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About the Cover . . .

Image Source:http://www.lighthouselens.com/items/images/308/DSC07647.JPG

March 1, 1939, when the USS Squalus (a Sargo class submarine) was commissioned and set its course for crewtraining and fine tuning of the sub. As the USS Squalus’, built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine wasconducting test dives near the New Hampshire coast, the main induction valve did not close, and the aftcompartments were flooded. The submarine sank 240 feet to rest on the sea floor.

Once the sunken vessel was located, Navy divers and salvage ships responded quickly and began rescueoperations the next day. Using the newly developed McCann rescue chamber, all 33 crew members from theforward compartments of the sub were rescued, but the aft crew suffered a different fate.

During the following rescue and salvage operations, new technologies for diving were introduced into the field: theMcCann Rescue Chamber and the Mark V Helium Helmet. ­­http://www.divebubbles.com/uss­squalus­and­the­mark­v­helmet/

Post 131 Courier is a monthly publication edited and produced entirely by American Legion Shirley­Holloway Post 131 located inColumbiana, Alabama.

For information on how to subscribe or how to advertise, please contact the Post:

American Legion Shirley­Holloway Post 131Post Office Box 357

Columbiana, Alabama 35051http://post131.alaaldist23.org

All articles must be submitted by the 15th of every month in order to be printed the the current newsletter

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Priority Group 8 Veterans ..................................................................................................... 3

Oratorical Contest ................................................................................................................. 4

Special Compensation for Women .......................................................................................... 4

United States Navy Diver ...................................................................................................... 5

Equine Assistance (PTSD) ...................................................................................................... 6

Improving the American Legion Charter ................................................................................ 8

War Memorial Dedicated ...................................................................................................... 10

Veteran Suicide Remains High Despite Increased Support ..................................................... 11

Veteran Employment Statistics ............................................................................................... 12

JANUARY 2012

The American military has been at constant war for more than 10 years. We went to Afghanistan as part of a waron terror, but our politicians have changed the mission, from fighting terror to building a nation. While the UnitedStates was successful on the first, we will likely fail on the second. Destroying al­Qaida and building a modernnation state where none has ever existed are two entirely different things.

Too much money has been wasted, with a vast amount spent on foreign workers’ high salaries, security and livingarrangements. This occupation has made millions of dollars for individuals and corporations, and these millionsare made at the expense of our military men and women. Thousands of soldiers, marines, and other servicemembers have been killed; tens of thousands have been wounded. The economic cost has been over $444billion. You would think that the result is we would have rebuilt the infrastructure of Afghanistan 10 times or 20times over. But, the reality is there is very little to show for this nation­building mission. Partly due to corruption,illiteracy and deeply held tribal rivalries that blunt progress, we are no further along in accomplishing our goal ofestablishing a functional nation. The $444 billion would have been better spent on improving access to VAhealthcare for all the returning veterans who have suffered countless injuries, ranging from missing limbs totraumatic head injuries.

It's time for the United States to exit Afghanistan and focus on rebuilding America. We have achieved our twoprimary goals for going to war in Afghanistan, (1) destroying all al­Qaida training bases and (2) killing Osama binLaden. It’s now time for America to focus on America’s needs, not Afghanistan or Iraq. Our bridges are crumbling;roads in dire condition and money for these repairs have been drained away for other projects. We must start torebuild America now.

Americans are asking, given that we have successfully pursued our original two missions, isn't it time to bring oursons and daughters home? The problem is the politicians are not listening. Unfortunately, many of our publicservants have a vested monetary interest in remaining in Afghanistan and Iraq. Only we, the American people,can force our politicians to do the right thing by bringing our young men and women back to American soil and puta stop to the major money drain occurring for America.

Each and every American has a right to their opinion on whether you believe we should stay in Afghanistan or getout now. Regardless of how you believe, contact your elected politicians and let them know. This year isespecially important because it is an election year.

Submitted by Eldon Erickson

POST 131 COURIER

Group 8 Vets Invited Back To VABy Tom Philpott ­ September 16, 2009­Legion.orgThe VA health­care system has lifted its six­year ban on new enrollments of Priority Group 8 veterans. This decisionqualifies about 266,000 more veterans – middle­income without service­connected health conditions – for entry intothe system. The first 3,900 of these veterans were notified June 15 by mail that recent enrollment applications hadbeen approved, said Philip Matkovsky, a senior official at the Veterans Health Administration.

