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Disabled American Veterans
East Valley Chapter 8
655 N. Gilbert Rd, Mesa AZ 85203
Ph: 480-890-2424
Fax: 480-615-4900
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Chapter 8 General Meeting:
July 13, 2017 @ 1830hrs (6:30pm)
Hot dinner served at 1730hrs (5:30pm)
Location: North East Corner of Gilbert Rd & University Dr.
2024 E University Dr. Mesa AZ 85203
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Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 2:00pm
Service Officers available:
(No Appointment Needed)
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 2:00pm
1 Saturday a month:
July
29, 2017 9:00am - 12:00 noon
August 26, 2017 9:00am - 12:00 noon
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First off, I would like to thank you for your patients on waiting for our newsletter! It seems like I have been on the go since being installed on May 11th. May & June was a very busy, with getting ready for DAV State Convention in Tucson, AZ, outreaches, and getting ready for the end of FY2016-2017, I have to keep reminding myself "It's all good". :)
On a positive note, I would like to welcome Deborah Magish to our team as our new Adjutant. She is going to be a great addition to our team. Please welcome her and be patient while we get her up-to speed.
You will also notice this past week that our
website/
Facebook/
Twitter accounts have gotten pretty active with Beth Tammany a new volunteer, stepping up to handle our presence on the world wide web. Give her a warm welcome to out team.
If you haven't liked us on
Facebook and
Twitter yet, please take the time to check them out and like us so you can keep up with the latest news! Also make sure to keep an eye on our website for all the latest, and if you have any pictures, idea's, or news you would like to have posted please send
email here
to submit.
I look forward to seeing everyone at our meeting July 13, 2017!
"Adopting the right attitude can convert
a negative stress into a positive one".
Peace love & light
Carey Slade
Commander
My motto in life is "It's all good"!
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Greetings!
My name is Deborah Magish. I am a (disabled) Vietnam era Army Vet. I met my husband, John, at White Sands Missile Range in 1970. I was launching a missile towards Green River, Utah and John was doing winds aloft for the launch. We’ve been married almost 45 years now.
I retired from teaching (6-8th grade Science) a few years ago and was looking for some place to volunteer. At my first meeting, I was recruited. I hardly expected to be in such a responsible position. Currently, I am very much learning the position. My incredibly busy Commander, Carey, teaches me in spurts. She is constantly putting out fires and every time she gets a few minutes, I learn something new.
I will thank you in advance for your patience as I learn the position. I promise you I will do everything in my power to help our members and those seeking assistance.
Deb Magish
Adjutant
Carey has a motto, so I’ll tell you mine;
"This too will pass".
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THOUGHT'S FROM OUR CHAPLAIN
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Around 2 a.m. on June 17th the U.S.S. Fitzgerald, one of our Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, was involved in a collision at sea.
Somehow the cargo ship ACX Crystal collided with the destroyer. Seven crew members aboard Fitzgerald were killed in their sleeping quarters. At least three more were wounded, including the Commanding Officer. Investigations are underway to determine the causes.
In the chaos of the collision, one of those who died is being remembered for his extraordinary heroism. Fire Controlman First Class Gary Rehm, of Elyria, Ohio, is being credited with helping twenty sailors escape the flooded berthing compartment. Disregarding his own well-being and safety, twenty others escaped the doomed spaces below deck and lived to join others in fighting the ship. As a direct result of his selfless actions, he perished, but twenty others lived.
Until that collision occurred, the crew of the Fitzgerald had no particular reason to think their courage would be called upon that night in such extreme measure. They were what we might think of as ordinary seamen on an ordinary night off the coast of Japan. But it took a collision at sea for us to become aware of Gary Rehm, an "ordinary sailor," and his extraordinary heroism, courage, and selflessness.
You, too, have an ability to demonstrate extraordinary heroism, courage and selflessness toward others should the need arise. Even if you don't know it. I am grateful to be surrounded by an extraordinary veteran community in Arizona and beyond. May God bless the surviving crew of the U.S.S. Fitzgerald. And may God bless the families of tho Fitzgerald Seven.
Thankfully,
Your Chaplain,
Paul Soderquist
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UPCOMING EVENTS / OUTREACHES
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July 29 – August 1, 2017
Hilton New Orleans, Riverside
2 Poydras Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Telephone: 1.800.Hiltons or 1.504.561.0500
Group Name: Disabled American Veterans
The DAV room block at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside has closed and therefore, reservations at the negotiated rate can no longer be guaranteed.
