For the protection of our staff and their families and to help limit the spread of the COVID 19, Effective at 12:00 noon March 26, 2020 the Department headquarters will be closed. Your Department Headquarters staff will start working remotely from home effective March 26, 2020 until further notice.
Subject: Call to Action from the National Commander: “Extend the National Guard”
Legislative Commission and Legislative Council Vice Chairmen,
As the nation’s largest veterans organization made up of nearly 2 million members, we are calling on the Legislative Commission and Legislative Council Vice Chairmen to disseminate the following Call to Action to your respective Legionnaires and Legislative Council members.
Please distribute the following message as well as the link provided so that our members can contact Congress directly!
Currently, more than 40,000 National Guard members have answered the call to service to help our nation fight this unprecedented pandemic. When these servicemembers report to duty, they do so knowing they are putting themselves in harm’s way for the greater good of our nation. Part of the promise we make to our National Guard is when they are called to duty, they will earn certain retirement and Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for their service.
Unfortunately, our nations servicemembers are being treated like numbers on a spreadsheet instead of the heroes that they are. The Department of Defense has enacted a policy of issuing a “hard stop” for National Guard orders at 89 days, 1-day shy of the 90-day threshold required to earn many retirement and educational benefits.
“The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for many people. We would be far worse off if we did not have the National Guard setting up field hospitals, cleaning nursing homes and delivering emergency supplies. An 89-day deployment strongly suggests a decision based on accounting rather than what’s needed to truly respond to this emergency. The American Legion is calling for the president to fix this,” said American Legion National Commander James W. “Bill” Oxford.
Contact your Representatives on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees today to urge them to tell DoD to extend our Guardsman’s orders so they can earn the benefits they deserve!
https://www.votervoice.net/AmericanLegion/campaigns/74588/respond
Thank you,
National Legislative Division
Cancelled Events
The following events and programs have been cancelled for the 2020 calendar year due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns by the host facility or program:
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American Legion Baseball Season
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National Convention
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Department Convention
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Cadet Patrol
Lowry Finley-Jackson
Department Adjutant
Richard Heigert
National Vice Commander
Hallie Williams
Department Commander
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