially the Veterans Choice Card. See the article below. |
Update on the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014
Medical Appointment Scheduling System (MASS) and Choice Card
 | | Sec-VA reviews MASS |
To prevent a recurrence of the VA appointments scandal, the most obvious need was a newer, more secure appointment system with an audit trail. To that end, well before enactment of this legislation, the VA scheduled an Industry Day with 98 technology vendors on June 18, to include a live scheduling system architecture Q & A session regarding seamless interfaces with the VA's VistA electronic health record (EHR).
On July 15, the VA, with their IT and health care experts, met with leaders from 9 Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), including the DAV to discuss Veterans opinions and insights concerning critical aspects of the new system. The goal was to gain a better understanding of Veterans needs to determine the needs and scope of the upcoming solicitation.
After the VA reform legislation was passed, on September 17 the VA published a Performance Work Statement and business requirements documentation for industry review and comments by September 26. The VA's Request for Proposals (RFP) was to be published in October, with an award date in January 2015. Although that timeline seems ambitious at this point, the VA's CIO Stephen Warren maintains that the system will be fielded within two years of the award, in 6-month increments.
The Phoenix VA hospital, where the scheduling problems first surfaced, did not install electronic wait list software until 2010, 10 years after its initial deployment to other VA hospitals. During that time, the VA started work on a replacement for scheduling software in 2001, but canceled the program in 2009 after spending $167 million with no usable product delivered. Given this history, the timeline above seems considerably optimistic, regardless of cost.
Meanwhile, one of the unrealistic deadlines of the legislation pertains to the issuance of a "Veterans Choice Card" to each eligible veteran within 90 days of enactment (Nov 5). Since the Point of Contact for the Choice Card is not fielding any questions and refusing interviews, it is reasonably certain that the VA will miss this deadline. Given the information that is required on the card and the multiple categories of eligibility, it will likely be phased in gradually, beginning with those veterans residing far from any VA facility and those waiting over 30 days for an appointment. (Note: wait time criteria may be adjusted by specialty or medical condition, further complicating the eligibility criteria.) Other complications: the eligibility criteria changes for those who enroll after August 1, 2014 (must have active duty in a combat theater within the previous 5 years).
Since a veteran's eligibility for non-VA care will vary depending on the availability of care at a VA facility, the card must be issued to all 9.1 million enrolled veterans, although the majority may never meet the eligibility criteria for non-VA care. Screening veterans at a non-VA facility awaiting treatment to determine if they are eligible for that care creates an immense administrative burden, especially since early interviews with veterans indicate that some view this card as a Carte Blanche for any medical treatment anywhere, anytime, as a pseudo-medical credit card.
Another administrative nightmare will be when such non-VA treatment is authorized, how will the VA track that treatment and how will the diagnoses, tests, and treatments be entered into the VA's VistA system when the non-VA facility is using an incompatible EHR system.
Since the Choice Card is due to expire in three years or when $10 Billion has been spent on non-VA care (whichever occurs first), the card is destined to be short-lived unless Congress appropriates additional funding. With the VA almost certain to miss this deadline, it will be interesting to see how the Congress, especially the Veterans' Affairs Committees, respond to this missed deadline.
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Mid-Term Elections, Nov 4
Make Your Vote Count
 As you are undoubtedly aware, all House seats are up for election in the United States Congress as well as one-third of the Senate seats. In Virginia, that amounts to 11 House seats and one Senate seat. For most of the members of Chapter 11, the contested races are in District 8 and District 11, plus Senator Warner's seat.
Hopefully, you have all registered to vote by now, as the registration deadline has now passed. If you recently moved, you can obtain an absentee ballot from the Precinct where you are currently registered and vote in that election. You will have to request an absentee ballot and mail it by the deadline specified. Time is running out!
Below is a summary of the candidates in our local races:
United States Senate (*Incumbent) Party Candidate Address E-Mail Address Richmond, VA 23255
Alexandria, VA 22314
Annandale, VA 22003
United States House of Representatives District 8 (Alexandria city, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Falls Church city) Party Candidate Address E-Mail Address
Alexandria, VA 22313 Alexandria, VA 22303 Libertarian Jeffrey S. Carson 4650 Washington Blvd Apt 728 [email protected] Arlington, VA 22201 Indep Green Gerard C. Blais III 10695 Sessions Court [email protected] Fairfax, VA 22030 Arlington, VA 22216
District 11 (Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Prince William County) (*Incumbent) Party Candidate Address E-Mail Address
Falls Church, VA 22044 Democrat Gerald E. Connolly* 11200 Lee Highway #C2 [email protected] Fairfax, VA 22031 Fairfax, VA 22031 Oakton, VA 22124
For our mobility impaired members who may not wish to join the queue on Election Day, early voting is available. For those residing in Fairfax County, below is an extract of the early voting dates, times, and locations. Photo ID is required. Driver's license, military ID, or passport suffice.
