Please Contact Your Representative
Today
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On January 15, 2013, Rep. Gus
Bilirakis (FL) introduced H.R. 303, the Retired Pay Restoration Act. This
bill would end the unfair policy of forcing many military longevity retirees
to forfeit some of their retired pay in order to receive equal amounts of
disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The
effect of this policy means military retirees are paying for their own
disability with their military retired pay. This unfair policy has adversely
impacted disabled veterans and their families for more than a century, but
was partially repealed by Congress in 2004. Under current law disabled
veterans with 20-plus years of active military service who are also in
receipt of a VA disability determination of 50 percent or higher may retain
both military retirement pay and their VA compensation.
In line with Disabled American
Veterans (DAV) resolution 019, H.R. 303 would end the longstanding and unfair
practice of the government’s withholding of military longevity retired pay in
exchange for VA disability compensation, regardless of disability rating. DAV
believes what is unfair for a veteran rated 50 percent disabled or higher by
the VA is equally unfair for a disabled veteran rated 40 percent disabled or
lower. Disabled military longevity retirees should not be penalized by the
government for any reason.
Currently, H.R. 303 has bipartisan
support. This legislation was referred to the House Committee on Armed
Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for a period
to be determined by the Speaker of the House. Please use the prepared e-mail,
or draft your own message, to request that your Representative support this
important bill and ask that it be brought to the floor for a vote and passed
as soon as possible.
Thank you for all that you do for
veterans and their families. We need your grassroots action to gain
Congressional enactment of this important legislation.
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DAV-Wis. Adjutant's Blog
Ken Kuehnl, State Adjutant, DAV Department of Wisconsin - DAVWIadjutant.blogspot.com
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Important Legislation on Concurrent Receipt
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Baldwin, Thompson to address DAV on Veterans’ Issues
Breaking News
OCTOBER 1, 2012
CONTACT: Ken Kuehnl, State Adjutant, (262) 878-6422
Al Labelle, Legislative Director, (715) 207-8870
Printable PDF of this press release – click here
Baldwin, Thompson to address DAV on Veterans’ Issues
U.S. Senate candidates confirmed, will speak on veterans’ issues at Appleton state conference of nation’s largest organization of injured veterans
(De Pere, Wis.) – In what may well be the state’s most significant forum on veterans’ issues during this year’s U.S. Senate race, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and former Governor and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson will address DAV members at their organization’s state Fall Conference in Appleton.
DAV today announced Thompson’s and Baldwin’s speaking roles, which are confirmed for Friday, October 5, 2012 during DAV-Wisconsin’s Fall Conference at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wis. Baldwin will speak at 9:00 a.m.; Thompson will speak at 9:30 a.m. Both candidates have been provided nine questions of key interest to veterans.
“We are grateful to Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and former Governor Tommy Thompson for choosing to address Wisconsin DAV members on issues of critical important to our nation’s veterans, particularly injured veterans,” said DAV State Commander John Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a Vietnam era veteran from Rice Lake.
Fredrickson said the DAV does not endorse political candidates or take sides with any political party. However, an important part of DAV’s role is advocating for improvements and needed changes for veterans, especially service-disabled veterans.
DAV wants to hear from both candidates on how they plan to aid and empower veterans including DAV’s members, who have been profoundly impacted for life by their military service.
“Like our nation and state, DAV’s members span the political spectrum. Some will prefer Tammy, others will prefer Tommy, and a few will not have yet made up their minds,” said Fredrickson. “But since one of them will in fact be our next U.S. Senator, our goal is to help ensure that disabled veterans’ voices and needs are heard by both candidates.”
The DAV Fall Conference runs from October 4-6, 2012. It is held each year for training and to help inform DAV’s chapters and members so they can best serve the state’s veterans.
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served. DAV does this by:
- Ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of programs and services available to them;
- Fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes, on Capitol Hill in Washington and at the Capitol in Madison;
- Educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
DAV, a non-profit organization with 1.2 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. DAV is the nation’s largest organization of service-disabled veterans.
The conference and candidate forum are open to current DAV members. More information about DAV and the conference, including the most current agenda and how to register, is available at www.davwi.org.
