Meaning of the Flag Draped Coffin

 

just click on the link below to see Meaning of the Flag Draped Coffin

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B11axbziSq-EclluT0lROHI1TWM/edit?usp=sharing

FW: FYI - USMC 238 Birthday Celebration

Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 13:43:58 -0800

From: commobunker388@charter.net
To:
Subject: FYI - USMC 238 Birthday Celebration

FW: Military Report: Veterans Day Discounts, 2014 Retiree COLA Set and More

Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 19:54:43 +0000

From: newsltr@miltnews.com
To: rserge@live.com
Subject: Military Report: Veterans Day Discounts, 2014 Retiree COLA Set and More

Veterans Day is Nov 11th, Get Your Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies Can't see this email? Click Here.

04 NOVEMBER 2013 Budget Uncertainty Plagues DoD Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies Deal of the Week: Special Holiday Rates at IHG Army Hotels Tuition Assistance Denied Due to Timing $1 Million Coverage as low as $41 a Month Retiree COLA Set for 2014 Veterans Day 2013 Chevron is Committed to Hiring Veterans Veterans Virtual Career Fair AF Makes 'God Clause' Optional Transitioning? Create Your Plan Military Homeownership Explained Free White Tail Magazine Subscription IAVA National Veterans Day Events Senate Bill Would Expand VA Eligibility Stamps to Honor Medal of Honor Recipients USNI Book Looks at Anti-Access Warfare AF Bands, Thunderbirds Resume Ops AF Changes Records Appeal Process Airmen Can Get Locked Out of AF Network AF 2014 Selection Board Schedule AF Releases F-16 Accident Report New Navy Social Media Websites Deployment Tips: Children AF Officers Selected for Squadron Command DoD Directs New Cyber Protections AAFES to Open Doors Early for Thanksgiving AAFES Homeward Bound Contest Exchanges Baby Photo Contest Navy Holiday Stress Campaign Navy Begins CFC Campaign Navy Dealing with Network Outages Navy Aligns PASS Pay and Personnel Print and Post This Week's Military Report Headline Military News Budget Uncertainty Plagues DoD In the aftermath of the government shutdown, senior Pentagon leadership expressed frustration over growing budget uncertainty. Read More Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies Celebrate Veterans this Veterans day with lots of discounts and free offers. Read More Deal of the Week: Special Holiday Rates at IHG Army Hotels This holiday season, IHG Army Hotels wants to thank servicemembers and family members for your sacrifices. Read More Tuition Assistance Denied Due to Timing The recent shutdown of the U.S. government has led to disapproval of some Sailors' requests for Tuition Assistance (TA). Read More $1 Million Coverage as low as $41 a Month Your family's future is important. Could your family survive financially if the unthinkable happened? Read More Retiree COLA Set for 2014 Based on the 2013 Consumer Price Index, military retirees and annuitants will get a 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment in their January 2014 retiree checks. Read More Veterans Day 2013 Veterans Day is Nov. 11, and across the country VA and Veterans organizations will hold events. Read More Chevron is Committed to Hiring Veterans Start your civilian career with a company that can provide endless opportunity. Read More Veterans Virtual Career Fair Help move your career to the next level and find your next job at this virtual event. Read More AF Makes 'God Clause' Optional After reviewing the cadet Honor Oath, the Air Force's Academy has decided to make the final clause optional. The last clause reads "so help me God." Read More Transitioning? Create Your Plan The Transition Center now features a personalized Transition Action Plan for those leaving the military. Read More Military Homeownership Explained Learn about the different benefits from renting to owning your own home and how a VA loan can impact you. Read More Free White Tail Magazine Subscription Western Whitetail Magazine is proud to offer all military members (past and present) a free subscription to their digital magazine. Read More IAVA National Veterans Day Events The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America invites all Post-9/11 vets to march in one of several Veterans Day parades throughout the country. Read More Senate Bill Would Expand VA Eligibility The American Legion expressed support for draft legislation that would "expand and enhance eligibility for health care and services through the Department of Veterans Affairs." Read More Stamps to Honor Medal of Honor Recipients The U.S. Postal Service will issue special Medal of Honor stamps on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Read More USNI Book Looks at Anti-Access Warfare The new book, Anti-Access Warfare: Countering A2/AD Strategies, by Sam Tangredi, is the first book to examine the concept of anti-access and area denial warfare. Read More AF Bands, Thunderbirds Resume Ops The Air Force is implementing a coordinated plan to resume public outreach and community engagements at a reduced capacity. Read More AF Changes Records Appeal Process Airmen who fail their fitness assessment now may appeal to their wing commanders rather than submit an appeal to the Air Force Board for Corrections of Military Records. Read More Airmen Can Get Locked Out of AF Network Individuals who inappropriately store and transmit Personally Identifiable Information (PII) over the Air Force Network will now have their accounts locked in response to the violation. Read More AF 2014 Selection Board Schedule The Air Force Selection Board Secretariat has released the calendar year 2014 selection board schedule. Read More AF Releases F-16 Accident Report U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa officials released the results of their investigation into the Jan. 28 crash of an F-16 Fighting Falcon over the Adriatic Sea. Read More New Navy Social Media Websites The U.S. Navy's All Hands Magazine officially launched its Facebook and Twitter pages Nov. 1. Read More Deployment Tips: Children For some tips on what you can do to have special times with your children before you leave on deployment, see this article. Read More AF Officers Selected for Squadron Command More than 80 Air Force officers from five medical career fields have been selected for squadron command. Read More DoD Directs New Cyber Protections The Secretary of Defense recently directed that DOD organizations take additional steps to protect unclassified controlled technical information from cyber intrusions. Read More AAFES to Open Doors Early for Thanksgiving Army and Air Force Exchange doors will open at 4 a.m. in the United States the day after Thanksgiving. Read More AAFES Homeward Bound Contest In the Army & Air Force Exchange Service's latest contest, a picture and 50 words could be worth $10,000. Read More Exchanges Baby Photo Contest Military moms will definitely want to enter the Army & Air Force Exchange Service's "Mom and Baby Photo" sweepstakes. Read More Navy Holiday Stress Campaign With the holiday season approaching, Navy officials announced the launch of its annual holiday stress navigation campaign Nov. 1. Read More Navy Begins CFC Campaign The U.S. Navy Center for Service Support (CSS) announced today that it will officially begin its Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) donation season Nov. 6. Read More Navy Dealing with Network Outages Many Internet-based applications associated with Navy Personnel Command (NPC) continue to experience downtime. Read More Navy Aligns PASS Pay and Personnel The Navy Pay and Personnel Administrative Support System (PASS) Program and Navy Pay and Personnel Services are now under the umbrella of Navy Personnel Command (NPC). Read More