Group 8 veterans using VA health care pay $15 per outpatient visit and slightly more for specialty care. Inpatientfees are a bit more complicated but also modest. A popular feature is that prescription drugs are discounted, usually$8 for a 30­day supply.

VHA is sending letters and application forms to 420,000 veterans rejected for enrollment since Jan. 18, 2003, whenthe Bush administration imposed a ban on new Group 8 enrollments. The letters will encourage them to re­apply.

The Bush administration had feared that a wartime VA health­care system couldn’t accept more Group 8 patientswithout affecting access to care for higher­priority veterans – those who are poor or have service­related disabilities.

On an initiative from Rep. Chet Edwards, D­Texas, Congress added $350 million to the VA budget for fiscal 2009and ordered the department to create, in effect, a new sub­category of Group 8 veterans: those with incomes “10percent or less” above the income ceilings for Group 8 veterans.

The VA health­care system is now open to Group 8 veterans with 2008 incomes below a new national means testthreshold of $32,342 (without dependents) and $38,812 for one dependent. The ceiling is $45,478 for fourdependents and climbs by $2,222 for each additional dependent.

­­ continued on page 9

Oratorical Contestwww.legion.orgThe American Legion Oratorical Contest exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S.Constitution among high school students. The 70­year­old program presents participants with an academic speakingchallenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speakclearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privilegesof American citizenship. The program has featured numerous politicians andprominent contestants over the years, including former president candidate AlanKeyes and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs.

Young orators earn some of the most generous college scholarships available tohigh school students. Over $138,000 in scholarships can be awarded each year.The overall national contest winner gets an $18,000 scholarship. Second placetakes home $16,000, and third gets $14,000. Each department (state) winnerwho is certified into and participates in the national contest’s first round receivesa $1,500 scholarship. Those who advance past the first round receive anadditional $1,500 scholarship. The American Legion’s National Organizationawards the scholarships, which can be used at any college or university in theUnited States.

High school students under age 20 are eligible. Competition begins at the postlevel and advances to a state competition. Legion department representativescertify one winner per state to the national contest, where department winners compete against each other in twospeaking rounds. The contest caps off with a final round that decides the three top finishers.

Speaking subjects must be on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution, with some emphasis on the duties andobligations of citizens to our government. Speeches are eight to 10 minutes long; three­ to five­minute speeches onan assigned topic also are part of the contest.

JANUARY 2012

Did you know you may be eligible for a special monthly compensaton? VA broadened its coverage of specialmonthly compensation for women Veterans who suffered loss of breast tissue related to their military service. Thebenefit covers those losing 25 percent or more tissue from a single breast or from both breasts in combination. Itincludes loss by mastectomy or partial mastectomy, or following radiation treatment. In addition to breast tissue loss,special monthly compensation rates also apply when a Veteran experiences loss of a reproductive organ or its use.Women Veterans with service­connected breast tissue loss who are not receiving the special monthly compensationshould contact VA (1­800­827­1000) to find out if they are eligible.

Special Compensation For Womenhttp://www.va.gov/womenvet

POST 131 COURIER

A Navy Diver refers to a member of the community of officer and enlisted personnel in the United States Navy whoare qualified in underwater open/closed circuit breathing apparatus, deep sea type diving apparatus and saturationdiving. Personnel in the Navy Diver (ND rating) are part of the Navy Special Operations (NSO) community. NavyDivers serve at several diving platform types including; Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), NavySpecial Operations/Special Warfare commands, Marine Corps dive teams, rescue/salvage and repair divingdetachments, saturation diving commands and diving research/development to name a few. Some of the missionareas of the Navy Diver include; deep sea underwater salvage, harbor clearance operations, in­watership/submarine repair, demolition operations, submarine rescue, SEAL Delivery Vehicle deployment/recovery,saturation diving, experimental diving, underwater construction/welding as well as serving as diving technicalexperts at SEAL/Marine Corps/and United States Navy EOD diving commands. In 2006, the U.S. Navy establisheda new Navy Diver (ND) rating. Navy Divers are the foremost experts in all types of diving operations in the U.S.military and serve as the single resource managers for diving technical knowledge and training across the entireDepartment of Defense (DOD).