DAV of WISCONSIN, 1253 Scheuring Road, Suite A, De Pere, WI 54115
Phone: (920) 338-8620 • Fax: (920) 338-8621 • Email: gbdav@sbcglobal.net
Edit
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act
Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act Please Contact Your Senators Today! | |
• clarify Congressional intent that service-connected veterans gain full access to skilled nursing, adult day health and domiciliary care provided by state veterans homes;
• improve and broaden rehabilitative care and services for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury;
• allow veterans accompanied by service dogs to freely enter VA properties without restriction; and,
• establish a new pilot program for veterans to train dogs as a therapeutic option in VA mental health.
Despite the positive benefits and non-controversial intentions of this bill, at least one US Senator has caused the bill to be placed “on hold,” pending the outcome of the Senate’s consideration of an unrelated bill. The bill will die when Congress adjourns later this year. We ask that you contact your Senators to urge the Senate to give final consideration to H.R. 2074, and clear it for approval by the President. Please send the prepared e-mail, or your own message, to your Senators today.
Thank you for your grassroots advocacy on behalf of DAV and service-disabled veterans. Our effectiveness as an advocate for disabled veterans depends heavily on strong grassroots assistance by our members and DAV supporters.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Info to benefit you from Adjutant Kuehnl…
Adjutant Department of WI
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Website and Blogs
I am in search of someone who would like to help run our website. They must have knowledge of WordPress and how to get two of our blogs back up and running. I am unable to post the our Government Relations Blog or our Jobs Blog. If you would be interested in helping the Department out, please let me know ASAP. I can be reached at cadwell2929@sbcglobal.net.
Regards,
Ken Kuehnl
Monday, February 27, 2012
While dining out...
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Changes to 2012 State Convention
I am looking forward to a great convention this year, so come on to Green Bay and have some fun!
Friday, January 13, 2012
2012 District Conferences
If you know of anyone or have an item to donate to the Auxiliary Convention Raffle, please contact Patty Davis or Rose Williams, about this.
Warmest regards,
Ken Kuehnl
Happy New Year!
The Department of Wisconsin will be changing a few ways that we do business. We will no longer have three issues of the DAV News. Over the next two years we will produce two DAV News Papers a year. The costs have driven us to come to this conclusion, that we can no longer afford to keep the paper going. So after many emails, phone calls and personal letter we have decided that the DAV News will end in 2013. I feel as Department Adjutant that we have chosen the correct route to go.
We have changed the website to make more friendly, and to keep the events page up-to-date. We are hoping to publish an DAV News, that will be sent out to the members that request this, there should be information within a months on how the layout of this E-DAV News will look. The Department of Wisconsin website is davwi.org for additional information.
I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and the best of health to you and your family.
Warmest regards,
Ken Kuehnl
Monday, June 27, 2011
DAV State WI Convention 2011
I would like to thank everyone who attended this years convention, and made it one of our best one, in recent memory.
I hope to see many of you at Fall Conference October 6-8. October 6 will be the Service Office School. October 7 will be the panel, and additional training…yet to be announced.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
DAV Calls for Mandatory Reporting of all Sexual Assaults in VA Facilities
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
807 Maine Ave., SW • Washington, D.C. 20024 • Phone (202) 554-3501 • Fax (202) 863-0233
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2011
DAV Calls for Mandatory Reporting of all Sexual Assaults in VA Facilities
WASHINGTON — The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) finds very disturbing a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which cites 284 cases of alleged, attempted or confirmed sex assaults on patients and employees at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers between January 2007 and last July.
“It is fundamental that our VA hospitals offer a safe environment as well as top-flight medical care,” said DAV National Commander Wallace E. Tyson. “This is very disturbing news, and we urge the VA to put into place the report’s recommendations at all medical centers, clinics and other facilities.”
The GAO report examined sexual assaults at VA medical centers and found that many times the victims’ reports are mishandled or inappropriately acted upon based on decisions by local physicians and administrators.
The DAV strongly recommends the creation of a task force to ensure the VA adopts a culture of safety and promptly develops a uniform policy for the reporting of all sexual assaults.
“We look to the VA and the administration to make safety a priority in our VA medical centers,” Tyson said.
“Mandatory reporting is absolutely necessary. There must be a strict requirement set immediately that all allegations of sexual assaults be reported to an independent body of oversight,” Commander Tyson said.
“These reports can no longer be allowed to be dealt with solely at the local level.”
“This is not a gender-specific issue – this is an issue for every veteran, family member and caregiver.
Every person who enters a VA facility must know the government is doing everything possible to keep them safe. VA needs to be a place of care not of fear.”
The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single
purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site www.dav.org.
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