Nebraska American Legion

May 14, 2012
Legion Commends House Defense of DoD Budget
Bill's passage shows Congress is listening to Legion's national security concerns
WASHINGTON (May 11, 2012) – The leader of the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization expressed gratitude today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that seeks to protect the Department of Defense from massive budget cuts as Washington struggles to find answers to the federal deficit crisis.
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April 27, 2012
American Legion Applauds Board's Recommendation
Job Certification processes for Military Veterans Need Simplifications
INDIANAPOLIS (May 1, 2012) – With the unemployment rate among post 9/11 veterans exceeding 12 percent, the head of the nation’s largest veterans organization welcomed a recommendation from an influential board that the Department of Defense make it easier to certify troops for civilian careers based on their military skills and training.
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April 27, 2012
Legion Supports End to Student-Veteran Victimization
Executive order to protect veterans from exploitation by for-profit schools "an important victory," says national commander
WASHINGTON (April 27, 2012) -- A longstanding campaign by The American Legion to end the victimization of military veterans and families by some for-profit schools has culminated in an order by President Obama to halt the questionable practices.
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April 25, 2012
Mojave Cross Settlement Lauded by Legion
INDIANAPOLIS (April 25, 2012) – A federal district court decision that ended a decade of legal battles over a cross that served as a World War I veterans’ memorial in the Mojave Desert was praised today by the leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization.
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April 24, 2012
VA Adding Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors to workforce
WASHINGTON— The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its mental health services to include professionals from two additional health care fields: marriage and family therapists (MFT) and licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHC).
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April 10, 2012
American Legion Extension Institue Now Available Online
The American Legion’s official training program for officers, members, Legion College applicants and those who simply want to expand their knowledge of the nation’s largest veterans service organization is now available online. The American Legion Extension Institute has been rewritten, updated, streamlined and enhanced with videos, digital photos, clickable links, a historical timeline and additional features. To register and take the course, visit www.legion.org/alei. The program is designed to take less than two hours to complete. It is divided into six sections, with a quiz at the end of each, followed by a final exam.
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March 30, 2012
American Legion to Congress: Reject TRICARE increases
WASHINGTON, March 28 – The leader of the nation’s largest veterans service organization, The American Legion, has expressed strong opposition to proposed hikes in premiums being paid by enrollees in TRICARE, the military’s health insurance program. The recently released Fiscal Year 2013 federal budget plan calls for dramatically increased TRICARE enrollment fees and pharmacy co-pays.
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March29, 2012
Homeowners For The Homeless Veterans Program
Our Mission: Preventing Veterans and their Families from becoming Homeless!
The mission of Homeowners for the Homeless is to augment the programs established by National Veterans Service organizations. The emphasis being to provide additional funds that support: emergency financial assistance, education scholarships, medical and temporary housing for those seeking treatment for PTSD and TBI. Each of the designated benefactor organizations will receive proportional funding from our membership fee to supplement their existing programs. our goal in establishing this mission is to provide additional financial resources and direct those funds to specific veteran needs. Download the sign up form HERE.
NEBRASKA VETERANS: Join today at www.H4HV.org

March 4, 2012
Past National Commander Galbraith Passes Away
American Legion Past National Commander William E. Galbraith passed away March 4 in Chandler, Ariz. He was 86 years old. Galbraith, a native of Beemer, Neb., was an active member of American Legion Post 159 in Beemer where he served as state commander from 1963-1964 and national vice commander from 1965-1966. He was then elected during the closing session of the 49th annual national convention in Boston as the Legion’s national commander for the 1967-1968 year. To date, Galbraith is the only national commander to hail from Nebraska.
Link to Legion.org story

March 3, 2012
Lutheran Families Services launches At Ease Program
March 15, 2012 (Omaha, NE) – Lutheran Families Services At Ease® - Grand Island program now offers two peer support groups for all military veterans and their families. These groups are free and confidential. No registration or documentation is required. Support Group Information
Read Press Release

March 1, 2012
New Teacher of the Year application posted
The 2012 Teacher of the Year application has been posted on the Teacher of the Year page under Programs. It is a fillable PDF file that can be filled out online and printed or emailed.

February 15, 2012
LIT Introduces "LegionCare" - New Accidental Death Benefit
The Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) is excited to announce LegionCare; the newly enhanced Accidental Death benefit available at No-Cost to all Legion Members. LegionCare is a one-of-a-kind benefit offered exclusively to Legion Members.

LegionCare provides all Legion Members with:

· $5,000 in Accidental Death Coverage for covered accidents that occur if you are traveling on official Legion business.

· $1,000 for all other covered accidents.

· 24/7 protection that covers Legionnaires at home, at work and while they are travelling away from home available for all Legion Members in your Department.

