Some of the 'Services' and 'Programs we have available
US ARMED FORCES DAY MAY EVERY YEAR
Welcome to Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida 'a Source for Veteran Resources'
180 W. Idaho Ave, Ontario, Oregon 97914
541-889-1978
CLARIFYING THE MILITARY’S ROLE
IN PROTECTING THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF THE UNITED STATES
The White House
January 20, 2025
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. (a) As Chief Executive and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have no more solemn responsibility than protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders. The protection of a nation’s territorial integrity and national boundaries is paramount for its security.
(b) The Armed Forces of the United States have played a long and well-established role in securing our borders against threats of invasion, against unlawful forays by foreign nationals into the United States, and against other transnational criminal activities that violate our laws and threaten the peace, harmony, and tranquility of the Nation. These threats have taken a variety of forms over our Nation’s history, but the Armed Forces have consistently played an integral role in protecting the sovereignty of the United States.
(c) Threats against our Nation’s sovereignty continue today, and it is essential that the Armed Forces staunchly continue to participate in the defense of our territorial integrity and sovereignty. A National Emergency currently exists along the southern border of the United States. Unchecked unlawful mass migration and the unimpeded flow of opiates across our borders continue to endanger the safety and security of the American people and encourage further lawlessness. Accordingly, through this order, I am acting in accordance with my solemn duty to protect and defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to ensure that the Armed Forces of the United States prioritize the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United States along our national borders.
Sec. 3. Implementation. The Secretary of Defense shall:
(a) No later than 10 days from the effective date of this order, deliver to the President a revision to the Unified Command Plan that assigns United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities.
(b) On the effective date of this order, add the following requirements to the Contingency Planning Guidance and Guidance for the Employment of the Force:
(i) A Level 3 planning requirement for USNORTHCOM to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities, with a commander’s estimate due to the Secretary of Defense within 30 days of the effective date of this order.
(ii) A campaign planning requirement for USNORTHCOM to provide steady-state southern border security, seal the border, and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion, including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities.
(iii) Continuous assessments of all available options to protect the sovereign territory of the United States from mass unlawful entry and impingement on our national sovereignty and security by foreign nations and transnational criminal organizations.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2025.
BI-MONTHLY ARTICLES AND A FEW STORIES OF INTEREST
Veteran Articles published Bi-monthly
The Chairman of Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, Ronald Verini, writes two articles every month for publication in a Regional Newspaper, this article"LIVING ON THE EDGE..?"
will be published MAY 14, 2025. Here is a part of Mr. Verini's article, and you can read the full article by clicking the red bar below.
Living On The Edge…?
May 14th, 2025 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
I read something the other day from Phil a friend and one that has served in the Special Forces in ‘Nam and on our BOD…before he gave it to me, he asked if I fished, or something to that affect… I said ‘no’ I did not fish. He then said that even so he would give me something to read that he received many years ago that helped him and it might do the same for me. So, I sat down that night and read what he gave me and was helped, not necessarily by the words on the paper but the fact that I was given something that helped someone else and I wanted to know what it was about. In the paper I read, was mentioned a novel of Vietnam, Close Quarters, and in the book, Larry Heinemann observes that first the war works on you, then you go to work on the war. Bring the person in war as an active agent. One way to end the “rape” of your inner self is to learn to like it, to mess with the madness, to become one with it and, in a manner of speaking, fall in love with the rapist.
I continued reading this and the author by the name of Philip Caputo (the article’s name was “Till in some living stream: A Warrior’s Art of Redemption”) took me on a journey of fly fishing with a tremendous ‘’amount of muscle, gracefulness, coordination and tranquil spirit’. He went on to say ‘if you are upset, angry or agitated you will make a mess of it’. He goes on talking about ‘ten and two’, a motion that fly fisher-people know what I am speaking about. I started to grasp what was happening and the beauty and concentration that made you become part of the action of fly fishing. The opposite of a warrior, Phillip talked about the fact that fly-fishing ‘brought gentleness rather than brutality, serenity rather than fury’.
He went on to say that the concentration that it took overwhelmed him to a point that he was unable to think about Vietnam and for that moment in time the horrors of war were gone.
This article opened up a new author and if his books are as well written as this short article he wrote; he is one that deserves to be read. Apparently, he is a Pulitzer Prize (twice) winning journalist. Caputo was a Marine in Vietnam, over there in 1965-1966. He has written over 18 books, so I have a lot of reading to do…
I want you to know that as I have gone through the flashbacks and relived my experiences of Vietnam, I have also gained a healthy respect for some of the head doctors, councilors and warriors that have come into my life. Amazing that my life has taken on a new appreciation for life! It also has opened up some horrible chapters in my life that give me food for thought of touching on the edge of not wanting to be here. Crazy thoughts, peaceful moments and avenues that are dark and some with the light of hope.
MAY EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY CHANGED THE WORLD !!!!
1. Napoleon exiled to Elba – May 4, 1814
After a string of military defeats, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was forced to abdicate and was exiled to the island of Elba. Though he would later escape and briefly regain power, this marked the beginning of the end for one of history’s most iconic leaders.
2. American Red Cross founded – May 21, 1881
Clara Barton, a nurse during the American Civil War, founded the American Red Cross. The organization has since provided vital disaster relief, emergency assistance, and humanitarian aid across the globe for over 140 years.
3. First flight across the Atlantic – May 20–21, 1927
Charles Lindbergh made aviation history when he completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, flying from New York to Paris in 33.5 hours aboard the Spirit of St. Louis. It was a defining moment in the golden age of aviation.
4. Brown v. Board of Education ruling – May 17, 1954
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This landmark case was a catalyst for the American civil rights movement and paved the way for greater equality in education.
5. Germany surrenders in WWII – May 7, 1945 (VE Day: May 8)
Germany officially surrendered to Allied forces on May 7, 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe. The following day, May 8, was declared Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) and remains a symbol of triumph over tyranny.
6. Star Wars released – May 25, 1977
George Lucas’s Star Wars: A New Hope debuted in theaters, launching one of the most beloved and influential franchises in cinema history. Its release changed the landscape of science fiction and pop culture forever.
