NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2020
COMMANDER'S CORNER
Matthew Kampainen, DAV WI Commander

One Team, One Fight

It is an honor to pen this first article as the new DAV Commander for the Department of Wisconsin. My name is Matt Kempainen and I have served at both the Chapter and the Department level. At the Department level I served as the Senior Vice Commander, Junior Vice Commander and Judge Advocate. I believe this training helped prepare me for my current role. 

Our previous Commander, Mike Hert, served with honor and distinction for the last two years. As we are all aware, the 2020 DAV State Convention was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of holding office for another year, Commander Hert unselfishly resigned, thus allowing others to move up.

On June 15, 2020, I was quite pleased when Past National Commander Richard “Dick” Marbes swore me into the office of Commander and handed me the Department gavel. A new era of leadership began. 

When you review the roster of Past Department Commanders who have served through the years, it is quite intimidating. My promise to you is that I will give 110% of my efforts when it comes to serving our veterans. I ensure you that veterans will be treated with respect and dignity.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.” As we are in the midst of our Centennial year, I cannot help but concur with our 26 th President. Our male and female veterans who have placed themselves in harm’s way, out of love for our nation, cannot be forgotten or cast to the wayside.

My focus for the upcoming year is based upon the triad of C.E.U. This stands for Compassion , Empowerment and Unity . During the coming days, I plan to breakdown each component with in-depth analysis. However for the time being, I’ll provide a quick broad brush of the concept:

Compassion – Feelings that arise when we witness the pain and suffering of others. For many of us that is why we are engaged volunteers in the Disabled American Veterans. Whether that is driving a transportation van and getting our fellow veterans to their VA medical appointments or hosting a fundraiser that will provide aid for those veterans in need.

Empowerment – Is the process of becoming more confident and stronger. Reflecting upon your military service, the more time you spent on drill and ceremony, the more proficient you were on the Parade ground. The same mindset occurs within our Chapters and Departments. The better trained and more comfortable we become with our roles; greater is the proficiency we are able to serve our fellow veterans.

Unity – The state of being united or joined as a whole. There is always a challenge within any organization that we get stuck in our “silos” and become wary of the other levels within the organization. I want to foster a “One Team, One Fight” atmosphere within the Department. 

We are at a critical time in our nation’s history. Non-veterans far outnumber veterans in the population. We don’t have the privilege of being able to squabble within our ranks. If we battle each other, we will lose the war. The priority will be helping our fellow veterans. It is our obligation to be united and move forward to ensure that our promises to the men and women who served are fulfilled.

In closing, I look forward to working with everybody in the course of the year. We will be “One Team, One Fight.”
COVID-19 - UPDATE FROM DAV NATIONAL ADJUTANT
DAV/A National Convention canceled and other important COVID-19 updates. See Video.
CHANGE OF COMMAND
DAV WI Change of Command ceremony: A New Era of Leadership. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - BENEFITS
Annual Report of the DAV National Service Office in Milwaukee. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - TRANSPORTATION
Annual Report of the DAV Wisconsin Transportation Network. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - ADVOCACY
Annual Report of the Benefits Protection Team Leader. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - EMPLOYMENT
Annual Report of the Employment Committee Chairman. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - MEMBERSHIP
Annual Membership Report. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - WOMEN VETERANS
Annual Report of the Women Veterans Committee.  Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - LOCAL VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Annual Report of the Local Veterans Assistance Program (LVAP). Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - DEPARTMENT COMMANDER
Annual Report of the 2019-2020 Department Commander. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - DEPARTMENT ADJUTANT
Annual Report of the 2019-2020 Department Adjutant. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - DEPARTMENT 1ST JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER
Annual Report of the 1st Junior Commander. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - VA VOLUNTARY SERVICES
Annual Report of the VA Voluntary Services Chairman. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - MEDIA
Annual Media Report. Read More.
2020 CONVENTION BOOK - DEPARTMENT TREASURER
Annual Report of the Department Treasurer. Read More.
ADVOCACY
See CAN Alerts for May/June. Take Action.
DAV AUXILIARY
Annual DAV Wisconsin Auxiliary Reports. Read More.
DAV MILWAUKEE CHAPTER 44
DAV Milwaukee Chapter 44 celebrates 75 years of serving veterans. Read More.
CENSUS
Important! It's easy to take the 2020 Census. See How.
VA EMERGENCY CARE AND URGENT CARE
Important information on VA Emergency Care and Urgent Care. Read More.
FROM THE DAV DEPARTMENT ADJUTANT
LARRY HILL
Meet Our New State Officers

There was no State Convention this month. With the resignation of State Commander Mike Hert effective 15 June, we did install a new State Commander and other state officers were moved up to the next position as stated in the Department Bylaws. All these State Officers were installed by Past National Commander Richard “Dick” Marbes.

Effective that date, Matt Kempainen is now State Commander, Senior Vice Commander is Rob Hilliard, First Junior Vice Commander is Greg Palo, and Second Junior Vice Commander is John Willman.

Newly installed State Commander Kempainen then appointed Anthony Nicholson to the vacant Third Junior Vice Commander position which was approved by the Department Executive Committee. Since the position of Third District Executive Committeeperson was now vacant, Wesley Hackensmith moved up to that since he was the alternate. 

Previously, Tom Sontag had moved up from alternate to the position of Fifth District Executive Committeeperson on 1 June with the resignation of Paul Baker.

We did hold the first Department Executive Committee (DEC) meeting with Commander Kempainen the same day. All members were present either in person or virtually. At the meeting Commander Kempainen appointments to Department Committees were approved by the DEC. 

Our operating budget for year 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021 was approved. Commander Kempainen presented his objectives and goals for the year. This was done via power point and a copy was provided to all DEC members. All Department Executive Committeepersons have been tasked to take these objectives and goals back to the Chapters in their Districts for sharing. 

It is important that all members be aware of the Department’s objectives and goals for this year. I think we are off to a good start for this year and will continue to be successful in spite of the pandemic. 

Working with Chapters and raising funds to support our mission continues to be of paramount importance. For us to have another successful year, it will require the dedication and effort of all. 
Wisconsin DAV Headquarters
1253 Scheuring Road Suite A
De Pere, WI 54115
Phone: 920.338.8620
Fax: 920.338.8621
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