Afghan War, VA care top conference agenda: with the nation on a war footing, VFW's annual `march on the hill' was even more urgent this year. In addition to the main objective of taking veterans concerns directly to lawmakers, the VFW Legislative Conference, Feb. 25-27, focused heavily on supporting relief efforts and the war on terrorism - VFW's Legislative Conference

As VFW members convened at this year's Legislative Conference, Commander-in-Chief Jim Goldsmith reminded them of their clout in Washington, D.C., and their duty to use it constructively.

"Our staff is thoroughly respected by the President and Congress," he said. "I want you all to actively participate while you are here, but more important, to continue that activism when you get home. When VFW speaks, Congress listens."

VA Secretary Anthony Principi, who spoke at the conference's General Session, agreed with Goldsmith's assessment of VFW's influence.

"Your presence in Washington is just one more example that you're serious advocates for the nation's veterans," said the VFW life member.

Col. David G. Pagano, commander of the Army's Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, noted VFW's involvement on Capitol Hill as well.

"Your leadership comes here every year," said the recipient of the VFW Commander-in-Chief's Special Award. "They always ask the tough questions, demand answers and provide support."

Now that the nation is at war, Goldsmith said VFW's traditional commitment to active-duty troops and support of the President and Congress is crucial. He added that VFW members also must rededicate themselves to strengthening their presence in local communities.

"VFW will make darn sure our troops' voices are heard and their votes are counted," he said. "And it's vital that we make our Posts pillars of the community."

Goldsmith noted VFW's relief efforts following Sept. 11. He said that within five hours of the attack on the Pentagon, members distributed 5,000 Operation Uplink phone cards so troops could call home. Since the terrorist attacks, some 40,000 cards have been distributed.

Goldsmith also thanked the Ladies Auxiliary for raising money for the Attack on America Fund, which, as of the conference, had distributed checks to 37 of the 55 families that had lost active-duty members in the Pentagon attack. The fund had collected $244,017, with some $236,000 being distributed. A total of $125,000 was split among the military service branches and $111,000 (or $3,000 each) went to the families.

VFW Department of New York Commander Ben Thompson thanked all who contributed to his state's disaster relief fund, which collected more than $206,000. The Department will eventually distribute the money to the families of veterans killed in New York on Sept. 11.

Thompson also gave VFW a U.S. flag that "flew at the highest point over ground zero" at the World Trade Center during recovery and clean-up efforts.

Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief Ray Sisk also praised the Ladies Auxiliary members who raised money for the Attack on America Fund: "I'm so glad we're compensating the survivors. I want to thank the Ladies Auxiliary."

`TIMELY BENEFITS'

One of the perennial issues VFW tackles when it heads to Washington each year is improving veterans benefits and health care. Principi took the opportunity to tout VA's zeal in providing better and faster service to vets.

"VA stands at a critical crossroads," he said. "I'm committed to ensuring excellence in timely benefits. We will have performance standards."

The VA secretary praised the work of a task force he formed last year to provide "practical hands-on solutions" for reducing the massive backlog of pending compensation claims. He said the task force delivered a report within 120 days that included 34 "solid" recommendations. To demonstrate that VA has made progress, he announced that 62,536 claims were processed in January 2002 as compared with 29,000 in January 2001.

On the health care front, Principi said VA "is a much better system" than it was six years ago. He said the growth of Category 7 patients (those with higher incomes or non-service connected conditions) has increased 500% since 1996. Noting that "more higher income vets must share the cost of higher health care," he defended VA's proposal to institute a now-defunct $1,500 annual co-pay charge for more affluent veterans.

Kingston Smith, deputy staff director for the House VA Committee, told National Legislative Committee members that the proposed co-pay "won't even be considered" by his committee, since it, too, opposed the measure. VFW's National Legislative Director Dennis Cullinan correctly predicted that the proposal, contained in the Administration's version of the VA budget, would be "dead on arrival."

Principi also announced that Pittsburgh and Miami will be the next sites to receive the first of six new national VA cemeteries.

`THE BEST' DEFENSE BUDGET

The proposed Defense Department budget was a popular topic among the featured speakers at the conference. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the first actual Vietnam War vet elected to Congress (in 1974), said "the budget this year is the best for personnel in my 28 years in Congress."

Principi chided pundits who criticized the size of the budget, which features the largest one-year increase since the Reagan Administration.

"It's necessary so we can bring our troops home whole in both body and mind," he said.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers thanked VFW for its support and activism in the 107th Congress, and for helping to make "the largest [military] pay raise in 20 years" possible. He said the budget will provide troops the right equipment, better quality of life and outstanding leadership.

"We've plunked people down in austere places in Afghanistan," Myers said. "But no one is complaining; except those that are stateside and want to join the fight."

Goldsmith drew a standing ovation by addressing European concerns about U.S. treatment of terrorist POWs.

"The al Qaeda and Taliban at Guantanamo Bay are exactly where they should be, and they're probably being treated too darn good," he said.

Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief Ed Banas momentarily took the focus off the war in Afghanistan when he expressed his appreciation for the sacrifices of World War II veterans: "I grew up as a free man because of you, and I served my country for my predecessors. You are a magnificent generation."

`HOLD TERRORISTS ACCOUNTABLE'

The status of the war in Afghanistan was of significant interest to VFW members. So Robert Andrews, the Pentagon's assistant secretary for special operations/low intensity conflict, briefed National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee members on America's enemy and how the U.S. military plans to win the war.

An Army Special Forces vet of Vietnam, Andrews debunked the myth that poor, young, disadvantaged Islamic men are mainly responsible for suicide missions. He noted that 15 of the 19 terrorists who highjacked airplanes on Sept. 11 hailed from Saudi Arabia, "the richest Islamic country," and many, like Osama bin Laden, come from privileged backgrounds.

Andrews, who became a VFW member shortly before speaking to the committee, added that the objective in the war on terrorism will be different than past missions. He mentioned places like Beirut, dictators like Muammar Khadaffi and incidents like the bombing of the USS Cole as examples.

"We've failed to hold terrorists accountable in the past," he said. "This is war, not a crime scene."

To accomplish this, Andrews said the U.S. military must act independently and increase its quality and timeliness of intelligence. In Afghanistan, unlike Bosnia, for example, where U.S. forces are working under a NATO mandate, GIs can act swiftly with devastating results.

"In the early days of October, one team of 11 guys from the 5th Special Forces Group, using GPS bomb guide lasers, helped kill some 2,000 terrorists in just a few days," Andrews said.

He also said U.S. intelligence must improve: "The British knew more about terrorist cells in Detroit and Houston than those cities' own police departments."

In closing, Andrews said, "America has the right and the responsibility to fight terrorism. It's important that the world recognize America's determination."

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Kevin J. Eldridge, assistant commandant for government and public affairs, briefed committee members on the role his service provides in homeland security and defense.

Michael R. Higgins, a staff member on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, explained planned improvements in quality-of-life issues for GIs and their families.

Col. Jeff W. Mathis III, the chief of homeland security for the National Guard Bureau, discussed the role of the National Guard in homeland defense.

RECOVERING REMAINS

Accounting for the nation's missing GIs, a core concern for VFW, was addressed at the National POW/MIA Committee meeting. Col. David J. Pagano explained CILHI's worldwide mission to account for missing servicemembers. CILHI employs 30 anthropologists, the world's largest forensic staff, and 247 soldiers, he said. A total of 18 recovery teams--10 in Southeast Asia, five in Korea and three for World War II sites--work in the field.

Most of the manpower is devoted to recovering remains from the Vietnam War, but Korean War and WWII sites have gained recent focus. In Korea, teams recovered remains in the Chosin Reservoir area for the first time last year. In February, CILHI personnel returned the remains of what are believed to be 13 U.S. airmen whose planes crashed in 1944 in Papua New Guinea.

Army Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara, public affairs officer for Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, briefed committee members on upcoming recovery operations. JTF-FA teams, which work exclusively on cases in Southeast Asia, began their 69th operation on March 14. It was significant because it was an underwater recovery requiring the reactivation of three retired Special Forces soldiers.

JTF-FA works in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. O'Hara said that Laos was the most difficult country to work in, while Cambodia was the easiest. As of Feb. 25, JTF-FA had recovered 1,941 sets of remains. O'Hara said JTF-FA will continue to work cases "until we're through."

Jerry Jennings, director of the Pentagon's POW/Missing Personnel Office, gave an overview of accounting. Melvin Richmond, a policy officer in Jennings' office, discussed negotiating with the North Koreans over recovery operations in that country.

Concluding the Legislative Conference was the annual VFW Congressional Banquet. The featured guest was the chairman of the House VA Committee, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), recipient of VFW's Congressional Award.

"This is a high honor that I am proud to accept," Smith said. "Working closely with VFW, [the House VA Committee] was able to build a coalition to increase GI Bill college benefits, increase funding for veterans health care and begin a new $1 billion effort to end chronic homelessness among veterans." These are all goals, by the way, that were important at the 2002 Legislative Conference.

Internal News

* Teacher of the Year awards: Some $40,000 left over from former Commander-in-Chief John W. Smart's homecoming in 1999 has been used to endow the three $1,000 honorariums that accompany the awards.

* Tournament of Roses Parade: The National Council of Administration approved $200,000 for a VFW float at the 2003 parade in Pasadena, Calif.

* Golden Age Games: VFW presented VA Secretary Anthony Principi with $150,000 to sponsor the 2002 games, Aug. 11-18, in Los Angeles.

* VFW membership eligibility: In the first step toward fulfilling VFW Res. 204, which petitions Congress to amend VFW's congressional charter to allow recipients of hostile fire or imminent danger pay to be VFW members, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) introduced H.R 3838 on March 4.

* Operation Uplink: Since its inception in 1996, 200 million minutes of telephone time have been donated to active-duty troops and hospitalized veterans.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
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