March Impact: Service officers deliver for veterans
The American Legion’s Washington Conference culminated March 1 when National Commander Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola presented the organization’s legislative priorities to a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. In the midst of that, Legionnaires reported 320 personal engagements with their congressional representatives or staff in a month that ended with three national testimonies in two days.
Meanwhile, American Legion accredited service officers continued to work VA disability claims, free of charge, for thousands of veterans, many of whom are newly eligible for health care and benefits, thanks to passage of the PACT Act that expanded toxic-contamination recognition to include some 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans exposed to burn pits and their effects in the Global War on Terrorism.