
Why You Should Join
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America’s largest supporter of veterans
The American Legion is the nation’s largest and most powerful organization of U.S. wartime veterans and their families. Today, it counts more than 2 million members who support their communities in more than 13,000 posts across the United States and beyond.
Since its inception by Congress in 1919, Th e American Legion has delivered substantial improvements for veterans, families and communities. Th e Legion ushered in the modern VA. Th e Legion draft ed and drove home passage of the GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Th e Legion has brought into existence dozens of health-care benefits for veterans and programs designed to provide civilian careers after discharge.
The Legion works every day on behalf of U.S. servicemen and women. It is recognized as a leader in transition assistance from military to civilian life, providing resources for careers, education, child care and more.
The American Legion is active every day. Its members work together to support their local communities, focusing on services classified under the organization’s four pillars: Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation; National Security; Americanism; and Children & Youth.
Examples include:
- VA volunteers: Millions of community service hours are logged by VA-trained volunteers, and more than $1.5 million is raised annually to assist VA hospitals in local communities.
- American Legion Baseball: America’s pastime is played out on fields each summer, providing healthy, wholesome activity for young people, some of whom go on to play Major League Baseball.
- Charities: The American Legion Family organizes fundraisers to secure scholarships for children, provide support and comfort for wounded servicemembers, and distribute emergency aid for victims of natural disasters.
PILLAR I: VETERANS
The American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation pillar is composed of programs, services and advocacy eff orts that improve the lives of those who served, along with their families and dependents.
The Legion advocates on Capitol Hill for a well-funded, appropriately staffed VA that can handle benefits claims efficiently, quickly and accurately. Locally, Legion volunteers work individually with veterans to help them navigate the complicated benefits application process.
As the VA backlog continues, The American Legion is leading a national conversation about accountability to veterans and reforms aimed at veterans receiving timely appointments and the benefits they earned through their service.
The Legion conducts System Worth Saving visits to VA centers across the country. These monthly visits include a thorough assessment of the facility, and discussions with patients and staff at VA. This information is then compiled and published in a report.
The Legion works one-on-one with veterans to ensure they receive proper benefits. Accredited American Legion service officers are specially trained to provide free expert assistance to veterans and their families.
The majority of service officer work involves claims for VA disability benefits, but these compassionate professionals also provide information, referrals and resources on education, employment and business, death benefits and other topics. www.legion.org/serviceofficers
EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS
The American Legion conducts, promotes and supports hundreds of veterans job fairs and career events nationwide each year. Thousands of veterans land jobs because of these eff orts. Meanwhile, the Legion helps place hundreds of other veterans in job-training programs every year. Working veteran-to-veteran with The American Legion Small Business Task Force, along with the Small Business Administration, Department of Labor, VA and corporate associates, the Legion helps veterans understand the federal contracting process and offers personal guidance for career-seeking veterans. www.legion.org/careers
VETERANS EDUCATION AND THE GI BILL
The American Legion was instrumental in the creation of the modern Post-9/11 GI Bill, providing veterans with education benefits that better meet today’s needs. Following its passage, the Legion has continued to fight for even more improvements to the benefit, making it more helpful to National Guardsmen, reservists and those pursuing online education. www.legion.org/education
WORKING WITH VA
VA and The American Legion are working side by side to reverse the backlog of unresolved benefits claims. Th rough its System Worth Saving (SWS) and Regional Office Action Review (ROAR) initiative, the Legion travels the nation to pinpoint problems and identify best practices in VA medical centers. www.legion.org/veteransbenefits
BOARD OF VETERANS APPEALS
For veterans and families disputing benefits decisions by VA, Th e American Legion has staff representatives in Washington, D.C., who can help with the appeals process or strengthen a case, free of charge to veterans.
WOMEN VETERANS
The Legion hosts women veterans focus groups, works to address the unique needs of women veterans such as gender-specific health care, Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and child support. Email wmvo@legion.org
DISCHARGE REVIEW
The American Legion offers free assistance to those applying to their service branches for corrections to military records and discharge statuses. Legion experts help veterans with claims for Combat Related Special Compensation and with the procurement of accurate records. Email va&r@legion.org
HELP FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
The American Legion provides support for homeless veterans. Legion posts throughout the country build shelters or provide financial and volunteer support. At the national level, the Legion works with VA to raise awareness and allocate funds to help reverse the problem. www.legion.org/homelessveterans
VA VOLUNTEER SERVICES
Legionnaires donate around 1 million hours of service a year at veterans health-care facilities, working through the VA Volunteer Services program. Th ese volunteer hours save the federal government at least $18.5 million a year and connect Legionnaires with veteran patients and their families. www.legion.org/volunteers
FINAL RESPECTS
The Legion fulfills a sacred duty by honoring the memories of U.S. veterans after their deaths. Legion honor guards salute their fallen comrades at funeral services throughout the country every day. Legion Riders provide motorcycle escorts and security at services for veterans. The Legion also works with the National Cemetery Administration, Arlington National Cemetery and the American Battle Monuments Commission to ensure respect and honor are bestowed upon veterans.
