October 1998 Volume 1, Issue 1
Veterans Of Foreign Wars General Daniel Morgan Post 548
Inside this Issue
1	The First Issue
1	Membership Involvement Will the Post Survive?
2	Update on the AFEM for Bosnian Veterans
2	Korean Veteran Eligibility
3	Health News Facts About Enrolling for VA Health Care Managing Stress and Recovering from Trauma

The First Issue

Edward Luzadder
Junior Vice Commander

Welcome to the first issue of The Quarterly News. A quarterly newsletter designed to keep you, the members of General Daniel Morgan Post 548, informed of events happening in the post and around the community.

We encourage the membership to participate in the writing of this newsletter. We need to have comments from you, the reader, to ensure that we provide you with the information you would like to see. You can provide information to us by writing to the address listed below or by e-mail at vfw548@iname.com.

As with almost anything that is written controversy will someday follow, and I cannot guarantee that an article written in this newsletter will not touch some nerve or emotion. However, what I can guarantee is that this newsletter will make every attempt to be truthful, enlightening, and thought provoking.

Thank you taking the time to read this newsletter, and if you know of someone who is eligible for membership, pass this along to let them know there what the VFW is doing in the community.

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Members of VFW Post 548 march down High
Street during the Fourth of July Parade in Downtown Morgantown.

Membership Involvement

Without More Involvement, will the Post Survive?

Edward Luzadder
Junior Vice Commander

Following the elections in April, the Commander realized that more of the membership needs to become involved with many of the activities of the Post. Every week 15-20 members of the post decide what the Post will and will not do for the community.

"The membership of the Post need to become more involved in the transaction of business if the Post is going to survive into the next century", said Joe Cavanaugh the Post Quartermaster.

An example of the lack of participation occurred this past Fourth of July (see photo above), when only three members of the Post were available to march down High Street in the "Celebration of America" parade. The Post did not have enough members present to attend the ceremonies at the conclusion of the parade which is a customary event for all Veterans organizations in the city. Yet, the Post did not participate due to lack of participation.

It is true that renewed memberships provide much needed income to fund VFW Programs such as the Voice of Democracy, and other community and national activities to promote patriotism, but it takes more than money for them to succeed. It takes volunteers to provide the support to make these events happen.

The post has over 600 members on it’s rolls yet only has 15-20 members attending the meetings (2.5-3.4% of all members). This is not a good trend. The members from all eras need to become more involved in the business of the Post if it is going to survive.

Since 1920 there has been a VFW Post 548 in Morgantown, will there be one in 2020? The answer is up to you, the membership of General Daniel Morgan Post 548.

Freedom is NOT Free!

Volunteer today at your local VFW

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UPDATE ON THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL (AFEM) FOR BOSNIAN SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 18, 1998

In November 1997, some 9 months ago, Congress authorized Department of Defense (DoD) to award the AFEM to all military personnel who served in/around the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of P.L. 105-85.

Prior to P.L. 105-85, DoD had been awarding the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) for this action. The award of the AFEM has the advantage of granting veterans hiring preference status when competing for federal jobs. It was the VFW's position that this benefit should be granted to the Bosnian veterans and, therefore, we insisted on the AFEM.

In June 1998, Commander-in-Chief John Moon wrote a letter asking Secretary of Defense William Cohen when DoD would issue appropriate orders for award of the AFEM as required by law. Mr. Moon received a response on July 17, 1998, from Brigadier General Patrick Adams, DoD's Director of Manpower and Personnel, on behalf of Mr. Cohen. The reply said that the necessary implementing instructions are expected to be published by DoD by the end of fiscal year 1998 - late September. This means each branch of the armed forces will then be allowed to publish their own regulations for award of the AFEM. What no one knows at this time is whether personnel who already received the AFSM will retain that award and also be authorized the AFEM, or will the AFSM be withdrawn as the AFEM becomes the authorized award.

In the opinion of the VFW's legislative staff, it will take another 8 to 10 months after DoD issues instructions before those selected Guard and Reserve units that participated in the Bosnia operation will receive their proper award. Things should go much faster for the active duty force people who are still serving. Those who have been discharged can expect to receive a Notification of Correction to the DD-214 (Discharge from Service) authorizing the AFEM. This action can take another year to 18 months before the personnel records center identifies those who are eligible and then processes the paper work and finally mails the notification.

To put everything in proper perspective, General Adams concluded his letter to Commander-in-Chief Moon by saying: "Your continued support of the members of this nation's armed forces and its veterans is appreciated."

 

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VFW Membership Extended for Korea

Membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars has been extended to veterans of the Korean War and for service on the Korean Peninsula, or in its territorial waters, for thirty (30), consecutive or sixty (60) nonconsecutive days. The dates of service in the area are from 30 June 1949 to the present.

There are many misconceptions about service in and around the peninsula. Many believe that service in the area of operations had to be from 30 June 1949 to 27 July 1953 to be eligible for membership. Since there was only an armistice signed, the conflict continues today. If you know of a veteran of the Korean peninsula please encourage them to become a member, because through their sacrifices the world is a better place.

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Health News

Department of Veterans Affairs and Other sources

Setting the Record Straight:

The Facts About Enrollment for VA Health Care

Veterans and their families have raised questions about new eligibility and enrollment rules for VA health care. Specifically, misinformation has led some veterans to wonder whether they will lose their eligibility for VA health-care services if they are not enrolled at VA by October 1, 1998. The answer is NO, they will not lose their eligibility, but in most cases, they do need to apply for enrollment by contacting their nearest VA medical center.

VA health-care eligibility reform was authorized by Congress and signed into law by the President in October 1996. The new law required VA to manage veterans' access to VA care by using a system of enrollment priorities. There are seven enrollment priority groups, and VA will enroll veterans from as many of the groups as possible.