7. Everest first summited – May 29, 1953
Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, became the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Their achievement inspired adventurers worldwide and marked a triumph of human endurance.
What is Armed Forces Day: its history
Who Is Doug Collins? A Look at Trump's Pick to Head the VA
Armed Forces Day is a holiday celebrated by many countries around the world as a way to thank those that serve in the military. In the United States we have many holidays that celebrate those who serve, but Armed Forces Day is held on the third Saturday in May. Read on to learn what makes Armed Forces Day significant and how you can celebrate!
What is Armed Forces Day: its history
In 1775, while fighting the Revolutionary War against the British, the Continental Congress established the Continental Army, Continental Navy, and Continental Marines. This military force was commanded by General George Washington. Once the US had achieved independence these became the first three branches of the US Armed forces: the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. The United States Coast Guard was designated a handful of years later, in 1790. The Air Force was separated from the Army following World War II in 1947. In 2019 the US added a sixth branch of the military, the United States Space Force.
In 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson announced the creation of a unified Armed Forces Day to honor Americans serving in the US military branches. It was intended to replace the separate holidays for each military sector, but those days are still celebrated, especially by those in the designated branches. Armed Forces Day was first celebrated on May 20, 1950, following the unification of the different branches of the military under the U.S. Department of Defense by President Harry S. Truman.
Celebrating Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday every May. The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated with parades, ceremonies, air shows, and other public military demonstrations. In modern days this has only expanded to now include the entire week before Armed Forces Day, known as Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May. Celebrations span across each day of the week, including flyovers, fitness tests, flag ceremonies, and much more. The longest continuously running Armed Forces Day Parade has been held for more than 70 years in Bremerton, Washington! Armed Forces Day/Week has also become a popular occasion to launch new military vehicles like airplanes, ships, and helicopters. Local military service organizations may also hold fundraisers or events to benefit the Armed Forces.
Importance of Armed Forces Day
In addition to honoring and celebrating all those who serve, an important aspect of Armed Forces Day is the educational opportunity for the public. According to the Department of Defense, Armed Forces Day was originally intended as an “educational program for civilians.” Often, there will be increased access to military bases for the public, where they can tour designated areas, see military equipment up close, and learn about the different jobs that are performed by the Armed Forces. Armed Forces Day draws back the curtain and expands public understanding of how the military plays a role in civilian life.
Who Is Doug Collins? A Look at Trump's Pick to Head the VA
Who Is Doug Collins? A Look at Trump's Pick to Head the VA
Nov. 2024 by Patricia Kime & Rebecca Kheel
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated an Air Force Reserve chaplain and former congressman to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Former Rep. Doug Collins, 58, a Georgia Republican who last ran for office in 2020 when he vied for a U.S. Senate seat, served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In his announcement Thursday, Trump said Collins, who campaigned heavily for the president-elect, would be a "great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need."
Read Next: Police Records Show Defense Secretary Nominee Was Involved in Alleged Sexual Assault in 2017
"We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform," Trump said. "Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this important role."
Collins is a colonel in the Air Force Reserve. He deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq in 2008 with the 94th Airlift Wing, based in Dobbins, Georgia, according to media reports. His most recent duty station was Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where he served as an individual mobile augmentee to the command chaplain, according to the service.
The Air Force Reserve was asked to provide additional releasable information from Collins' service record but did not do so by publication.
On the social media platform X, Collins said Thursday that he was honored to accept the nomination, adding that veterans deserve "the best care and support."
"We'll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they've earned," Collins wrote. "Together, we'll make the VA work for those who fought for us. Time to deliver for our veterans and give them the world-class care they deserve."
The VA provides disability compensation to more than 1 million veterans and family members, and roughly 9 million veterans are enrolled in VA health care, the country's largest integrated medical system
Collins had previously posted on Veterans Day that he believes the VA's medical system "is broken and our veterans pay the price."
This sailor requested leave to get his wife pregnant. It was approved.
Observation Post by Claire Barrett
Like a lion stalking its prey across the Serengeti, so too does a Jody hunt — lurking in the night, ever vigilant in hopes of hearing that one magic word: “Deployment.”
So, how does one stop an insatiable Jody in his tracks? For one seaman, the solution was simple: Beat out the competition by simply being there.
On July 20, 1967, Petty Officer 1st Class David Jarvis Anderson submitted an unusual special leave request. His plea was simple.
“My wife is planning on getting pregnant this weekend,” he wrote, “and I would sure like to be there when it happens.”
Anderson’s tongue-in-cheek entreaty seemed to have worked. It was, after all, the Summer of Love.
While requests for special liberty can often reduce a poor service member to a desperate husk of a man, in 1967, it appears that the powers that be were a little more forgiving — allowing for Anderson to enjoy shore leave in the right port during a particularly crucial tide.
In traveling the seven-plus hours from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the coal mining town of Layland, West Virginia, the sailor thwarted all would-be Jody’s in the area upon his arrival home.
No word was readily available, however, on whether the pair’s weekend’s festivities produced the desired result.
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
MARCH 2024
The Food Pantry at Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida has really expanded and grown over the last few years. There has been such an increase of our Veteran and Military Families needing help to handle the increasing problems of 'food insecurity'. We do have a 'modest' pantry open every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Give a call to 541-889-1978 to let us know you are coming to pick up Food Box. Please let us know how many in your family and about when your coming.
Also, if you are interested in volunteering to help our veterans and the Food Pantry please give us a call or come on in and see what we are doing...
Sometimes the food donations we receive are unable to meet the demands, but we still hand out the product we receive. So if you need a little something to help you get from one paycheck to the other come on down. Each Family can get a Box twice a month.
VA leaders halt mortgage rescue program launched last year
Veterans Affairs officials next month will end a 10-month-old mortgage rescue program for veterans in danger of losing their homes, following significant Republican criticism over the effort.
The Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program was launched in late May 2024 to purchase defaulted VA loans from outside mortgage servicers. Officials would then modify the terms of the loans to allow financially strapped veterans to avoid eviction from and forfeiture of their homes.
About 17,000 veterans received home loans with lower interest rates through the program, according to VA statistics. But the effort drew sharp criticism from conservative lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who claimed it undermined the existing VA home loans program by providing too much financial aid to a select few veterans.