TRAINING AND RATINGS

Navy Divers are trained at the Naval Diving andSalvage Training Center (NDSTC) in PanamaCity, Florida. Initial training is an arduous 8­10month process from when someone enters "BootCamp" until they are rated as a Navy Diver (ND).Although rated as an ND, Navy Divers are notauthorized to wear the Second Class Dive pinuntil they qualify as Diving and Salvage WarfareSpecialist (DSWS) at their first assignment—thisnormally takes an additional 1–2 years.

The Navy Diver works in extreme conditions,performing various underwater tasks ranging fromunderwater ship repair, underwater salvage andspecial operations/special warfare type diving.Because their area of operations are so varied,they can be required to utilize any type of diving equipment for use in any depth or temperature in any part of theworld. Certain diving qualification allows ND's to live and work at extreme depths for days or weeks at a time, adiscipline known as saturation diving.

Personnel that graduate from Second Class or First Class Dive School; and ultimately Master Diver comprise therating Navy Diver (ND). ND's are the in­water operators and supervisors for the various mission areas mentionedpreviously as their primary day to day mission is that of in­water operator and/or supervisor. There is also the DivingOfficer designation/badge for Commissioned Officers. There are three enlisted diving badges/qualifications in theND rating:

­­continued on page 7

United States Navy Diveradapted from http://www.enotes.com/topic/United_States_Diver

http://www.navy.com/careers/special­operations/diver.html

It may be okay to put a foreign national in a Prisoner of War camp (i.e. Guantanamo) for years, but a U.S. citizen isnot a foreign national and will need to have a fair trial before being imprisoned.

In December, the Senate passed the 2012 Department of Defense Authorization bill, including a provision allowingfor indefinite military detention of U.S. citizens, by a vote of 93­7.

The problem with this bill (and almost all bills that mention the word “terror”, “terrorist”, “terrorism”, or “war onterror”, like the misnamed Patriot Act) is that terrorism is a tactic, not a person or group of people. By a strictdefinition of “terrorism”, some tactics employed by the US army could classify them as a “terrorist organization”, butthat’s not the point. Since “Terrorism” is a tactic, in order to call someone a “terrorist”, you need to give that persona fair trial and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person in question did in fact use terrorist tactics. Bills likethis give the US Government the ability to skip that step and classify someone as a “terrorist” arbitrarily without afair trial, which is no different than giving the Executive branch the power to call someone a murderer and executethem on the spot. Once you start going down that path, the potential for abuse is catastrophic! Section 1031needs to be removed.

President Obama has threatened to veto the bill, arguing that the indefinite military detention section is an attemptby the Senate to “micromanage” the work of the Defense Department. Senators opposing the detention provisionappear to have enough votes to reject an override attempt of a veto. Earlier in the month, the Senate rejected anamendment by Sen. Mark Udall [D, CO] to strip the detention language from the bill, but the amendment did securemore than the 34 votes (2/3rds majority) that would be needed to sustain a veto.

Let your elected politicians know how you feel.

Legslative CommitteSubmitted by Patricia Erickson

JANUARY 2012

When we think of horses assisting the military, we think of a gallant officeratop his steed charging in full gallop into battle with his sword drawn.Today the battle that the horses are assisting in is the battle of PostTramatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

A new coalition is being formed by multiple equine agencies to use horsesin the battle against PTSD. These agencies, which are spread across

central Alabama, all bring a unique ability to the coalition. Some agencies are able to offer therapy and ridinginstruction to the handicapped, while others can offer therapy to only "able body" riders.

All programs will focus on treating the whole person ­ both mind and body and will also have programs for the entirefamily.

It is the hope that this program will be available by the spring of 2012. If you are interested in helping with thisprogram, please contact Mike Welborn (205­755­6509).

A New Program to Assist PTSD Patients

http://tackandtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/happy­o.jpg

POST 131 COURIERUnited States Navy Diver (cont)adapted from http://www.enotes.com/topic/United_States_Diver

­ Second Class Diver ­ E­4 to E­5 personnel. This is the basic diving qualification in the NDrating awarded upon completion of ND 'A' School (pin awarded upon warfare qualification).Primary duties are to serve as in­water operators during various missions.

­ First Class Diver ­ E­6 to E­8 personnel. Advanced Diving Qualification awarded uponcompletion of ND 'C' School. In addition to duties as a Second Class Diver, First ClassDivers serve as diving and chamber treatment supervisors.