Veterans can apply for enrollment AT ANY TIME that they come to a VA medical facility for care, even AFTER the trial enrollment period, which ends on October 1, 1998.

For details about the seven enrollment priority groups, and enrollment in general, please refer to the VA Office nearest you or call 1-800-827-1000.

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Managing Stress and Recovering from Trauma: Facts and Resources for Veterans and Families

by Julian Ford, Ph.D.
Executive Division, White River Junction

Have you ever

• Felt so tense, discouraged, or angry that you were afraid you just couldn't cope?
• Had an extremely stressful experience that you try not to think about but still continues to bother you or is repeated in nightmares?
• Felt constantly on guard or watchful, or on edge or jumpy, more than you really need to?
• Had a family member who seemed troubled in these ways?

If so, this information is for you. Read on...

Everyone Experiences Stress

Stress is a normal response of the body and mind. Everyone feels stress when gearing up to deal with major life events (such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or starting or ending a job), or handling everyday hassles like arguments, financial headaches, deadlines, or traffic jams.

Physical signs of a stress response include:

• rapid heartbeat
• headaches
• stomach aches
• muscle tension

Emotional signs of stress can be both positive:

• excitement
• exhilaration
• joy

and upsetting:

• frustration
• nervousness
• discouragement
• anxiety
• anger

Stress Can Become a Problem

Repeated stress drains and wears down your body and mind. Stress is like starting a car engine or pushing the accelerator pedal to speed up. If you keep "revving" up the car you will burn out the starter and wear out both the brakes and the engine.

Burnout occurs when repeated stress is not balanced by healthy time outs for genuine relaxation. Stress is not the problem, if you manage it by having an emotional "cruise control" so you can smoothly and calmly enter or leave life's fast lane.

Managing Stress

Stress Management means responding to major life events and everyday hassles by relaxing as well as tensing up. Relaxation actually is a part of the normal stress response. When faced with life's challenges, people not only get tensed up to be able to react rapidly and forcefully, but also become calm in order to think clearly and act with control.

Techniques for managing stress include:

• body and mental relaxation
• positive thinking
• problem solving
• anger control
• time management
• exercise
• responsible assertiveness
• interpersonal communication

Physical Benefits of managing stress include:

• better sleep, energy, strength, and mobility
• reduced tension, pain, blood pressure, heart problems, and infectious illnesses

Emotional Benefits of managing stress include:

• increased quality of life and well-being
• reduced anxiety, depression, and irritability.

Can Stress Become Unmanageable?

Trauma can cause severe stress, which may become unmanageable, despite the best efforts of good stress management. Let us look at why this happens, and what you can do about it.

Traumatic events cause severe stress reactions that are particularly hard to manage. Trauma involves a unique kind of physical/emotional shock that escalates the "fight-flight" stress response -- feeling angry or scared -- into "super-stress:" feeling terrified, stunned, horrified, like your life is passing before your eyes, or so overwhelmed you "blank out."

Trauma occurs when a person directly experiences or witnesses:

• Unexpected death
• Severe physical injury or suffering
• Close calls with death or injury
• Sexual violation

If you have ever experienced or witnessed war, disaster, a terrible accident, sexual or physical abuse or assault, kidnapping or hostage-taking, or life-threatening illnesses, you know the shock of trauma.

Nothing in life ever seems quite the same again, even if "everything works out for the best." Trauma leaves a lasting imprint of terror, horror, and helplessness on the body and the mind. The world no longer seems safe, manageable, or happy. People no longer seem trustworthy or dependable. Self-doubt and guilt eat away at your self-esteem. Faith and spirituality are shaken or lost.

Traumatic stress can be managed, but special steps are necessary.

Steps In Managing Traumatic Stress

Step One is recognizing the signs of post-traumatic stress. Trauma is so shocking that it causes memories, which are impossible to forget yet sometimes also, impossible to recall. Trauma memories often repeatedly come back when you are not trying to think about them -- in unpleasant thoughts, nightmares, or a feeling as if you cannot stop reliving the event. The shock of trauma also may create "blanks" in memory because it is too much for the mind to handle, and so the mind takes a "time out."

Traumatic stress reactions are normal responses to abnormal events. Most people experience post-traumatic stress reactions for days or even weeks after trauma. Usually these reactions become less severe over time, but they may persist and become a problem.

Steps Two is recognizing the ways of coping with traumatic stress that are natural but do not work, because they actually prolong and worsen the normal post-traumatic stress reactions:

• Trying to avoid people, places, or thoughts that are reminders
• Shutting off feelings or connection to other people that are reminders
• Being hyper-vigilant or on-guard

Trying to avoid bad memories, to shut out feelings people, or to stay always on alert seem reasonable -- but they don't work, because trauma controls your life if you run from it.

Step Three is to get help from one of several special VA services for veterans (and their families) who are coping with traumatic stress reactions or "PTSD" (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Trauma memories cannot be erased, but the stress they cause can become very manageable.

Find out more about PTSD resources for veterans and families by calling directly or discussing the programs with your physician or nurse. Contact your local Vet Center, or one of the VA's specialized PTSD treatment programs.

 

Post Officers 1998-1999

Commander                Senior Vice Commander           Junior Vice Commander           Quartermaster              Trustees                       Chaplain           Surgeon       Judge Advocate
Wallace Shatzer         Robert DuBois                                Edward W. Luzadder Jr.            Joe Cavanaugh             Howard Summers     John Horne     Jim Miller     Frank Drazenovich
                                                                                                                                                                                              Ralph Stillwell
                                                                                                                                                                                              Joe Ridgeway