In a statement, department officials said the program will stop accepting new enrollees on May 1. “This change is necessary because VA is not set up or intended to be a mortgage loan restructuring service.”
“We had serious concerns about the impact VASP would have on not only the future of VA’s home loan program, but the mortgage lending business as a whole,” House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., and economic opportunity subcommittee Chairman Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., said in a joint statement.
“Today, the Trump administration rightfully put an end to VA’s VASP program. This action underscores House Republicans’ intent to establish a partial claims program at VA to ensure veterans’ can stay in their homes if they’re in financial hardship while still protecting the American taxpayer.”
The program was open to veterans who defaulted on their VA home loan mortgages in the past.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in spring 2020, Congress approved a forbearance program allowing some individuals who lost their normal stream of income to skip mortgage payments for months. But when that program ended in October 2022, thousands of veterans found they owed large payments, leaving them with insurmountable bills.
Defense officials to consider cuts to military treatment fac
Military Times by Karen Jowers
Defense Health Agency officials are examining military treatment facilities across the military medical system, facility by facility, to determine their fate — which could include closing some facilities or downgrading some hospitals to clinics.
The process is in the “pre-decisional” stage, said DHA officials, speaking during a panel discussion at the Association of Defense Communities National Summit in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday. “We have to match our resources against the mission set that we have,” said Dr. Michael Malanoski, DHA’s deputy director.
“There will be some changes in services across the system,” he said. The process of evaluating the military treatment facilities started “many, many moons ago,” he added.
No decisions have been made yet at DHA, according to Rear Adm. Matthew Case, acting assistant director for health care administration at DHA. Any changes would have to be approved by Defense Department leadership, and Congress would have to be notified by law.
The issue is resources, Case and Malanoski said. The priority is readiness, especially at the largest facilities, where staff provide combat casualty care support, Case said. Those facilities, such as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, must be ready to receive casualties, he said.
The Defense Health Agency has been fighting to keep its military treatment facilities staffed in recent years, as a shortage of medical personnel has affected facilities nationwide.
At the same time, officials are evaluating the situation in communities around military installations, recognizing there are locations in “medical deserts,” where not enough care is available in the civilian community for military beneficiaries.
“So we have to go ‘rack and stack’ of what the capabilities are,” Case said.
A rigorous analysis “facility by facility, location by location” is underway, Case said.
Vets are speaking out
on Trump administration’s plans to cut VA budget
NORFOLK, Va. — Stephen Watson served in the Marines for 22 years and receives care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for a traumatic brain injury. He supports President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk’s cost-cutting program — even if it affects the VA.
“We’re no better because we’re veterans,” said Watson, 68, of Jesup, Georgia. “We all need to take a step back and realize that everybody’s gonna have to take a little bit on the chin to get these budget matters under control.”
Gregg Bafundo served during the first Gulf War and has nerve damage to his feet from carrying loads of weight as a Marine mortarman. He says he may need to turn to the VA for care after being fired as a wilderness ranger and firefighter through the layoffs at the U.S. Forest Service.
“They’re going to put guys like me and my fellow Marines that rely on the VA in the ground,” said Bafundo, 53, who lives in Tonasket, Washington.
The Trump administration’s move to end hundreds of VA contracts — initially paused after public outcry — and ongoing layoffs are affecting the nation’s veterans, a critical and politically influential constituency. More than 9 million veterans get physical and mental health care from the VA, which is now being examined by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The VA manages a $350 billion-plus budget and oversees nearly 200 medical centers and hospitals. Veterans have shown up at town hall-style meetings with Republican lawmakers to voice their anger, and groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars are mobilizing against cuts.
The department is considering a reorganization that could include cutting 80,000 jobs, according to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Veterans were much likelier to support Trump, a Republican, than Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in November’s presidential election, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted in all 50 states. Nearly 6 in 10 voters who are veterans backed Trump, while about 4 in 10 voted for Harris.
Joy Ilem, national legislative director for the nonpartisan group Disabled American Veterans, said her group was studying how the ongoing cuts might affect care.
“You could lose trust among the veteran population over some of these things that have happened and the way that they’ve happened,” Ilem warned. “And we do fear damage to the recruitment and retention of hiring the best and brightest to serve veterans.”
The White House said last week that it wants to slash $2 billion worth of VA contracts, which would affect anything from cancer care to the ability to assess toxic exposure. The department quickly paused the cuts following concerns about the impact on critical health services.
VA Secretary Doug Collins told Fox News Channel this week that the effort was focused on “finding deficiencies.”
“Anything that we’re doing is designed and will not cut veterans’ health or veterans’ benefits that they’ve earned,” he said.
In a Tuesday statement to The Associated Press, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz said the agency “is putting Veterans at the center of everything the department does.”
“Every dollar we spend on wasteful contracts, non-mission-critical or duplicative activities is one less dollar we can spend on Veterans, and given that choice, we will always side with the Veteran,” Kasperowicz wrote.
Republicans have pointed out that the VA has rehired employees who were let go during an initial round of layoffs in February, such as those working for a crisis hotline. However, during a subsequent round of layoffs, the VA cut 15 other employees who were in jobs supporting the crisis line, including a trainer for the phone responders, according to congressional staff who are tracking the cuts.
The VA has long faced calls for reform
The VA has been plagued for years by allegations of poor medical care and excessively long wait times. Investigators a decade ago uncovered widespread problems in how VA hospitals were scheduling appointments after allegations that as many as 40 veterans died while awaiting care at the department’s Phoenix hospital. A group of employees accused the department of retaliating against potential whistleblowers. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, eventually put into place a program allowing veterans to go outside the VA system to seek medical care. The Choice Program was extended by Trump during his first term.
By Ben Finley, The Associated Press andStephen Groves, The Associated Press
Thousands of veterans could lose their jobs
in massive Pentagon layoffs
taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/
Veterans will be among what could be as many as 60,000 employees cut from the Defense Department’s civilian workforce, a senior defense official told reporters on Tuesday.