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FW: VFW Washington Weekly, November 1, 2013

Subject: VFW Washington Weekly, November 1, 2013

To: rserge@live.com
From: tmorris@vfw.org
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2013 16:01:50 -0400

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY November 1, 2013 In This Issue: 1. VFW Promotes Advance Appropriations 2. Senate VA Committee Discusses Extensive List of Bills 3. VFW Testifies on National Cemetery Initiatives 4. House Clears Vet Bills 5. VFW Supports Working Wounded Games 6. Tour the Korean War Memorial Online 7. Overseas Holiday Mail 8. Thank You to Our Advocates 1. VFW Promotes Advance Appropriations: VA healthcare was unaffected by the recent government shutdown because the VFW was able to get advance appropriations for the Veterans Health Administration signed into law in 2009, but the shutdown exposed a serious flaw in the VA's ability to properly care for those who depend on the programs and services provided by the Veterans Benefits Administration. That's why the VFW strongly supports the "Putting Veterans Funding First Act" to provide advance appropriations for all VA accounts, which would protect VA and all its beneficiaries from future government shutdowns. The 16-day shutdown temporarily closed 56 VA Regional Offices, preventing veterans and survivors from contacting the VA about new or existing claims. It caused the furlough of more than 7,000 VA employees who had been working hard to reduce the claims backlog, and the shutdown threatened the November payment of benefits to more than 5 million disabled veterans, widows and student-veterans, among other impacts. Those VBA programs, services and operations make up only 14 percent of VA's total budget, but the impact of not having that funding---or not knowing when it will be received---had a potential life-altering impact on those veterans and dependents who rely on those services. To contact your legislators about advance appropriations, click here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/issues/alert/?alertid=62970431 2. Senate VA Committee Discusses Extensive List of Bills: This week, VFW provided testimony to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on an array of bills that will improve services and fill existing gaps in the care and benefits for veterans. Out of more than 30 bills discussed, VFW strongly supports the following and encourages the committee to take quick action before the congressional session concludes. * S. 1216, Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2013, will modify VA's on-the-job training (OJT) program in a manner that will encourage more companies to participate by lowering the out-of-pocket cost to the employer during the training program. * The SCRA Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2013 will offer much-needed expansion and enforcement mechanisms within SCRA to include an additional year of protection so transitioning service members can organize their affairs and provides increased protections against being denied credit because of their military service. * Draft legislation that will allow VA to provide a replacement automobile under the auto grant program. It also increases the maximum amount for certain severely disabled veterans from $18,900 to $30,000. * Draft legislation which would expand eligibility for reimbursement for emergency medical treatment and remove the 24-month requirement for recently discharged veterans who are awaiting appointment at VA facilities. For more on the bills, our testimony and the hearing, visit the Senate VA website here: http://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings.cfm?action=release.display&release_id=6f38092b-084e-4d1a-86ee-95193accf57d 3. VFW Testifies on National Cemetery Initiatives: On Wednesday, VFW testified before the House VA Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs on pending initiatives within the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). NCA currently manages 131 national cemeteries in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. VFW testified that NCA must be flexible enough in their policies to recognize locations where under current policy, no new national cemetery will be developed, but factors like geographic barriers or states that have invested in state cemeteries must be considered. We also commented on the confusion in VA's current marker or medallion benefit, and applauded the changes in leadership at Arlington National Cemetery who have made vast improvements in their overall operations. Extensive work has been done to ensure each plot is marked correctly and all burial information has been moved from the old three-by-five cards to a computer database. To learn more about the hearing and to view an archived webcast, click here: http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2013/11/watch-vfw-testifies-before-house-on.html 4. House Clears Vet Bills: Earlier this week, the House cleared four veterans' bills. They included the following: * H.R. 2189 which would establish a commission or task force charged with examining the root causes of the VA disability claims backlog and providing solutions for ending it by 2015. * H.R. 2481, the Veterans Economic Opportunity Act of 2013 would establish an Economic Opportunity Administration within VA, enabling the department to better focus on veterans as they transition to civilian life. * H.R. 1405 requiring VA to include an appeals form along with any benefits-denial notification, institute key reforms to VA's fiduciary program and provide honorary veteran's status to members of the National Guard and Reserves. * H.R. 2011 extends through 2015 the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education and requires it to include a veteran's representative of the Post-9/11 operations. 