­ Master Diver ­ The highest degree of technical diving operational knowledge in the military.Awarded upon successful completion of the Master Diver course which includesexceptionally demanding diving operational problems and acceptance by a Master DiverBoard. Oversees diving operations and train/qualify diving supervisors.

Personnel in the Seabee ratings can qualify as Underwater Construction Technician (UCT). Like Navy Divers, UCToperators are primary in­water operators that conduct underwater construction. They also have three qualificationlevels with similarities to those in the Navy Diver (ND) rating.

Navy Hospital Corpsmen can qualify as a Diving Medical Technician (DMT), where they are given training inmedical aspects of diving. Primary responsibilities are to provide medical advice and treatment to diving personnel.They also instruct members of the diving team in first aid procedures when the presence of diving medicalpersonnel is indicated.

Additionally, there is a SCUBA Diver qualification primarily for those stationed on submarines to serve as sub diversin a limited capacity. Navy SCUBA Divers are also trained at NDSTC at a 4 week course. Their duties consistprimarily of conducting occasional inspections on the submarine they are stationed on. SCUBA Divers maintaintheir Navy rating such as ET or MM as their diving NEC is a collateral duty not their primary one.

JANUARY 2012Altmire Succeeds in Improving American Legion CharterDecember 7, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. –The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that will update the American Legioncharter to improve the membership process. Congressman Altmire sponsored the House companion bill to S. 1639,which received final passage yesterday and can now be sent to the president for his signature. CongressmanAltmire's bill, H.R. 2369, the American Legion Charter Modernization Act, received 432 co­sponsorships, a recordfor any bill in the House.

"Streamlining the membership process for the American Legion makes funds more readily available for local poststo continue their important work independently and prevent legal concerns that could not have been anticipatedwhen they originally crafted their charter," Congressman Altmire said. "At a time when bipartisan bills are rare, I amproud that a record­breaking 432 Members of Congress co­sponsored this bill to support our veterans. Movingforward, I will continue to push for this type of bipartisanship in Congress and look forward to working with theAmerican Legion to help the organization be as successful as it can be."

"The American Legion is indebted to the leadership of Representative Altmire in pursuing the changes to ourcorporate charter," said Tim Tetz, Legislative Director for the American Legion. "For too long, the courts haveupheld the autonomy of the local posts. This bill will guarantee that legal costs associated with defending thisposition can be better used for the programs, scholarships, and community efforts we support throughoutPennsylvania."

The American Legion Charter Modernization Act and S. 1639 will allow individual posts to operate autonomouslyeven though American Legion members now pay their dues and renew their membership online through the use ofa credit or debit card. This is necessary because of liability issues that occur when money flows from the nationalorganization to individual posts rather than vice versa. In the past, Legion members paid their dues and renewedtheir membership in the American Legion by cash or check at their local posts. This commonsense change givesAmerican Legion members a new, more convenient option to meet their financial obligations, while allowing theirpost to continue to operate independently. Under current law, all changes to the Legion's charter must be approvedby Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States.

POST 131 COURIER

Group 8 veterans also can enroll if incomes fall below a geographic means test threshold for more costly areas ofthe country. For example, a veteran in San Francisco making less than $69,685 in 2008 (with no dependents) couldstill qualify for VA care. The same veteran, but with four dependents, could have earned up to $107,470 and stillenroll. For Washington, D.C., new income ceilings are $47,335 for vets with no dependents, $54,120 with onedependent and $73,040 for four dependents.

“You can see how these geographic thresholds adjust for the specific set of circumstances, depending on whereveterans live,” Matkovsky said. A veteran can use the online calculator at VA’s Web site to determine if last year’sincome was low enough to qualify for care.

Veterans need not rush to apply for enrollment, because no one with qualifying income levels will be turned away.The 266,000 vets expected to gain access is merely an estimate and does not represent any sort of cap on newGroup 8 enrollees.

For convenience, veterans who applied for enrollment on or after Jan. 1 this year – and were rejected – will nothave to re­apply. VA will reconsider their applications automatically and enroll them if they qualify. Those deniedenrollment before Jan. 1 will have to re­apply because VA needs to see their full incomes for 2008.

Once veterans are enrolled in VA health care, no further income checks occur. They will not lose access to care iftheir annual incomes rise.