The cuts, which could include tens of thousands of veterans, come as the Pentagon looks to chop between 5 and 8% of its civilian workforce for “more mission-critical functions,” said the official, who spoke on the condition their name not be used under rules established by the Pentagon.
As of fiscal year 2021, the Defense Department employed more than 330,000 veterans, which made up 45.8% of the department’s civilian employees, according to the Office of Personnel Management’s most recent report on veterans employed by the federal government.
“There will be some veterans impacted by the workforce reductions,” said the senior defense official, who did not specify exactly how many veterans could leave the Defense Department.
While praising veterans who work for the Defense Department as civilian employees, the official said the department has to use taxpayers’ money wisely and ensure it is focused on its mission.
“Even within the military, there are times where you see the individuals will leave service when their services are no longer directly in the nation’s interest, and the same thing is true on the civilian side,” the senior defense official said. “And some of those people will be veterans that served in uniform previously. We’re certainly, again, looking at case by case as we plan workforce reductions. There are so many critical skills and experiences that veterans have to offer, and that’s part of the analysis when we consider who is contributing to the core mission functions and who should be retained.”
Veterans comprised 40.6% of all new employees hired by the Defense Department between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, the OPM report says. Of all the new employees hired during that timeframe, 26.9% were disabled veterans.
More than 878,000 civilian employees were working for the Defense Department in fiscal year 2023, according to the Pentagon’s most recent demographics report, which was released in December. That report did not specify how many veterans worked for the Defense Department as civilian employees.
If the Pentagon reduced its civilian workforce by a full 8%, it would amount to cutting 70,261 employees. If the department cut veterans at the same rate as civilians, 32,180 veterans could be out of a job.
The senior defense official declined to estimate how many veterans might be cut.
“I’m not going to speak to hypotheticals,” the official said. “I understand the calculations you’re talking about. That would be with the assumption that if we hit an exact certain percentage, based on the numbers of a certain day of DoD civilian employees and then linearly applied — I can’t guarantee any of those things.”
“No, there’s not some categorical direction that whatever the ultimate workforce reduction percentage is, that it has applied exactly with respect to veterans or any other category,” the senior defense official continued. “It’s a case-by-case basis. We do understand that some veterans will be part of the removal.”
So far, the Defense Department has approved close to 21,000 applications from civilian employees who volunteered to take part in the Deferred Resignation Program, the senior defense official said. The program allows federal employees to voluntarily leave their jobs by Sept. 30.
The Defense Department has also instituted a hiring freeze, meaning it is not bringing in about 6,000 new civilian employees per month, and it is seeking to remove about 5,400 probationary employees, but that matter is currently being litigated, the official said.
Download the VA Health and Benefits App It's not complicated
March 4, 2025 Jesus Flores Creative Task Force Writer and Marine Corps Veteran
With the VA Health and Benefits App, you can refill prescriptions, message your care team or check your VA benefits anytime, anywhere using your smartphone.
With a 4.8 out of 5 rating in the Apple App Store, Veterans who use the app have voiced how hard it is to imagine their VA experience without it. You’ll feel like you have a VA office in your pocket, always ready to help.
Your VA care team at your fingertips
Remember trying to reach your provider by phone? They might have been busy or the call may have been outside regular hours.
With the app, you can quickly send a secure message to your VA care team, just like using your favorite social media app.
“It’s great to know I can message my provider and get quick answers,” said Stephen Havard, Marine Corps Veteran. “I recently asked my primary care team about a medication and I had a response by the end of the day.”
Veterans are taking advantage of this feature with over 300,000 secure messages sent each month.
Remember, secure messaging is for non-urgent communication only. If you’re in crisis, call 911, 988 (then Press 1) or go to the nearest emergency room. You can also access the Veteran Crisis Line straight from the app.
Kick pharmacy runs to the curb
Gone are the days of waiting in line at the VA medical center’s pharmacy. Refilling medications through the VA with the Health and Benefits app is now as easy as ordering takeout.
“While sitting in my deer blind, I realized I was low on one of my prescriptions,” said Luke Yanny, Marine Corps Veteran. “I opened the app and ordered a refill in just a few taps.”
Using the app, you can select the medication you need from your prescriptions, ensuring you order the correct one. Your prescriptions are mailed to your address on file usually within 5-7 business days at no cost.
With over 250,000 prescriptions refilled monthly through the app, it significantly benefits Veterans everywhere.
Appointments managed with military
precision
Proof of service in your pocket
AIR FORCE EXPANDS SKILLED JOBS FOR RETENTION BONUSES
HOPES TO HOLD ONTO AIRMEN WITH SPECIALIZED TALENTS
Nicholas Slayton-Task & Purpose
The Air Force is expanding the number of career fields eligible for large retention and reenlistment bonuses in the new fiscal year, in an effort to hold onto skilled troops when their talents are in demand elsewhere.
The Department of the Air Force released a memo listing 89 career fields in the U.S. Air Force in the 2025 fiscal year, up from 73 the previous one. The expanded list went into effect on Dec. 16, according to Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokesperson. The jobs range from signal intelligence to nuclear weapons to maintenance for combat drones.
The list leaked online earlier this week and made the rounds on Air Force-focused social media pages. Military.com first reported on the veracity of the list. Stefanek told Task & Purpose that the expansion of eligible fields came after analyzing what skilled positions were in increasing demand outside of the military.
“[The Department of the Air Force did it] to make sure we can retain our talent because they’re in high demand in the private sector,” Stefanek told Task & Purpose.
Nearly a dozen of the fields are in cyber systems and operations, from cybersecurity jobs to data entry and tech support. Others are focused on aircraft maintenance while several are aimed at special operations roles, including pararescue and combat control. Language-based jobs are also prioritized, with several fields focused on Chinese, Korean, Russian and Persian speakers up for the extra pay. Unlike the previously expanded list, some fields previously eligible for retention bonuses are not on the new list; the memo notes that airmen have until Feb. 15, 2025 to sign a new contract in an eligible field to receive the retention bonus.
Earlier this year the Air Force’s requested budget asked for $1.1 billion dedicated to troop bonuses and retention programs. In order to qualify for the retention bonus, airmen must match the Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) of the eligible job. If a specified AFSC has a certain skill level listed, they must have reached that qualification to earn the bonus.
