APRIL 20, 2012 NATIONAL ADJUTANT’S MESSAGE ‘You just do it’


Gary, Ind., Legion post opens its doors to workers following Easter Sunday train derailment. By Daniel S. Wheeler


American Legion posts aren’t in the business of closing


themselves off to the rest of their community. Many times, the post itself is the center of the community – whether it’s hosting celebrations, organization Memo- rial and Veterans Day parades, or serving as a source for many of the community’s youth programs. But sometimes, community involvement takes on


another meaning: stepping up in a time of need. It’s when Post 279 in Gary, Ind., came to the aid of UPS and CSX train workers when an Easter Sunday derailment sent six train cars off the track and scattered UPS packages throughout the crash area. Dozens of UPS trucks descended on the area in an


attempt to recover as many of its customers’ packages as possible. And when UPS got word of the situation, so did some Post 279 Legionnaires. “We were closed at the time, but when I heard about it I got a few people together and headed to the post,” Post Commander Billy Rose said. “T ere were packages in the post’s yard, and there were workers everywhere trying to clean things up. It was a pretty chaotic scene.” T e post was able to bring some order to the chaos, im-


mediately opening its doors and off ering the use of its rest room facilities and providing a place for workers to rest. T e kitchen also opened up, and post workers spent the better part of 24 straight hours making sure the UPS and CSX employees were fed during their recovery eff orts. “We just wanted to do whatever we could to make the


situation a little easier,” Rose said. “It’s what you do when you’re part of a community. You help out when someone


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“(with) neuropathy in all extremities” had made no mention of “hands and feet.” In written testimony submitted to the committee, the


Legion noted, “Too oſt en in speaking to VA employees, we hear of training as an aſt erthought, something that gets in the way of working .... We hear VA employees at the regional offi ces dismiss cases by the CAVC (Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims) as ‘something the Board (of Veterans Appeals) deals with, not the RO,’ when, unfortunately, that is far from the truth. If regional offi ces better implemented the (precedent-setting) decisions from the CAVC at the local level, claims wouldn’t have to go to the Board.” Tom Murphy, VA’s director of compensation service, also


testifi ed at the hearing. He noted that well-trained VSOs “provide invaluable guidance to veterans fi ling claims” and work with the Veterans Benefi ts Administration (VBA) to “ensure that complete and accurate information is available to facilitate correct disability and compensation decisions.” Since 2008, VSOs have been able to participate in VA’s


Training, Responsibility, Involvement and Preparation of Claims (TRIP) program. T e program was developed to improve overall service to veterans by training VSOs in claims processing and familiarizing them with VBA computer systems. So far, more than 4,100 VSOs have registered for TRIP, with 3,385 passing the fi nal exam. “TRIP training is a critical part of VBA’s goals to improve


access and transparency to the disability-claims process, and thereby improve effi ciency,” Murphy told the committee. VBA is also implementing its Transformation Plan, a


series of initiatives designed to eliminate the claims backlog and achieve VA’s goal of processing all claims within 125 days, with 98-percent accuracy, by 2015. “We are confi dent that we are on the right path to deliver more timely and accurate benefi ts decisions to our nation’s veterans,” Murphy said. “VSO involvement in our Transformation Plan is extremely important, especially as we shiſt from a paper- based to a paperless electronic process system.” Another initiative VA is working with VSOs to fully


implement is the Fully Developed Claims (FDC) initiative, which aims to process claims within 90 days of their receipt. FDC’s one-year pilot program was so successful that VA decided to expand it across all regional offi ces. “Claims


representatives are critical to the FDC initiative, as they assist in gathering supporting evidence for a disability claim and helping the veteran to certify that no additional evidence is necessary to make a decision on the claim,” Murphy said. T e Legion’s testimony also looked at VA’s work-credit


system for its claims processors: “Much of the inherent culture at VA revolves around the number of claims completed. Unfortunately, it is somewhat lacking in the critical accuracy component of getting the claim done right .... Accuracy and training just don’t merit the same consideration as meeting the quotas and getting the right number of claims done each week.” T e VA claims process could also benefi t greatly by