PILLAR II: NATIONAL SECURITY
The American Legion’s positions on national defense, homeland security, border control and military support are all part of the long-held Legion value that the key to peace and world stability is a strong, well-resourced defense.
In order to protect America, troops and their families must have support. Th e American Legion plays a vital role in supporting the men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedoms.
American Legion posts throughout the nation adopt military units, deliver care packages, provide emotional support for families of deployed servicemembers and welcome the troops home.
Specific examples of their eff orts include arranging transportation to reunite soldiers with their families for the holidays and organizing fundraisers to buy phone cards for use in combat zones. Such assistance doesn’t end when servicemembers return home.
At U.S. military installations across the country – including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. – Legion staff members help troops work through the medical discharge process and provide representation before medical examination boards to reconcile disability ratings. www.legion.org/security
OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS
This program provides wounded servicemembers with rehabilitation equipment for physical therapy and entertainment in the form of special clothing, electronics, sports equipment, music and more. One hundred percent of donations to OCW go toward gifts for injured servicemen and women. www.legion.org/ocw
MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE
The Legion’s support of the U.S. military – from adequate funding for weapons systems to reasonable child-care services for deployed troops – is respected in the Pentagon, at the White House and on Capitol Hill.
SUPPPORT FOR TRICARE
The U.S. military’s health-care system and medical insurance program frequently face challenges in Washington. The American Legion persistently testifies on the need to keep TRICARE and TRICARE For Life viable and affordable benefits of military service.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
American Legion posts and Ham Radio Club volunteers set the tone for preparing for natural disasters. In many communities, American Legion posts serve as civil-defense shelters and havens of relief in the event of catastrophe or attack on U.S. soil. Ham radio operators can relay messages when other communication systems are down. www.legion.org/hamradio
BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
The American Legion opposes illegal immigration and amnesty for those who came to the United States illegally. The Legion advocates for strict border and port security as a defense against invasion or attack by foreign enemies, illegal drug trafficking and adverse economic impact. The Legion, however, strongly supports legal naturalization. Brochures on immigration and citizenship are available at www.legion.org/publications.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY FUND
The National Emergency Fund has provided more than $8 million in direct financial assistance to American Legion Family members and posts affected by natural disasters in recent years. Th e donations have enabled Legion Family members to rebuild their homes and their lives. www.legion.org/emergency
BLUE STAR BANNERS
The American Legion’s Blue Star Banner was resurrected after 9/11 to acknowledge U.S. families with loved ones serving in the Armed Forces during wartime. American Legion Blue Star Salutes and other post sponsored events to distribute the banners are effective expressions of home front support for military families. www.legion.org/troops/bluestar
BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM
The American Legion conducts state competitions throughout the country for posts that donate blood or host blood drives. www.legion.org/security/blood
FOREIGN RELATIONS
The American Legion maintains a strong working relationship with the State Department to promote peace, human rights and trade on a global scale. The Legion urges the president and Congress to continue pursuing the “smart power” strategy of using military and economic strength in tandem with foreign aid and human-rights negotiations to fulfill U.S. foreign policy.
FULL ACCOUNTING OF POW/MIAs
The American Legion maintains unwavering support for the full accounting of all U.S. military personnel taken as prisoners of war, missing or killed in action on foreign soil. Official meetings of the Legion start with a prayer to honor our nation’s POWs. POW/MIA flags, patches and pins are displayed at Legion events to demonstrate the organization’s eternal vigilance. www.legion.org/powmia
PILLAR III: AMERICANISM
For those looking to make differences in their local communities, The American Legion is a great place to start. From Legion Baseball to Boys State/Boys Nation to the Oratorical Contest, there are plenty of opportunities to make your mark.
Take, for example, the experience of Pat Unger, commander of Tyler Cates American Legion Post 281 in Mount Juliet, Tenn. Unger’s vision of creating a Legion Baseball team came true in 2012.
Post 281 Legionnaires provided support by supplying uniforms, attending games, serving refreshments and meeting players’ transportation needs to and from games.
“The enthusiasm and camaraderie among the Legion members and players has been one of the most rewarding experiences for everyone,” Unger says. “The experience of going to a baseball game and knowing that The American Legion is a driving force behind the teams is both gratifying and satisfying.
“American Legion Baseball is truly a rewarding and fun endeavor for any American Legion post to be involved with.”