Airmen eligible for the bonus can make as much as $180,000 extra per their specific career zone; that cap was raised earlier this year as part of an ongoing effort by the Department of the Air Force to retain its current skilled troops. A career cap is set at $360,000, per the Air Force memo.
The Air Force, as with other branches in the military, has struggled with recruiting new troops in recent years, including missing its target in 2023. Several branches of the armed forces have expanded and raised different bonuses for enlisting and staying in the military.
SOME OF THESE STORIES MIGHT CATCH YOUR ATTENTION...
Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans
Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans
December 2024 by Ed Meagher - The War Horse
When I reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, I was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two years of college ROTC, I really had no idea what to expect.
The first few days at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, consisted of brutal heat, a blur of shouted commands never executed correctly, endless marching from one place to another, screamed instructions to get organized, get in line, get in formation, move faster, fill out this form, listen to this lecture, eat quicker, sleep faster.
And do it all again.
At the end of one very long day, just before lights out, we were formed up, yet again, and told that the following morning at four we would start a week of KP, kitchen police, mess duty. After being roused at 3:45 a.m. and marched quietly across a dark, hot, silent base to the rear of the chow hall, our cadre turned us over to a mess sergeant and departed.
We were told to be at ease, perhaps for the first time, and it came as a bit of a shock. We could relax in place and even talk if we wanted. It was literally the first unsupervised, unstructured period since we had arrived.
I had noticed the recruit next to me several times during the previous several days. He was a slick-sleeve like the rest of us, but that is where the resemblance to any of us stopped. His uniform was a slightly different, lighter shade of green than the rest of ours. His hair was just a bit longer than the rest of our bald heads. He knew how to march, how to organize his locker, and how to make his bed perfectly. He always seemed to know what was going to happen next and was completely prepared for it.
The strangest thing though was how the instructor cadre treated him. They never screamed at him and never seemed to need to correct him. At one point, I even saw him have a brief conversation with one of the drill instructors.
I was curious, so I asked him. He told me to mind my own business.
We were called back to attention and marched into the kitchen area where we were given a lecture about the rules for KP duty, everything from hygiene to safety. Then we were told that we would be assigned to various duties and what they entailed. We were once again put at ease, and my slightly different recruit must have felt bad about telling me to mind my own business. He told me his name was Greg. I introduced myself as Ed. And just then we were called back to attention by a mess sergeant with a clipboard.
Tips to achieve the ultimate dirty Navy-style coffee mug
Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans
Sarah Sicard MilitaryTimes
The Navy may have the most complicated rank structure when it comes to its ratings system, but there is another, much more uncouth method for establishing hierarchy among sailors: Filthy coffee mugs.
It is a commonly-held truth in the seafaring service that one can tell a higher-up from a newbie based on the amount of sludge that lives in the bottom of one’s coffee cup.
So, in the interest of salt, here are some professional tips, from Navy veterans, to get an optimally seasoned mug.
1. Always drink black coffee. Milk or creamer curdles and introduces bacteria into the mix. Sour lactose creates a hostile environment — not ideal for going years without washing your mug.
2. Drink the whole cup of coffee. Don’t leave even a drop behind. You want to season the mug with a faint film, not swigging day-old coffee every morning.
3. For extra flavoring, take the leftover coffee grounds from the filter and let them rest in the cup for a few days before dumping it out. Treat your mug like a cast iron skillet.
4. If you need to, rinse it lightly with just a little water. This is only to be done in cases where the buildup is starting to become untenable.
5. Don’t wash the mug with the soap. Ever. You might be tempted every now and again to give it a good soak. Don’t. You will lose all the flavoring, respect from your near-peers and any chance at an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy.
That time the US military burned down one of its own bases with a ‘bat bomb’
WILD BATS WITH NAPALM,
WHAT COULD GO WRONG????
by Joshua Skovlund, Task & Purpose
Bats use echolocation to find food and places to rest. Add in an incendiary device glued to their chest, and you now have a firestorm that can wreak havoc on any enemy. Or so Pennsylvania dental surgeon Dr. Lytle S. Adams thought during World War II.
The problem is that you don’t know where they will go once released. Add to it that it’s generally a bad idea to mix explosives, adhesives, and wildlife.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Adams made a fateful trip to the Carlsbad Caverns National Parkduring a vacation to New Mexico. He was awed by the hundreds of thousands of bats that nested in the caves.
The bats were still on his mind later in day as he drove away when news came across the car’s radio of the attack on Pearl Harbor. According to the National Institute of Health, he was “outraged over this travesty, [Adams] began to mentally construct a plan for U.S. retaliation.
The idea Adams came up with — a ‘bat bomb,’ with 1,000 bats carrying napalm into a city full of wooden buildings — led to one of the U.S.’s most bizarre weapons development programs of all time, one that Adams believed could bring about a quick end of the war but did little more than burn down a flight training base in the U.S.
Adams knew that buildings in Japanese cities were predominantly built of wood. His idea was to develop an empty bomb case that, rather than hold explosives, would hold 1,040 bats toting napalm-like incendiary gel with timed fuses. Dropped over Tokyo, the bats would create a hellish cyclone with incendiary devices throughout Tokyo, hopefully bringing about an end to World War II
Adams put his idea in a letter to the White House, where he had professional contacts who got the letter to President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was interested, if cautious, telling staffers, “This man is not a nut. It sounds like a perfectly wild idea but is worth looking into,” according to author Jack Couffer’s book, “Bat Bomb: World War II’s Other Secret Weapon.”
Couffer was a young filmmaker who had grown up studying bats and other birds as a teenager. He would go on to a career making dozens of nature documentaries, but he was drafted into the Army early in World War II and assigned to the bat bomb project and witnessed much of its three-year development.
The development and testing, dubbed Project X-Ray, was based in New Mexico. The program developed a metal bomb casing with three horizontal layers, similar to upside-down ice cube trays, where bats would nest. To keep them docile — or as docile as a bat strapped with a bomb can be — they would be placed in an artificial cold-induced hibernation. The “bat bomb” was designed to be released from high altitudes just before dawn, when bats naturally seek out a place to sleep during the daylight hours.