hiring more veterans to get the job done. T eir military experience and training gives them an automatic advantage over nonveterans in understanding the context and details of disability claims. “Whether we are understanding abbreviations used on a DD-214 discharge document or understanding the nature of noise exposure suff ered by a lance corporal assigned to an artillery unit, we know how to read a veteran’s fi le because the language of the military subculture is our native language,” the Legion wrote. To reduce the VA claims backlog and improve the


claims-adjudication process, the Legion off ered three recommendations: Hire more veterans, make training a priority and re-evaluate the work-credit system. Fisher, a former nurse manager who retired from VA,


said aſt er the hearing that claims processors “do have quotas and that really puts a lot of pressure on them at the end of the month. A lot of times, they adjudicate claims that probably need further development. T is causes a lot of appeals and delays the claims process.” As to whether the work-credit system for claims


processors is necessary as an incentive, Fisher said, “T e (VA) pay is good and people would love to have jobs at the VA, especially the veterans coming back. We think they need to hire more veterans because they have that knowledge about what it means to be on a fi ring line, a fl ight line, or being a combat engineer. A lot of the kids they’re hiring are straight out of college, and they don’t have that kind of experience.”


CONVENTION


Color guard contest moved to Friday


T is year’s American Legion color guard contest


has been moved from its normal day of Saturday to Friday, Aug. 24, during the 94th National Convention in Indianapolis. “T e decision to move the National Color Guard


Contest to Friday evening is a great step forward,” said Dave Priester, chief contest judge. “T is move allows delegates, usually in meetings on Saturday morning, an opportunity to watch and support their favorite American Legion color guard. “I cannot think of a better way to start the


convention weekend. T e pageantry of the contest is not only a testament to past and present military members, but also to our national fl ag.” T e band contest will be Saturday, Aug. 25, its


traditional day. Contact the Convention & Meetings Offi ce at (317) 630-1292 with any questions. Updated rules and entry forms for both contests are available on the Convention Web page.


www.legion.org/convention


needs you. We knew it was a dire situation. When that happens, you just do it. I told them, ‘You tell them what you need, and we’ll do it.” Post 279’s eff orts went noticed by those aff ected.


Robert Latchford, UPS’ Chicago Area Consolidation Hub operations manager, thanked Rose and the post in a letter, writing “It is oſt en through adversity that the true character of a human being is revealed. T e April 8th train derailment in Gary, Indiana, that brought an army of UPSers to the scene for the recovery of customers’ packages, provided such an opportunity. “You are to be commended for demonstrating a spirit


of service to the entire UPS team. Your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated by all of the workers at the scene. It will forever be remembered in future years as this event is relived in the minds of all of those involved.” Rose was impressed with the letter but doesn’t feel


comfortable talking about it. “T at’s not why we did this,” he said. “It was superb, and we appreciated it, but we did it because this is part of being in T e American Legion. It was another chance to serve.” I didn’t hear about Post 279’s eff orts from the post


itself. It took UPS sending a copy of Mr. Latchford’s letter to me for bringing word to National Headquarters. I’m not surprised as legionnaires aren’t ones to sing their own accolades. T ey don’t do what they do to see their names in the paper, hear about themselves on TV or receive accolades from this building. As they have since 1919, they do it because it’s who


they are. SOCIAL MEDIA


New National Convention Facebook page launched


T e American Legion has launched a new


National Convention Facebook page. T e page is designed to allow American Legion family members to share information about Legion national conventions, and interact with other Legionnaires who plan on attending the national convention. T e 2012 National Convention will take place


Aug. 24-30 in Indianapolis, home of T e American Legion National Headquarters. Leading up to the event, Facebook users are encouraged to share their favorite local spots in Indianapolis – dining, entertainment, historical or otherwise – on the page, to provide an insider’s perspective on the Hoosier State. T e page will also provide pertinent


information about the national convention, such as hotel assignments, airfare discounts and tourist attractions; as well as valuable links, an updated convention calendar, and whatever other items Legion members want to post regarding Indianapolis and this year’s national convention, as well as for future national conventions. Legion family members are encouraged to go


to the page and click “Like.” www.facebook.com/TheAmericanLegionNational


Convention


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