Fairfax County Government Center
Office of Elections 12000 Government Center Pkwy., Conf. Rooms 2/3
Fairfax, 22035
Dates
Monday thru Friday - October 14th - October 31st
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays, October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and November 1st
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Satellite Voting Locations
- Franconia Governmental Center - 6121 Franconia Rd., Alexandria, 22310
- Dolley Madison Library - 1244 Oak Ridge Ave., McLean, 22101
- North County Human Services Bldg. - 1850 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston, 20190
- West Springfield Governmental Center - 6140 Rolling Rd., Springfield, 22152
- Mason Governmental Center - 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, 22003
- Mount Vernon Governmental Center - 2511 Parkers Ln., Alexandria 22306
- Sully District Governmental Center - 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly 20151
Dates
Monday - Friday, October 14th - October 31st
Hours: 3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Note: different weekday hours from main County Govt Center above)
Saturdays, October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and November 1st
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
If you can get by the usual spate of negative political ads to determine where the candidates actually stand on the issues, you should consider their positions on legislation of importance to disabled veterans, especially Advanced VA Appropriations and the Putting Veterans Funding First Act. For some talking points to discuss with your candidates, click on this National DAV Legislative site: Take a Stand. From there, you can click on the link for Background for DAV's Legislative Priorities to access 15 one-page Issue Briefs. Pick the ones of most importance to you and discuss them with your candidates. EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE! |
Local Veterans Assistance Program (LVAP)
Report Your Volunteer Hours Monthly
 | | The fruits of our labor: our second successive Annual National LVAP award |
Your Editor/Commander and your Adjutant cannot read your minds. LVAP hours are reported monthly by the Chapter. Make it a habit to report your hours each month to our Chapter e-mail address by the 10th of each month, or if you prefer, call them in to the Chapter Commander or Adjutant.
If you are a full-time employee of the DAV or the VA, any hours beyond your regular workday, for which you are not compensated beyond your regular salary, that you spend assisting veterans or their families in any way, can qualify as reportable LVAP hours. If you perform volunteer work through your church or other non-profit organization, and that work aids any veterans or family members, then those hours may also qualify for LVAP reporting.
As a Department, Virginia has won the National Division 1 (large Departments) Award for the last two years. The Department would like to continue that trend, and Chapter 11 needs to get the credit it deserves for assisting veterans. Every Chapter member who attends our monthly meetings has reportable hours for the time spent at those meetings, as well as any Department or National conferences or conventions attended.
Another little known fact is that the individual LVAP hours you accumulate during the year can qualify you for a discount on DAV merchandise when you attend the National Convention, so report your hours and get those discounts! |
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Welcome to Our October New Members
7 New Members for the First Half of October
Our Mount Vernon Chapter would like to welcome the following new members who have joined our Chapter during the first half of October (with their official entry date in parentheses):
Murray Spence (Oct 1)
Jim Anderson (Oct 7)
Denise McGann (Oct 7)
Victor Parker (Oct 7)
Jerry Bennett (Oct 10)
Rafael Hinojosa (Oct 10)
Steve Karstensen (Oct 10)
We now have 24 new members for this recruiting year (Fiscal Year) beginning July 1. For those who provided e-mail addresses and received this newsletter, we hope you will join us at our monthly Chapter meeting the last Tuesday of the month (October 28) at the American Red Cross building on Fort Belvoir (photo below). See details in the left column here.
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Report on the Dedication Ceremony of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
To view a video time lapse of the construction, Click Here!
Arriving over an hour early via the Metro, your Commander had no trouble traversing the security, which only took about 5 minutes to show my ticket, with photo ID, and get issued my Dedication Ceremony badge and commemorative pin. Free bottled water and granola bars were also available. The weather also cooperated, with a bright sunny day, gentle breeze, and temperatures in the upper 60s.
The ceremony was widely attended by DAV members from throughout the country, as well as members from numerous other National Service Organizations. Our National and Department Commanders were present, as well as other National and Department officers. It is also worth noting that the DAV and its members were the biggest contributors to the construction of the memorial, donating over $10 million, more than all other Veterans Service Organizations combined.
 | | DAV National Cdr Ron Hope |
 | | Dept Cdr Jim Procunier, Rep Jeff Miller, Chap 10 Cdr Shane Liermann |
The ceremony began with a musical prelude performed by the United States Army Band "Pershing's Own," followed by a 5-minute video, "Vision to Reality" displayed on several large screens set up around the periphery of the site.
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Emcee Ray LaHood
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This was followed by the Master of Ceremonies, Ray LaHood, former Secretary of Transportation and former Congressman from Illinois, introducing the Official Party.
Michael McCoy, Acting Director of the National VA Chaplain Center, then gave the Invocation, followed by the Presentation of the Colors by the Armed Forces Color Guard of the Military District of Washington.
Bob Barrera, Director of the Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial Foundation (DVLMF) and a Past National Commander of the DAV, led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the band's rendition of the National Anthem.
 | | DVLMF Co-Founder Lois Pope |
Ray LaHood then introduced the first speaker, Lois Hope, Chairperson of the DVLMF who co-founded the foundation with DAV National Adjutant Arthur Wilson (1994-2013) and the late Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown. She recalled singing the song, "Somewhere" from West Side Story in the late 1960s, reaching out during the line "hold my hand and we're halfway there" to a veteran who had no hand! It shaped her resolve to some day help disabled veterans. You can read her presentation here: Lois Page AVDLM speech.