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
DoD 2023
When thinking about leaving from the military, it’s not uncommon for servicemembers to discover gaps between their resume and the civilian job they want.
Worries about putting food on the table can make going back to school, getting on-the-job training, or taking an internship seem like costly ways of filling that gap. Luckily, there’s a way servicemembers can gain the experience required by civilian jobs while still on the military’s payroll.
The DoD SkillBridge Program lets active-duty personnel from all four branches spend the last 180 days of their military service interning at a civilian job with one of more than 500 industry partners.
Participants continue to receive military pay and benefits, whether they’re getting certified by Microsoft in cloud development, learning to weld, or taking advantage of any one of the hundreds of other opportunities available.
As part of the DoD’s requirements, all training programs offer a “high probability of post-service employment with the provider or other employers in a field related to the opportunity,” according to the SkillBridge website.
In his internship with the Global SOF Foundation, retired Navy commander Chuck Neu says he not only tripled the size of his professional network, but also discovered a talent for sales.
“Without that exposure to cold-call sales from doing SkillBridge with the Global SOF Foundation, I likely would have ended up on-base as a contractor or a government civilian, which is really not what I wanted to do,” Neu told Military Times....
For more on this story click the 'Red Bar' below.
VA's updated list of Agent Orange sites outside of Vietnam
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released in January an updated Department of Defense (DOD) list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested or stored by the United States military.
“This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam."
DOD conducted a thorough review of research, reports and government publications in response to a November 2018 Government Accountability Office report.
“DOD will continue to be responsive to the needs of our interagency partners in all matters related to taking care of both current and former service members,” said Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper. “The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals and will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.”
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including an Agent Orange Registry health exam, health care and disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Their dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits.
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
by Sarah Sicard, Observation Post
Is there anything sweeter — literally or figuratively — than biting into the plastic-wrapped chemical compound of luxuriously spongey cake with vanilla cream that is a Twinkie?
Perhaps not. But the original Hostess delicacy was once something else entirely. The preservative-filled dessert that many once believed could withstand nuclear war got its start as a banana cream shortcake, until World War II changed everything.
In 1930, a baker named James Dewar began experimenting while serving as manager of Continental Baking Company’s Chicago area plant in River Forest, according to the Chicago Tribune. He wanted to prove that shortbread could serve a purpose outside strawberry shortcake.
“The economy was getting tight, and the company needed to come out with another low-priced item,” he told the paper. “We were already selling these little finger cakes during the strawberry season for shortcake, but the pans we baked them in sat idle except for that six-week season.”
While in St. Louis on a work trip, Dewar saw a billboard for “Twinkle Toe Shoes,” and thus found the name for his compact confections.
Why food insecurity is a challenge for troops & families
The challenges result in a disproportionate rate of food insecurity
October by Shannon Razsadin and Dave
Flitman - MilitaryTimes.com
Our national defense is strong because of the incredible men and women who raise their hands to serve and the people who love and follow them throughout their service. Military service comes with incredible opportunity and sacrifice. Our all-volunteer force has been preserved by generations of military families who believe in a cause bigger than themselves and a bright future for themselves, their family and our nation.
While many thrive in service, we must grapple with the reality that too many military families, particularly junior and middle enlisted families, are experiencing food insecurity, defined as the inability to consistently afford or access adequate meals.
According to Military Family Advisory Network’s latest research, one in four (27.7%) active duty military families are food insecure compared to 13.5% of U.S. households. MFAN’s findings are consistent with the Defense Department’s own research, which found that 24% of service members experienced food insecurity in 2022.
While the military is a microcosm of the broader population, the unique challenges and lived experiences of service members result in disproportionate rates of food insecurity. The nuances and complexities of military life, including the consequences of financial hardship, lead many to skip meals or choose less nutritious options.
How is it that those who put country before self experience food insecurity at more than twice the rate of civilians? The answer may be traced to the unique demands of military life, most notably frequent moves.
Military families move every two to three years on average. During a permanent change of station, families undergo a complete reset. Many military spouses are forced to leave their jobs and find new employment opportunities. Families must also pay first- and last-month’s rent to secure their next home and stock up on household essentials while also navigating new doctors, schools, child care and community — all without the support of an extended network.
Simply put, this reset is taxing on both pocketbooks and overall well-being.
Policy efforts to address food insecurity in the military are underway, pointing to a significant step in reducing the stigma surrounding this issue.
The Defense Department’s Taking Care of Our People initiative seeks to strengthen economic security for service members and their loved ones. The basic needs allowance, a monthly payment for military families whose household income falls below 150% of federal poverty guidelines, has been rolled out force-wide.
YOU TOO CAN HELP SERVE AND THANK OUR COUNTRIES VETERANS
About Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida
Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida was founded by a group of veterans who saw a need for better support and resources for the veteran community. Our organization is committed to providing assistance to veterans in need, whether it's help finding a job, connecting with mental health resources, or accessing affordable housing. We believe that every veteran deserves access to the care and support they need to thrive after serving our country.
Join Our Team
Are you passionate about supporting veterans and giving back to your community? Join our team of dedicated volunteers and make a difference in the lives of those who have served. We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, from helping with fundraising events to providing mentorship to veterans in need. Contact us today at 541-889-1978 to learn more about getting involved with Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida.
TIME TO HONOR THE VIETNAM WARS MOST SECRET WARRIORS
Top-secret group operated in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1964 to 1972.
September 2023
by Col. Paris Davis, MilitaryTimes.com
https://www.army.mil/vietnamwar/
The nation is commemorating the 50th anniversary of America’s withdrawal from Vietnam through Veterans Day 2025, per presidential decree. But we cannot allow any lingering ambivalence on the legacy of the war — or anything else — to further delay honoring the extraordinary contributions of our most covert warriors of that era.
When I recently received the Medal of Honor for the 19-hour battle my Army Special Forces unit fought in Bong Son, Vietnam in 1965, President Joe Biden said, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Indeed, we are well past time to do what’s right, and finally honor the elite U.S Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG, with a Congressional Gold Medal.