5. VFW Supports Working Wounded Games: Dozens of wounded warriors will once again converge on CrossFit Rubicon in Vienna, Va., this Saturday for the second annual Working Wounded Games. Hosted in conjunction with CrossFit Walter Reed and volunteers from other DC metro area CrossFit affiliates, the Working Wounded Games brings together veterans with combat-related disabilities and other adaptive athletes to compete in an open-style competition to benefit adaptive exercise programs through the Crossroads Adaptive Athletic Alliance. The VFW is proud to once again serve as a sponsor for the event, which kicks off Saturday at 8 a.m. The event is open to the public and donations are appreciated. To learn more, click here: http://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/Articles/2013-Articles/VFW-TO-SUPPORT-THIS-WEEKEND%E2%80%99S-WORKING-WOUNDED-GAMES/ 6. Tour the Korean War Memorial Online: Korean War veterans and families can now take a virtual tour of their national memorial from their home computers, as well as other mobile devices. Also included on the 60th Anniversary site is a Korean War Wiki-type encyclopedia, oral histories and other resource material. Visit http://www.koreanwar60.com/kwm/. 7. Overseas Holiday Mail: The Military Postal Service Agency has announced that packages being sent to service members overseas should be mailed by Nov. 12 for delivery by the holidays. Some express mail services could deliver before Christmas if sent by Dec. 17. Read more at: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/deadlines-set-for-mailing-packages-overseas-1.249175?=&utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email 8. Thank You to Our Advocates: During the shutdown, VFW mobilized thousands of advocates to call on national leaders to reopen the government before millions of veterans lost their benefits on Nov. 1. On behalf of the VFW Washington Office, THANK YOU for making your voices heard and for advocating for your fellow veterans. The VFW is only as strong as our advocates, and we sent a loud and clear message to Washington last month. During the shutdown, you may have noticed that we rarely posted to the blog. Instead, our work was heavily featured on www.vfw.org given the gravity of the situation. The blog returned to normal business this week. To learn more, click here: http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2013/11/were-back-vfw-blog-returns-after.html Congratulations to the following Departments who have signed up over 100 new advocates in October to join our team: Arizona, Florida, California, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. Many others are not far behind so keep up the good work! As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories, either fill out our online form by clicking here, http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org To sign up new veterans' advocates to receive the Washington Weekly every Friday, click here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup.htm

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FW: A Day to Remember and Pay Tribute

Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 11:00:59 -0500

From: friendsoffreedom@vfw.org
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: A Day to Remember and Pay Tribute

Visit the VFW's NEW Veterans Day Page Today! Dear Robert, There's no better time to show your pride in our nation's veterans than November 11, 2013—Veterans Day. The VFW has created a webpage with simple and meaningful ways you, along with your friends and family, can honor our heroes. You'll find resources to help you share the meaning of Veterans Day, November 11, 2013, and discover ways to observe this patriotic day with respect and reverence through: tips for commemorating Veterans Day. patriotic activities and crafts for kids. Veterans Day history and facts. And please remember we are always grateful for your support of our programs that help America's veterans receive justice. If you can make a contribution to help us protect our nation's heroes this Veterans Day, it will be very much appreciated. Thank you for all you do for the men and women who protect this great country of ours. Find a Post | Contribute | About Us | Contact Us Unsubscribe | Tell A Friend © 2001 - 2013. All rights reserved. Veterans of Foreign Wars | 406 West 34th Street | Kansas City, MO 64111 Having difficulty seeing the images in this message? View it online.