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Sec of Interior Sally Jewell
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She was followed by the Honorable Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior, in charge of overseeing the new memorial as part of the National Park System. She further introduced James Pierce, a disabled veteran from service in Afghanistan, who now serves as one of the caretakers of the AVDLM with a vested interest in its oversight and maintenance. You can read her speech here: Sally Jewel AVDLM speech.
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Actor Gary Sinise
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She then introduced Gary Sinise, widely known for his portrayal of the Vietnam double leg amputee Lieutenant Dan in the movie "Forrest Gump" and also for his LT Dan Band, which has entertained troops worldwide since 2004. In 2011, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation to honor and support our nation's defenders, veterans, and caregivers. He also became a spokesman for the DVLMF and has also done several Public Service Announcements for the DAV. He discussed the recent passing of his brother-in-law, Jack Treese, a Vietnam vet and combat medic, who made him aware of the disdain for Vietnam veterans by the general public and the lack of benefits and lack of appreciation for the sacrifices of those who served in the unpopular war. He described it as an "epiphany for me," instilling a certain sense of guilt that led to a now 20-year association with the DAV and 8 years as National Spokesman for the DVLMF. You can read Gary's heart-warming presentation here: Gary Sinise AVDLM speech.
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Sec of VA Bob McDonald
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Gary was followed by the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald, who discussed the VA's mission to serve the nation's veterans. He discussed the VA's triad of care: leading-edge clinical care, training for medical staff to the highest standards of excellence, and clinical research that advances medical science. He gave several examples of medical research and quoted a number of statistics. You can view his speech here: Sec-VA Bob McDonald AVDLM speech.
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Sec of DVLMF Dennis Joyner
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He was followed by Dennis Joyner, Secretary of the DVLMF, a Vietnam veteran previously recognized by the DAV as National Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year and by President Reagan as Handicapped American of the Year. Dennis made his presentation from his wheelchair and spoke of the fateful 32 days he was in Vietnam when an explosion took both legs and his right arm. He credited SGT Reynolds with saving his life that day, and the next 45 years for his assurances that he still had a lot to live for. He also discussed the problems his wife and children faced as supporters and caregivers over those years. You can read his poignant remarks here: Dennis Joyner AVDLM speech.
 | | Pres of DVLMF Art Wilson |
Dennis Joyner was followed by Arthur Wilson, Co-Founder and President of the DVLMF. He is also one of our own, serving as the DAV National Adjutant from 1994-2013. He gave examples of several service members from different armed conflicts, and their new beginnings as they chose to assist others and dedicate their lives to serving their country and other veterans. One of his examples is Bobby Barrera, a former DAV National Commander. You can read his inspiring speech here: Arthur Wilson AVDLM speech.
Finally, Ray LaHood introduced the keynote speaker of the ceremony, President of the United States Barack Obama. He thanked the DVLMF foundation and "especially our friends at the Disabled American Veterans" who devoted so many years of effort to bring this mem
 | | President dedicates AVDLM |
orial to life.
He reference previous conflicts, from the Revolutionary War, through the Civil War, and the First World War, where disabled veterans had to organize and march for the benefits they earned. (Note: Not specifically mentioned, but WWI benefits were the impetus for the formation of our DAV organization). He discussed the dedication of this memorial as "another step forward." It commemorates the two battles our disabled veterans have fought--the battle over there and the battle here at home.
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Captain Dawn Halfaker
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He introduced Captain Dawn Halfaker, whose Humvee was hit by an RPG in Iraq. She suffered burns, broken bones, and lost her right arm. She has focused not on what she lost, but what she still has. She now mentors other veterans, owns her own business, has an infant son now, and her image is now etched in the glass panels of the memorial. He had her stand up to be recognized. He also noted that gratitude is not enough. His statement that "on that long road to recovery, we need to move heaven and earth to make sure they get every single benefit, every single bit of care that they have earned, that they deserve" drew widespread and prolonged applause. You can read the President's full speech here: President Obama AVDLM speech.
 | | Sgt Vicki Golding |
The ceremony then concluded with Sgt Vicki Golding of the DC National Guard's 257th Army Band singing "God Bless America." President Obama then shook hands with all of the speakers as they exited the stage at the conclusion of the ceremony.
For all of our Chapter members who did not attend the dedication for whatever reason, your Commander heartily recommends you visit the memorial whenever you are in the DC area. It will be well worth your time and serve as a strong reminder of why we exist as an organization.
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Commander's Corner
This concludes the October version of the Mount Vernon DAV newsletter. I implore all Chapter and Unit members, and their families, to vote in the upcoming elections, either by absentee, early voting, or on election day November 4th.
Please forward this newsletter to any friends, family, or veterans who may be interested in any of the above articles by using the "Forward email" link below and have them join our mailing list at the link in the left column above.
Sincerely,
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James Spencer
Commander, Mount Vernon DAV Chapter 11 |
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