This revolutionary, top-secret group operated in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1964 to 1972. Its members fought deep within enemy territory to gather invaluable intelligence for the highest levels of government, including the White House. Their tasks included strategic reconnaissance, sabotage, direct-action raids, psychological operations, deception operations, and rescue missions. The group targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a crucial enemy supply line for the North Vietnamese enemy. Aerial reconnaissance was challenging, making the intelligence provided by SOG teams on the ground invaluable.
Casualty rates for SOG reconnaissance teams exceeded 100%, meaning every man was wounded at least once and approximately half were killed. Of the 1,579 Americans missing in action from the Vietnam War, 50 are from the group. At least 11 SOG teams, perhaps more, simply vanished.
The covert operations of SOG remained unacknowledged by military leadership until partial declassification began in the 1990s. Members of the unit had signed confidentiality agreements and their wartime activities remained mostly secret for decades. As SOG member John Stryker Meyer wrote in his book, Across the Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam, “If I died, no one would tell my mother the truth.”
The Congressional Gold Medal for MACV-SOG would help the American public better understand the members’ extraordinary service, sacrifices, and contributions to our nation. The men of this unit battled not only the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, but also the harsh terrain, debilitating climate, and the chaos and uncertainty of guerilla warfare. They served with valor, often in situations where survival was the only measure of success. Let’s face it: The nation can handle the truth of their service.
Some Stories that Inspire, and have 'Positive Energy'
U.S. military’s longest-serving woman 4-star general retires from Air Force
U.S. military’s longest-serving woman 4-star general retires from Air Force
U.S. military’s longest-serving woman 4-star general retires from Air Force
October 2024 by Patty Nieberg, Task & Purpose
The first woman to lead the U.S. military’s massive logistical enterprise and one of just a handful to ever reach the rank of four-star general in the U.S. military retired Friday. Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost passed command of U.S. Transportation Command to Gen. Randall Reed in a ceremony at Scott Air Force Base attended by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Promoted to General in August of 2020, Van Ovost was the senior officer in that rank among the four women four-star generals and admirals across the U.S. military.
As the head of TRANSCOM, Ovost was responsible for coordinating nearly all movement of U.S. troops, weapons and supplies around the globe. The logistics command dispatches hundreds of military and civilian-owned planes, ships, trains and trucks every day.
“Just a few days ago, we celebrated the 37th birthday of TRANSCOM — a command that was born out of necessity that was built to deploy U.S. forces. Over time, our mandate has expanded to project, maneuver and sustain the joint force at a time and place our nation’s choosing,” Van Ovost said at the change of command ceremony. “If we were a necessity, we are indispensable now.”
At the ceremony, Austin spoke of Van Ovost as a trailblazer for women in the service.
“You’ve always had a message for women in uniform. And that message is: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it,’” Austin said. ”Every time that you encountered an obstacle, you kept at it.“
CBS News reported in 2023 that only 10 women have ever reached the four-star rank across the military, including the Coast Guard. Of those, Van Ovost was the fifth woman in the Air Force to reach the rank. However, the military she retired from Friday holds far more opportunities for women than when she joined, an era when women not yet allowed to fly fighter jets, Van Ovost’s lifelong goal.
So she found a workaround.
“You wanted to fly Mach 2. But back then, women weren’t allowed to fly fighters. So once again, you made the path wider,” Austin said. “You became a test pilot. And you flew more than 30 aircraft, including F-15s and F-16s.”
Van Ovost retired with more than 4,200 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft.
100 Marines showed up for an Iwo Jima veteran’s 100th Birthday
U.S. military’s longest-serving woman 4-star general retires from Air Force
U.S. military’s longest-serving woman 4-star general retires from Air Force
October 2024 by Matt White - Task & Purpose
Eddie Vincek landed on Iwo Jima about an hour after the first wave of Marines hit the beach. A member of 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, it was his first taste of combat, he told an interviewer with his Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
“Working on a dairy farm,” he told the VFW, “I was used to seeing animal blood, but not human blood covering over the ground.”
On Sept. 29, Vincek celebrated his 100th birthday at a Ruritan Club in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he was a farmer for most of his life after leaving the Marine Corps in 1946.
For the party, 100 active-duty Marines showed up to help him celebrate. The Marines came from Training Company, Marine Corps Security Force Regiment, in Yorktown, Virginia, about an hour from Chesapeake.
The Marines stood in formation to sing Happy Birthday for “Corporal Vincek.”
On Feb. 19, 1945, Vincek was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division for the Iwo Jima landing. In fierce fighting, the 28th Regiment was the only Marine unit to reach its objective for the day at the base of Mount Suribachi.
It was also Marines from the 28th Regiment — though not Vincek’s battalion — who first planted a flag on top of the mountain (and a second one the next day), leading to the iconic photograph and design of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial.
Two men from Vincek’s 1st Battalion were awarded the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima. Of the battalion’s 22 officers, only two emerged from the battle uninjured.
“I was one of the few that walked off carrying my own gear,” Vincek told the VFW. “So many others had been killed or wounded and weren’t able to carry their own gear off the island.”
We found 4 bottles of whiskey made by airborne paratroopers
U.S. military’s longest-serving woman 4-star general retires from Air Force
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
October 2023
Whiskey has likely been around for some of your most memorable late-night shenanigans in the barracks or downtown. If there’s anything America’s airborne paratroopers know, it’s how to fight and how to drink good whiskey.
So we talked to four Airborne-qualified master distillers who took their well-researched opinions and made some of the best whiskeys out there. Although they make good whiskey, remember that you have gone too far if you find yourself in the brig. Drink responsibly.
First, a brief history of whiskey in America
In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, America was struggling to pay off its war debt (ah, the good ol’ days when America cared about keeping the nation’s debt under control). Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton proposed a tax in the late 1700s on domestic liquor as a means of paying it off — which was met with opposition from whiskey makers in Pennsylvania.
The Whiskey Rebellion that resulted was short-lived, but it was not the last time whiskey would be involved in war. The brown elixir fueled soldiers throughout the Civil War, especially the North, who were paid better and could afford it.
