Update on the Washington Times’ poorly written piece
We talked yesterday about the piece in the Washington Times written by Jacqueline Klimas, in regards to how younger veterans are avoiding the traditional VSOs for younger, hipper versions. Our buddy, Mothax at The Burn Pit noticed a few funny things about some of the people that Ms. Klimas interviewed.
Like I said yesterday, Kate Hoit and I have been pals since we met at the Milblog Conference a few years back. Before that, she wrote at VoteVets, then she worked with the VA’s New Media directorate or whatever, she went over there with the crowd from VoteVets who followed Tammy Duckworth, including many of our traditional enemies, Brandon Friedman, Dicksmith, et al. Now she works for “Got Your 6” – everyone knows what I think of “Got Your Six”.
Also there was Lieutenant Commander Sean Foertsch, a Navy Reservist, quoted in the article who recently decided not to renew his membership in the American Legion. He doesn’t mention it, nor does Ms. Klimas, but the good Lieutenant Commander also works for the VA.
Now, why would the VA employees be mad at the Legion and the VFW? Well, mainly because the VSOs had a hand in getting former VA Secretary Shinseki fired for being an incompetent boob, because being a member of their club is more important than taking care of vets – something that the Shinseki VA couldn’t do properly – even though the Obama Administration threw sacks of cash at them, the VA pissed it all away on silly videos and parties while the sick and injured piled up outside their doors (figuratively speaking). The Shinseki VA was more about taking care of VA employees than taking care of veterans.
So, yeah, the VA is still working to screw vets by confounding the discussion over VSOs with their bullshit blather. I’m really disappointed with the Washington Times and I think it’s off my rotation for the time being. I’m sure Reverend Moon will survive without me, though.
But, I do know how those VA employees turn on their former friends to protect Shinseki from criticism. Buy me a beer sometime and I’ll tell you about it. But you should read The Burn Pit post, first.
Category: Veterans in the news, Veterans' Affairs Department
Tangent time…
Judging from the most recent employee survey results at the VA, a large number believe their supervisors give promotions and raises based on things other than merit. That a large percentage of them feal that senior leadership is a mess. A whole lot of negatives, the only real positives were where the questions related to the importance of their jobs.
I have always felt that by and large most of the actual “grunts” at the VA get it, and want to do a good job, but the senior leadership as pointed out by the VSO’s are more interested in accumulating their bonus checks and political paybacks. The fact that so many people who were involved with Vote Vets and all followed one another over to the VA speaks volumes to the fact that nepotism is a live and well within the VA. So yup, big tangent but I can clearly see where some senior leadership would be pissed off that their feet are being held to the fire.
It only takes one person in a strategic position to completely fuck up the organization.
Wow, denial is strong in this one. Just admit you’re out of touch, just like the shitty institutions that you’re trying to defend.
I said it on Facebook to some of my former troops and I’ll say it to you.
If you don’t like it, join the organization and start trying to change it. It won’t be easy, it will take time. But it can be done.
If you were in the military, then you have some leadership training. If you were an NCO, SNCO or Officer in the military, than you should have in-depth leadership training. So start leading. Baby step in some changes.
Offer to build and administrate a facebook page for your local post. Do the same thing on twitter. Organize a 5K. Do something besides piss and moan that you don’t feel accepted.
Leadership is getting people to do what they wouldn’t otherwise do. The only way that these older vets are going to begin to embrace social media, run fitness events or whatever else younger vets are wanting, is if younger vets join those organizations and initiate the change.
This article and the comments from the previous post didn’t turn me off on joining the VFW or AL; it inspired me to join.
You want change? Then get off your ass and make it happen.
Yeah, sure. Vets don’t need the VSO’s because the VA is doing such a spectacular job of taking care of vets. That probably also explains why there are so many law firms advertising that they will get vets’ the benefits they have earned but been denied by the VA.
Uh-huh. (Yes, that is sarcasm. Yes, so was the preceding paragraph.)
Is it raining?
Ok. I love having the VSO’S represent us Vets. The unfortunate thing is, if the VA did it’s job supporting veterans, there would not be a need for them.