February 15, 2012
VA Introduces Text Messaging in To Expand Efforts To Prevent Suicide
WASHINGTON (Feb. 15, 2012) – The Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its efforts to prevent suicide through several new initiatives that increase the availability of services for Veterans, Service members and their families. The new initiatives include a new, free, confidential text-messaging service in the existing Veterans Crisis Line, introduction of toll-free access from Europe, and collaboration with Vets Prevail and Vets4Warriors, two groups providing crisis help to Veterans, Service members and their families.
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February 13, 2012
American Legion to DoD: Budget Breaks Promise
INDIANAPOLIS (February 13, 2012) – Pointing out that President Obama just pledged a month ago to “keep our Armed Forces the best-trained, best led, best-equipped fighting force in history,” the top leader of The American Legion warned that if the administration’s 2013 defense budget is enacted, America will once again return to a hollow force.
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February 13, 2012
New Scholarship Offered
The scholarship is in the name of Colonel Barney Oldfield for $2000. It is for a junior in high school. The student must write a paper on a veteran explaining why that veteran should be honored in a 1000 words or less. This scholarship is for any college in the State of Nebraska. They want to announce the winner on Veterans Day and in the county they live in. This scholarship is going to be available indefinitely. Deadline for this scholarship is October 1, 2012. Send scholarship papers to Knman-Oldfield, PO Box 52, Hastings, NE 68901. For more information, contact Ardyce Bohlke, 402-462-9259.

February 8, 2012
Post 331 to host Military Appreciation Dinner
Post 331 - Omaha - will host a Military Appreciation Dinner for our American Legion Family members and those in your family that are not members. We are also asking out military whether they are veterans, National Guard, Reserve or on Active Duty. If you know of anyone...family, friends and neighbors who qualify to belong to The American Legion Family, please make a phone call or knock on a door, etc., to bring all eligible persons to this event.
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January 28, 2012
Home Depot In Partnership With Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides emergency financial assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Through a generous contribution from Home Depot, Operation Homefront is now able to offer significantly more assistance to Wounded Warriors in need of home repairs, modifications, or appliances.
Read Qualification Criteria and Application Instructions

January 27, 2012
Smith Urges VA To Delay Decision on Hot Springs Service Reductions
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), Co-Chair of the Rural Veterans Caucus, has sent a second letter to the Director of the VA Black Hills Health Care System, Stephen DiStasio, calling for the VA to allow more time to review a proposed reduction in services at their Hot Springs, SD facility. Click here to view full letter.
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January 26, 2012
VA Launches Acquisition Internship For Returning Veterans
"Warriors to Workforce" Offered by VA Academy
WASHINGTON (Jan. 25, 2012) – A special internship to prepare newly-returned Veterans to become federal contracting specialists was launched recently at the Acquisitions Academy of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Frederick, Md.
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January 24, 2012
Junior Law Cadet Application and Brochure Available
The 2012 Junior Law Cadet sessions will be held June 11-15 (Girls) and June 18-22 (Boys). The Junior Law Cadet information brochure and application can be downloaded and printed for Legion Posts and Schools. NOTE: The Junior Law Cadet Application form is a FILLABLE PDF form and should be completed on your computer. HAND WRITTEN APPLICATIONS WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED. If you have any questions regarding this program, contact John Thompson at email comdirlegion@windstream.net or call 402-464-6338.

December 30, 2011
Rules Liberalized for Veterans with Undiagnosed Illness
Application Window Extended for FIVE YEARS
WASHINGTON – Veterans of the Persian Gulf War with undiagnosed illnesses have an additional five years to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Not all the wounds of war are fully understood,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “When there is uncertainty about the connection between a medical problem and military service, Veterans are entitled to the benefit of the doubt.”
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November 3, 2011
Instructions on ordering your (or a family member's) DD-214
TDistrict, Area and State Oratorical Contest dates, times and locations have been posted on the Oratorcal Programs page. Click HERE to view.

Nebraska Army National Guard Military Honors Team
The Nebraska Army National Guard’s award-winning Military Honor Guard Team is available to provide military funeral honors for any eligible Army or Army Air Corps veteran’s funeral service across the state of Nebraska. Military funeral honors recognize veterans’ faithful and honorable service to their nation in times of peace and war. For more information click here Funeral Honors

Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT)
The Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) was formed in 1966, with two primary goals: to provide Legion families with low cost insurance protection and to provide a source of revenue to participating Departments. For every policy you purchase, a portion of your premium is allocated to The American Legion, Department of Nebraska!
The Trust has been so successful in its more than 40 years that today some 2 million Legionnaires in 48 participating Departments are enrolled in this unique program. Also, during this time, over $400 million in claims benefits have been paid to Legionnaires and their families and over $40 million in allocations have been paid to participating Legion Departments.
Since its creation, AGIA has developed each of the insurance programs by working closely with the Trust to negotiate the most comprehensive coverage at the lowest possible cost, to assist in presenting the programs for Trust approval; to work with the insurance companies to develop the best quality enrollment materials; and to ensure access to superior customer service. AGIA is proud to serve over 2 million Legion families from coast to coast.
The first Trust insurance plan to be offered was the Hospital Income Protection Plan, a program designed to pay fixed dollar amounts for periods of hospital confinement. Over the years, other insurance coverage offered has included Disability Income, Cancer Care Expense, Travel Accident, Long Term Care, Medicare Supplement, Surgical Benefits, Medical, Dental, Accidental Death, Auto and Homeowners Insurance. Click here to visit TheLIT.com