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant slammed Old Crow whiskey, and President Abraham Lincoln allegedly likened the General’s success on the battlefield to his liquor consumption. The New York Herald reported in a Sept. 18, 1863 edition of the newspaper that Lincoln was approached by a group calling for Grant to be removed from his position, claiming he was a drunk.
The tall hat-wearing president allegedly responded with a quirky quip, asking the group if they knew what Grant was drinking.
“If I can only find out, I will send a barrel of this wonderful whiskey to every general in the army,” Lincoln allegedly said. Historians contest the legitimacy of the quote because of the anonymous sources, but the legend lives on to this day.
Whiskey’s relationship with soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen is not a coincidence, in Derek Sisson’s opinion.
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
by Sarah Sicard, Observation Post
One of the best pieces of advice, for people in careers both in and out of service, is to learn to deal with things or take the bad in stride.
But the military, famed for its ability to turn a phrase or ruin anything with an absurd acronym, came up with its own colloquialism for making the best of any situation: “Embrace the suck.”
Though it’s impossible to trace back the phrase definitively to its first user, it became popularized in 2003 by Marines in Iraq.
Retired U.S. Army Reserve Col. Austin Bay authored a book in the mid-2000s called “Embrace the Suck,” in which he explains the meaning of the phrase.
“The Operation Iraqi Freedom phrase ‘embrace the suck’ is both an implied order and wise advice couched as a vulgar quip,” Bay wrote.
He likens the slang phrase back to legendary military strategist Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz and his views on “friction.”
“Clausewitz went to war when he was 12 years old,” Bay wrote. “Over the last few decades, critics have argued that his treatise ‘On War’ is a bit dated in terms of theory. However, everyone with military experience agrees that Clausewitz understood ‘the suck.’ He called it ‘friction.’”
For Clausewitz, it’s this “friction, or what is so termed here, which makes that which appears easy in war difficult in reality.”
Troops, in their resilience, in effect, mitigate the chasm of difference between training or planning and the often harsh realities they face on the ground. And they do it with aplomb, because they must.
Marines: 0, Samurai sword: 1
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
Air Force Veteran Finally Graduates 50 Years Later
The U.S. military may be a professional war-fighting organization, but it is also filled with people, and people can be very stupid sometimes. That’s why last week, Task & Purpose put out a call for readers to share the dumbest moments they had in uniform. We were not disappointed.
From drunken samurai sword fights to bored forklift drivers, a clear theme emerged: boredom is one step away from a chewing-out by the nearest platoon sergeant.
The best example of this is a story that one Marine veteran named Mike Betts sent us about the time he and his buddies got drunk on salty dogs (a cocktail of gin or vodka and grapefruit juice) in Vietnam. One of the Marines pulled out “a cheap samurai sword he got in Japan,” Betts recalled. Our reader then took the sword and, as one does while inebriated, “commenced my best samurai impression, slashing at anything and everything in the hooch.”
You can see where this is going: at some point during the demonstration, our brave Samurai smacked something that loosened the blade and sent it flying from the handle, striking the sword owner in the chest “and inflicting a pretty nasty wound.”
Nobody wants to have to explain that kind of trouble to someone in charge, so our reader and his fellows snuck the wounded Marine past the officer and sergeant on duty that night and “hustled him off to the hospital” before anyone could notice. Luckily, he was “stitched up and pronounced fit for duty,” Betts said.
“Needless to say, I felt terrible about hurting him,” he added.
Air Force Veteran Finally Graduates 50 Years Later
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
Air Force Veteran Finally Graduates 50 Years Later
Vietnam War kept Bob Kroener from walking across stage with USC classmates in 1971.
Having to wait an extra year to participate in his graduation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic paled in comparison to the 49 years that had already passed for Bob Kroener, 78, who finally attended his graduate-school commencement on May 17.
The now-retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and civil engineer missed his pomp and circumstance in 1971 due to his deployment during the Vietnam War. So, when he was thumbing through the University of Southern California's alumni magazine a few years ago and saw pictures of that year's graduation festivities he felt it was finally his time to walk across the stage.
"I was sitting there looking at it and I thought, You know, I never got to go through graduation,” he said. “So I picked up the phone, and I called over to the Marshall School of Business."
During the call, USC officials inquired if he had received his diploma and whether he had other information that would help them locate his decades-old records. The school also asked for his student ID number, to which he replied, “I'm too old for that, we only had a Social Security number."
Back to school
The road to Southern California started north of the border. Then a captain in the Air Force after receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit, Kroener was stationed at a military base in Canada when he learned that he secured one of 26 government-funded spots offered to Air Force officers for graduate school. From a snow-covered mountaintop in Newfoundland he was informed of the schools he could apply to.
"I heard the University of Southern California and I said, ‘I'll take it. I'm going back to sit on the beach after being in 110 inches of snow for a year.’ It wasn't too hard of a decision to make,” said Kroener.
However, it wasn't just the weather that Kroener appreciated about going to school in Los Angeles. He was able to take advantage of the wide variety of corporations that would open doors to students like himself.
"I went to [oil company] Atlantic Richfield to do a paper, I went to Mattel toy company to do a paper, I went to Continental Airlines to basically write a master's thesis, myself and another captain,” he said. “All you had to do was say you're a student doing graduate work at USC. And I mean, they just opened the doors."
Kroener earned his MBA in 1971, but before the graduation ceremony took place he was deployed to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. As part of his duties, he managed combat engineering teams by setting up their directives and getting them all the equipment needed to prepare for combat in Vietnam. He eventually retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1993.
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THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR WEBPAGE!
We thank all the Supporters, Businesses and Friends for giving their time and resources in helping and caring for our Veterans, Military and First Responders and their Families.
We really appreciate your interest too, in 'Who we are and What we do'. If you have any questions or suggestions or would like to 'volunteer' or 'donate', well please contact us with an email or a phone call. Our hours are 9am to 4pm, M/F, so come on in enjoy the conversations and coffee and browse our Museum.
We are a "No Dues' nonprofit organization with the coffee pot always on and lots of conversation always available. Bring your questions regarding any veteran services you are concerned about, and we will do our best to steer you in the right direction.
Our phone is 541-889-1978, and we are located in Ontario, Oregon at 180 W. Idaho Ave.