I think the point is being missed entirely here. The bigger issue here is that younger veterans are not joining VSOs at the same rate as others have in the past. It’s not to say that these organizations don’t do great things, but it would appear that, as a whole, they are having trouble with relating to younger veterans.
DrKnow hits the nail on the head. Young vets have trouble believing they are “veterans”. Veterans were their dad’s, grandfathers, etc. Everyone knows we weren’t to welcome to join the VFW and the Legion, but AMVETS opened to us immediately. The problem is we were young, trying to find jobs and careers, raising children, and all the other things young people have to do to become successful old guys. We go through this same argument at every MOPH meeting about how only about 6 to 8 of us show up for meetings and most of us are Vietnam Vets. Well, the WWII and Korea guys are in their late 80’s and early 90’s and don’t get around very well or are dead. Then someone says, “We have so many young Marines here that joined, we need to get them involved.” I say….just see my above why they won’t, and they are off to different bases also. In my chapter I have belonged the longest yet really couldn’t make meetings until after I retired, just like all the guys at the meetings now. Once you young guys get retired you’ll gravitate toward attending but until then, JOIN! Membership is how the VSO’s and all the other stuff the Organizations do to help vets.
Actually, that’s not entirely true. Or, it is, but in a different way.
In 1972 the NYT did the EXACT SAME PIECE about the VFW and TAL. That the Vietnam generation was not joining organizations like the WWI and WWII generation did. I’m trying to find it now, I had it at one point but misplaced it.
Anyway, the overall point is accurate that the percents of OI/EF are way lower than the other ways. Absolute fact. But it was that case in each of the previous actions as well. Part of it seems to be that the younger vets are struggling to get jobs, start families, do the things that 20,30 and younger 40 somethings do. It’s only later that they have the time, the financial wherewithal etc to do more.
So yes, TAL is not relating to younger vets as well as we should. As an employee, I can specifically state we are looking into how to do just that. But these VSO’s are bottom up, not top down. so whatever genius panacea we come up with still won’t work until adopted by the actual posts. There is always that lag.
Hope I haven’t sounded contrarian here, because again, your main point is right, but historically it has been that way since WWII.
Excellent points! I think this is what should be focused on. While these VSOs may have a few lean years ahead of them, and I hope they weather them well, I think, as the OIF/OEF vets reach retirement ages, we will see their membership rates raise in these VSO organizations. Right now, many of them just don’t have the time or ability to put a lot of effort into “extracurricular” activities, I know I keep my time pretty busy with my kids and their stuff.
“The Shinseki VA was more about taking care of VA employees than taking care of veterans.”
And still is. Just ask their General and Regional Counsels why they are running certain VA facilities.
Word.
“He said military personnel have largely been spared from the budget cuts”
Yeah, that’s why I’m sitting home on terminal leave with a retirement date a few months short of my 22 year mark. Because I would choose to get out just shy of that mark and give up the extra retirement pay for the rest of my life. Yeah, Budget Cuts had NOTHING to do with me getting RIF’d
I am a 22 year old veteran and I joined the VFW with 2 months of getting back because the Veteran community around me looked at me and said “You going to the VA? Your going to need an Army like us”
That’s funny. I belong to my local VFW, joined within a month of getting back home. That’s basically the same line I was using with the people in my unit. The younger troops, around your age, all but blew me off………..Then they started their claims…..I know of a few who joined just to get the help with the claims they were filing.
Although I am loathe to say this and possibly discourage any membership, both TAL and VFW will represent you in claims whether you are a member or not. I did appellate claims at the national VA, and we didn’t even have access to the membership database, so I never knew if the person I was representing was a member or not.
So even if you don’t want to join, but need help, always email us (jonn or me) and I will find you a Service Officer.
As for the VA, the quality of service is highly regional. They were absolutely the pits in Alaska when I retired out of Ft Rich but here in Missouri I have nothing but praise for them.
They are still encumbered by a byzantine bureaucracy but the VA employees I have encountered here couldn’t be more professional and supportive. Several surgeries later through the VA and almost being done with my degree using the Post 9/11 GI Bill has made me a big supporter.