The Obama administration plans to continue to raise income thresholds for Group 8 veterans, in increments of 5 or10 percent through 2013, enough to allow 284,000 more of these veterans into the system. But VA officials havepromised to monitor closely any adverse impact on access to care for higher­priority veterans. The potential pool ofGroup 8 veterans could total 22 million.

“The thing we don’t want to do is open it up in a way that compromises our ability to provide timely care and qualitycare,” Matkovsky said.

More information on Group 8 enrollment is available online at www.va.gov/healtheligibility or by calling (877) 222­VETS (8387).

Group 8 Vets Invited Back To VA (cont)By Tom Philpott ­ September 16, 2009­Legion.org

The Shelby County Reporter­DemocratThursday, November 11, 1954

WAR MEMORIAL DEDICATED BY LEGION NOV. 7

A 11 foot high marker, the Shelby County LegionMemorial to its dead of three wars was dedicated at3:00pm Sunday afternoon in Columbiana on thecourthouse grounds, with Conrad M. Fowler, of theColumbiana Legion Post in charge of the ceremonialpresentations.

The marker contains the names of 31 Shelby Countianswho lost their lives in World War I; 72 in World War II [2more names were added later, H.W. Beane & Edgar

JANUARY 2012

Connell];and 13 in the Korean War [error, should be 12,no removal of a name appears on marker]. [On theback­side there are 11 names that were added later forthe Vietnam War, 1964­1975.]

The memorial program was sponsored by the sevenAmerican Legion Posts of Shelby County. Precedingpresentation of distinguished guests by Mr. Fowler, theinvocation was spoken by the Rev. Hollis Hendon of theBaptist Church. The flag raising ceremony was put onby the Color Guard of the Talladega Post. The Drumand Bugle Corps of the Gen. Gorgas Legion Post inBirmingham presented several musical selections afterwhich C.C. Horton, director of Alabama Department ofVeterans Affairs from Montgomery, made the dedicatoryaddress and unveiled the monument.

The closing prayer was spoken by the Rev. F.P. Richey,pastor of the Methodist Church.

Over 1000 people witnessed the impressive ceremony.

Thanks to Shelby County Historical Society for thisrecount.

Columbiana Courthouse Circa 1900http://tinyurl.com/4xq8zal

Central Hotel, Columbiana Alabama Circa 1900http://tinyurl.com/3zvtjxj

Columbiana City Council and Marshall Circa 1900http://tinyurl.com/67pe8wr

Veteran Suicide Remains High Despite Increased SupportDecember 2, 2011House Committee of Veterans Affairs

POST 131 COURIER

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled, “Understanding and PreventingVeteran Suicide,” to track the progress being made to prevent suicide and steps taken to identify at riskservicemembers and veterans by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Despite increased resourcesand services, significant obstacles remain including limits on data, stigma, access issues, and a lack of partnershipwith community care providers.

“The statistics are sobering—18 veterans commit suicide each day with almost a third receiving care from theDepartment of Veterans Affairs at the time of their death,” stated Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, SubcommitteeChairwoman on Health. “Each month, there are 950 veterans being treated by VA who attempt suicide. What’smore, data from the Department of Defense indicate servicemembers took their lives at an approximate rate of oneevery 36 hours from 2005 to 2010.”

Testimony was heard today on recently released reports from the RAND Corporation “Veterans HealthAdministration Mental Health Program Evaluation” and the Center for a New American Security, “Losing the Battle:The Challenge of Military Suicide.”

As stated in the Center for a New American Security report, “The health and survival of service members hinges onthe removal of the stigma associated with mental health care. This stigma exists in both military and civilian culture.”According to RAND, “The size of the veteran population with mental health and substance use disorders is likely toincrease as military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan decrease in size and service members leave the armedforces. Given the clinical complexity and high costs associated with these disorders, identifying ways to increaseefficiency while improving quality is paramount. Moreover, even though the VA performed as well as or better thanthe private sector on quality measures where comparable data were available, there is room for improvement.”

Steps recently taken by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the NationalVeterans Crisis Line and suicide prevention campaigns, have shown some improvement, but outreach to at riskveterans is still the biggest obstacle to reaching those most in need.

“We must do more to reach out to veterans inside and outside of the VA and DoD health care systems to ensure thatall those who need it get the help they earned and deserve before time runs out,” said Buerkle. “Until a family nolonger bears the pain of losing a loved one, we are failing and not enough is being done.”

Veteran Employment StatisticsHouse Committee of Veterans Affairs

JANUARY 2012

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