News

Commander’s Corner: February 2023

By Alyson Teeter


Greetings comrades! I’ve been back for a few days from our state’s Mid-Winter Conference and the fresh ideas I heard from VFW comrades near and far (and even our own post) were inspiring. It renewed my motivation to press ahead on our post interior refresh.

  • The Boy Scouts will paint our lounge soon and we’ll need to thoughtfully decorate in a way that is inviting to members and potential recruits. Tell me if you can help with this.
  • We must eventually address the recommended infrastructural upgrades in the 2019 architectural review but also quickly take action on low-cost/easy upgrades. 


New members — Comrades Randy Brock and Jon Thurman — had insightful thoughts about our recruiting and retention efforts from a new member perspective. His main point: we need to improve our vibe and attract post-9/11 veterans if we want to stay relevant. I totally agree. Let’s stay focused on this goal.

Speaking of recruiting, we must build off our year last year and increase our participation in local events. In addition to the Seafood Fest, we should consider staffing booths at the:

  • Fremont Fair 
  • Ballard Farmer’s Market
  • Grocery stores


Buddy Poppies, benefit information and applications are a must at all these events. Most of all we need folks willing to put themselves out there to recruit and show the community that we’re here and have a mission to help veterans.

 
Lastly, none of these plans can come to fruition without the hard work of volunteers. Our steadfast super star volunteer, Comrade Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger, would like to fully enjoy retirement and has asked that we replace him during the next election cycle, which starts in March. If the prospect of being QM scares the crap out of you, I get it. Harold has been performing duties for various post positions over the years, which isn’t sustainable. The plan is to spread the duties amongst others so that our future Quartermaster can focus on their core volunteer duties. If you enjoy business management and administration, the QM gig would be your jam. Please let Harold know if you’d like more information.

See you at Thursday’s meeting!

Service Officer Update

By Joseph Mesa


The passing of the PACT Act of 2022 triggered an overwhelming amount of TV ads and misinformation. The act applies to any service member, and also family members stationed at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more from 1953 to 1987. It applies even if injuries were suffered years ago or if the service member is deceased. The new law goes beyond basic VA disability and will NOT effect current VA benefits or disability.

VA announced that it would screen all its patients for possible exposure to environmental hazards during military service, part of an effort to understand the scope of the issue and monitor veterans for related illnesses. VA officials said the 5-minute screening, a series of questions by a veteran’s primary care physician, will help the department enhance the benefits for veterans already in the system. Veterans can request an appointment for a screening or will be screened automatically during routine care with their primary VA doctor. 

The screenings are a requirement of the PACT Act and will be conducted at least every five years. Results of the screening will be kept in veterans’ health records, according to the VA. Veterans who want more information on the PACT Act or to apply for disability benefits should contact me, Joseph Mesa, at [email protected] or go to the VA website or call 1-800-698-2411.

MREs+Trivia Recap

For our January social the post hosted its first ever trivia night, which featured MREs and Metamucil (thanks Comrade Hamilton!). Some opted not to eat the MREs and instead save one for their disaster kit, while others sampled the many tastes and textures of a modern MRE. Comrade Commander Teeter was the trivia master and she had some hiccups, like accidently showing the answer on the slide. But overall folks had a good time and there were two tie breaker rounds between Team Four Horseman+1 (Basher, Brock, English, Gopher, Fitzgerald) and Team OGs (Lawrence, Stoltz’s, Seelig). The OGs, because they’re OGs, eventually won the top prize of Sloop gift certificates. Thanks to everyone who came out and participated; we will be sure to schedule a trivia night later this year.