Legion posts and volunteers like Unger coordinate each season, culminating with the Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C., watched by millions on ESPN3. More than 100,000 young athletes compete for nearly 5,000 American Legion Baseball teams each year. Some of these baseball players go on to play professionally, including more than 60 who have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. www.legion.org/baseball
BOYS STATE/BOYS NATION
Young men throughout the country learn firsthand how government works during American Legion Boys State and American Legion Boys Nation. From each Boys State program, two delegates are selected to attend Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., where they form a mock federal Senate and meet with top officials in the nation’s capital. www.legion.org/boysnation
JUNIOR SHOOTING SPORTS
American Legion youth air-rifle teams compete throughout the country for a possible berth in the National Junior Shooting Sports championships at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., each year. www.legion.org/shooting
ORATORICAL COMPETITION
The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program gives thousands of young people the opportunity to hone their speaking skills and learn about the U.S. Constitution. Competitions at the local and state levels lead up to the National American Legion High School Oratorical Contest in Indianapolis, where top finishers are awarded more than $138,000 in scholarships. www.legion.org/oratorical
YOUTH LAW CADET ENFORCEMENT
American Legion departments conduct a week-long American Legion Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Program for rising high school seniors that educates them about law enforcement and instills a newfound respect for law officials. www.legion.org/juniorlaw
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
American Legion posts nationwide sponsor more than 2,500 Scouting units and provide thousands of dollars in scholarships. The Legion offers a national scholarship for Eagle Scout of the Year, and the Square Knot Award for Legionnaires who work for the Scouting programs in their communities. www.legion.org/scouting
EDUCATION ASSISTANCE
At the national, state and local levels, Th e American Legion provides access to dozens of scholarships and education programs. For more information about Legion-affiliated scholarships and application materials, visit www.legion.org/scholarships.
LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP
The American Legion established the Legacy Scholarship to help children of military personnel who lost their lives on duty on or after 9/11. The scholarship has been broadened so that children of 9/11 veterans with a combined VA disability rating of 50 percent or higher are also eligible. www.legion.org/scholarships/legacy
U.S. FLAG PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
The American Legion is the nation’s leading supporter of a constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag from desecration. Since a 5-4 Supreme Court decision in 1989 defined flag burning as free speech, The American Legion has lobbied alongside members of Congress, the Citizens Flag Alliance and the majority of the American people to return to the states the right to enact flag-protection laws. The Legion is also the nation’s foremost authority on the proper disposal of unserviceable U.S. flags. www.legion.org/flag
ROTC
The American Legion is actively involved in the support, organization and coordination of high school Junior ROTC and college ROTC programs throughout the country. www.legion.org/rotc
VOTER PARTICIPATION
American Legion posts serve as polling places, political debate venues and forums during campaigns. The Legion is a nonpartisan organization but takes an active role in the political process. www.legion.org/vote
PILLAR IV: CHILDREN & YOUTH
The American Legion’s Children & Youth pillar is guided by three main objectives: strengthen the family unit, support organizations that help children in need, and provide communities with well-rounded programs to provide hope and opportunity for young people facing difficult challenges.
One program within this pillar is Temporary Financial Assistance. This program provides funds to veterans and military servicemembers’ families who are struggling and have minor children at home. The American Legion provides temporary cash grants to hundreds of families in need each year. Posts make requests for funds from the TFA program, which annually distributes more than $500,000 to help families. www.legion.org/financialassistance
FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK
This program connects American Legion members with families struggling at home when loved ones are called to military duty. Legion volunteers provide child-care services, yard work, car repairs or other forms of personal help. A dedicated hotline – 800 504-4098 – is available for families looking for assistance. www.legion.org/familysupport
CHILD WELFARE FOUNDATION
Nonprofit organizations that reach out to help young people in need are supported through American Legion Child Welfare Foundation grants. The foundation provides grants to enhance communications for groups that tackle problems ranging from childhood neglect to substance abuse. www.legion.org/cwf
The American Legion Family
The American Legion Family consists of The American Legion, Sons of The American Legion (SAL), American Legion Auxiliary and American Legion Riders. Members of the Riders must be members of the Legion, Auxiliary or Sons.
More information about the SAL and Auxiliary:
- The Sons of Th e American Legion: Founded in 1932, the Sons honor the service and sacrifice of Legionnaires. There are more than 355,000 members in the United States. Members include males whose parents or grandparents served in the U.S. military and were eligible for American Legion membership. www.legion.org/sons
- The American Legion Auxiliary: As the largest women’s patriotic service organization in the world, the Auxiliary’s membership is around 800,000. With 9,000 units in the United States, members are fiercely dedicated to serving, helping and meeting the needs of veterans, their families and their communities. www.alaforveterans.org
There are more than 1,500 American Legion Riders chapters across the nation.
American Legion Riders support their communities with local fundraising events as well as being the primary force behind the annual Legacy Scholarship Fund. Riders raise awareness and collect donations during the annual American Legion Legacy Ride, which has helped raise more than $10 million for the scholarship fund.
Additionally, Riders members perform a number of services for Legion-supported causes and provide support at military funerals. www.legion.org/riders