Path to Success ~ Moving Forward From 2011 As drawn by: Committee Chairs with input from IAVC Members 1

 How can VFW Posts work to improve their community relations and image in your state?  Focus should continue on healthcare issues  More service officers  Focus on employment (or lack thereof) for returning veterans  Reduce the retirement age for reservists  Ensure there is no backslide of the current benefits already in place  Student loan forgiveness for those vets now eligible for the post 9/11 GI Bill but started prior to the benefit catching up to them  Be more proactive with ensuring medical benefits (don’t wait too long to try to get legislation through on major medical issues like what happened with agent orange) 2

 How can Posts, Departments and National HQ market the VFW to Current Conflict Veterans in order to attract and retain its members? What methods should be used to communicate this message?  Adopt-A-Unit should be used more often  Pre-deployment BBQs or meals for deploying units  Direct marketing – in colleges, VA, TAPs (upon exiting the military)  Better, more consistent recruiter training  Use AFN or other veterans media sources to advertise on overseas  Advertise in all the service branches magazines/newsletters  Create a mentoring program and assign mentors to new members  Use of social media outlets 3

 What national legislative issues should the VFW pursue for Current Conflict Veterans?  Focus should continue on healthcare issues  More service officers  Focus on employment (or lack thereof) for returning veterans  Reduce the retirement age for reservists  Ensure there is no backslide of the current benefits already in place  Student loan forgiveness for those vets now eligible for the post 9/11 GI Bill but started prior to the benefit catching up to them  Be more proactive with ensuring medical benefits (don’t wait too long to try to get legislation through on major medical issues like what happened with agent orange) 4

 Where would you like to see this organization in five years? What do you think your Department can contribute to this vision?  Membership and Recruiting of younger members (as well as retention of same)tops the list for responses  District and post restructuring based upon activity/productivity  Become known for knowledgeable service officers allowing more veterans to use the VFWs resources in that area  Function closer with other VSO’s to better aid veterans in both Legislative issues and community issues allowing us all to speak with one voice  One response was in regards to not wanting to wear the hats – maybe we need to stress the use of the hat as a marketing tool 5

 There seemed to be some confusion with the legislation question – many responses were geared more towards what the respondent would like the VFW to do for members during National Sessions. These themes are represented in the following bullets:  Veterans Service Officer training  “Hands on” approach for veterans going into the VA system for the first time (this lends to the need for more service officers as was listed in the legislation box)  PTS informational session 6

 The IAVC will bring together veterans from the current conflicts at the Post, District and Department levels. These veteran’s will form coalitions and caucuses that will implement changes at the Post, District and Department levels that would make the VFW more inviting to younger members.  The committee should serve as an advisory council making recommendations to the leadership council as to how the VFW should evolve into the future to recruit and retain current conflict veterans.  The IAVC needs to act as recruiters. Maybe not in the traditional sense of the word, but ultimately. We can do it by different methods, but mostly by helping to reform posts with ideas of what the newer, younger generation wants. 7 The Committee must continue to work towards modernizing the VFW to attract the new generation foreign war veteran

 Make a ‘Best practices’ guide  Three new positions proposed, guide would have information for how to perform positions  Public Relations Officer  Educations Services Officer information  Employment Officer information  Start forming statewide committees to effect change locally  We want to help National advertise and market to the younger vet: How do we ensure we are heard? 8

 Find out what the legislative people would like us to do to help them get VFW sponsored legislation approved  Open lines of communication with State Representatives  What can the Washington DC staff do to keep us informed  Send out capwiz or other items to allow us to contact our representatives on VFW supported veterans legislation  Recruiting pamphlets and training for IAVC members  Information must contain all the great things that the VFW has done and continues to do for veterans 9

 Veterans Service Officer training  More in depth information to allow for greater outreach to veterans at the post level  Allows a “hands on” approach for veterans going into the VA system for the first time  PTS informational session 10