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Art displays created by 10 women Veterans were featured at ten VA medical facilities across the country in March during Women’s History Month. Several of the exhibits are now traveling to new sites each month. On
this page
, you can see when it may be at a site near you, listen to podcasts with some of the artists, read news coverage of the initiative, and more!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2017
VA Secretary Formalizes Expansion of Emergency Mental Health Care to Former Service Members With Other-Than-Honorable Discharges
Secretary Announced Plans to Expand Coverage in March
WASHINGTON — Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today released finalized plans that lay the framework for providing emergency mental health coverage to former service members with other-than-honorable (OTH) administrative discharges.
This is the first time a VA Secretary has implemented an initiative specifically focused on this group of former service members who are in mental health distress.
“Suicide prevention is my top clinical priority,” said Secretary Shulkin, also a physician. “We want these former service members to know there is someplace they can turn if they are facing a mental health emergency — whether it means urgent care at a VA emergency department, a Vet Center or through the Veterans Crisis Line.”
Effective July 5, all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers will be prepared to offer emergency stabilization care for former service members who present at the facility with an emergent mental health need. Under this initiative, former service members with an OTH administrative discharge may receive care for their mental health emergency for an initial period of up to 90 days, which can include inpatient, residential or outpatient care.
During this time, VHA and the Veterans Benefits Administration will work together to determine if the mental health condition is a result of a service-related injury, making the service member eligible for ongoing coverage for that condition.
Since Secretary Shulkin announced his intent in March to expand VA mental health coverage to service members with OTH administrative discharges, VA has worked with key internal and external stakeholders, including members of Congress, Veterans Service Organizations and community partners on the issue.
For more information click here.
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There are many causes of a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Such as car accidents, playing sports, or
the impact of a nearby blast during military service.
Understanding Signs and Symptoms:
Whatever the cause, TBI can affect the ability to think, control emotions, walk, or speak. “The biggest thing that I had to deal with was the frustration, because I’m normally very in control of myself,” says
Owen, a U.S. Army Veteran and reservist who sustained a TBI. “But with my brain injury, I couldn’t speak right, I couldn’t act right, and it was something I couldn’t control.” Other
effects of TBI may include sleeping problems, depression, and anxiety.
Most doctors agree that for TBI — whether it’s a mild concussion or a severe injury — recovery is faster if you understand what is happening, get enough rest, and resume your responsibilities at your own pace.
“Talking the problems out probably helped more than anything else,” says Owen.
“It took a lot of swallowing of my pride to go talk to somebody, but I did, and I’m better for it.”
Thankfully there are treatment options that can help. A doctor may recommend different types of therapies or medication to help manage the effects of TBI. For Thomas, a U.S. Army Veteran, couples counseling helped him and his wife understand and adjust to his TBI symptoms.
“[The counselor] really helped us communicate a little bit more,” says Thomas. “I’ve learned a lot of techniques and stuff from our treatment … and ways to deal with things.”
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Elderly Vets Could Face Benefits Cut Under Trump Budget
Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin defended Wednesday a proposal in President Donald Trump's federal budget plan that would cut a benefit paying thousands of dollars annually to disabled elderly veterans.
The issue involved Shulkin's push for an expanded choice program allowing veterans to opt for private care and the offset from veterans' benefits to pay for more choice.
"We are very concerned the administration's request to make the Veterans Choice Program a permanent, mandatory program could lead to a gradual erosion of the VA health care system," the Veterans of Foreign Wars said in written testimony to a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
One of the proposed offsets for the choice program would be a new age restriction on veterans' eligibility for the VA's Individual Unemployability (IU) benefit.
Veterans eligible now for the program have a 60 to 100 percent disability rating but are all paid at the 100 percent rate because a service-connected disability makes them unable to work. The budget proposal would cut off the payments once the veteran reached the minimum age for Social Security.
Click here to read complete article
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East Valley Unit 8
655 N. Gilbert Rd Mesa AZ 85203
Ph: 480-890-2424
Unit 8 Meeting: Dark July & August
Location
:
655 N. Gilbert Road,
Mesa, AZ 85203
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Unit 8 strives to be active in:
Americanism
Community Service
hospital visitations
Legislation
VAVS projects
&
other areas as needed.
Our goal is to help our
disabled veterans in
any way we can.
We are a small group
of people with
caring hearts.
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- Donating to the Women Veterans
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Disabled American Veterans
Mission Statement:
We are dedicated to a single purpose: Empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and 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; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
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