FW: VFW Washington Weekly, October 25, 2013

Subject: VFW Washington Weekly, October 25, 2013

To: rserge1@outlook.com
From: tmorris@vfw.org
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 14:32:02 -0400

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY October 25, 2013 In This Issue: 1. VFW Pushes Congress to Pass Budget 2. VA Publishes Education Complaint System Notice 3. VFW to Testify on National Cemeteries 4. VA to Pilot Dental Insurance Program 5. World War II MIA Identified 1. VFW Pushes Congress to Pass Budget: After the recent government shutdown, your VFW is working to ensure veterans' benefits won't be on the chopping block again in January. Last week VFW issued an Action Alert, calling on Congress to pass a budget, end sequestration and pass full VA advance appropriations by the next budget deadline on Jan. 15. Write to your legislators today and tell them to protect our veterans by clicking here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/issues/alert/?alertid=62970431 2. VA Publishes Education Complaint System Notice: Last year your VFW worked diligently to improve consumer resources for college-bound veterans, ensuring veterans can be financially and academically prepared to go to college, but can also take action if they feel they are victims of fraud, waste or abuse. One of these critical resources was the establishment of a formal, centralized complaint system for student veterans. This week, VA published its complaint system in the federal register for public comment, moving it one step closer to implementation. All comments on the complaint system must be received no later than Nov. 25, 2013. To read the federal register entry and learn how to submit comments, click here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-10-25/html/2013-25141.htm 3. VFW to Testify on National Cemeteries: Next week your VFW is scheduled to testify before the House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley plans to discuss VA's eligibility criteria for authorizing headstones and veteran medallions; VA's decision-making processes on determining who can be interred or honored in national cemeteries; options for burial in areas remote from existing national cemeteries; and the state of various cemeteries with regard to upkeep and potential improvements. The public hearing commences at 10 a.m. Eastern in room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. For details, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/%E2%80%9Cfocused-issues-on-dignified-burials-a-national-cemetery-update. To stream live on Wednesday, Oct. 30, click here: http://mfile.akamai.com/65792/live/reflector:40347.asx?bkup=40369&prop=n 4. VA to Pilot Dental Insurance Program: A new VA program will soon allow all enrolled veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries to purchase private dental insurance at a reduced cost. Created by the Caregivers and Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, this three year pilot program known as the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) will offer a wide array of affordable plans to veterans and eligible dependents through Delta Dental and MetLife. Monthly premiums will range from $8.65 to $52.90, depending on level of coverage selected. Participation in this program is entirely optional and dental service connection is not required. Enrollment begins on Nov. 15, 2013, with coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014. For more information, visit: http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vadip/ 5. World War II MIA Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Office announced the identification of remains belonging to Army Technician Fifth Grade Oneal Rush, 24, of Galivants Ferry, S.C. He will be buried Oct. 26, in his hometown. In August 1944,  Rush, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers soldier, and six other service members were aboard an C-47A Skytrain aircraft that departed from Shingbwiyang, Burma to Myitkyina, Burma, on an air supply mission. Rush and the six service members were reported missing in action when the airplane failed to reached its destination. Congratulations to the following Departments who signed up more than 100 new advocates to join our team in the last 30 days: Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, Washington, Illinois, New York, Virginia, and Arizona. Many others are not far behind, so keep up the good work! As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories, either fill out our online form by clicking here, http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org. To sign up new veterans' advocates to receive the Washington Weekly every Friday, click here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup.htm  If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here.

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FW: VFW Legislative Alert: SHutdown Over - Budget Deal Needed NOw!

Subject: VFW Legislative Alert: SHutdown Over - Budget Deal Needed NOw!

VFW Legislative Alert: Shutdown Over – Budget Deal Needed Now! Take Action! Background: After 16 days of political wrangling and partisan politics, Congress ended the government shutdown but still has not produced a responsible budget or put an end to sequestration. A short term package that only funds the government through December 15 brings little assurance to America's veterans, service members and their families that another shutdown won't just happen again in a few months. The VFW believes that Congress must pass a realistic budget, stop the irresponsible policy of sequestration, and pass legislation to ensure that this never happens again. VFW is urging all of its members and advocates to contact their legislators and demand action by passing responsible budgets for Department of Defense and VA, to include advance appropriations legislation that will fund all VA accounts one year ahead to ensure that our veterans, survivors and their families are protected in the event of any future potential budget crisis. Action Needed: Email your legislators today and tell them an uncertain budget impacts veterans and survivors; hurts troops and their families; and puts our national security at risk. Remind Congress that they are responsible for passing a budget and putting an end to sequestration. Tell them to do the job they were elected to do and end this dangerous deal for our military, veterans and their families.

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