Army veteran J.R. Wilson compared the feeling of speaking to a member of Congress for the first time to being a junior enlisted soldier having to talk to a general. He was nervous, but that quickly faded.

“What really surprised me was how down to earth they are,” he said. “It was a lot easier to talk to them than I anticipated, because they want to serve veterans, too.”

Now Wilson, who is the legislative director for the DAV Department of California, regularly talks to lawmakers at all levels of government to push for legislation that benefits ill and injured veterans and their families. He sees civic engagement as a duty that all veterans should be engaged in.

“Veterans serve their country. Veterans serve their community,” he said. “It’s not about a pat on the back. It’s about serving that veteran and their family and helping them get the benefits that they earned.”

The conversations he and other DAV members have had make a difference. In 2022, Wilson and other members of a small California delegation traveled around the state to encourage members of Congress to pass the Honoring our PACT Act, the most comprehensive toxic exposure legislation affecting veterans ever.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa was one legislator they met with who was on the fence about the bill.

During that meeting, Wilson and his team shared the story of Bob Brooks, an Air Force veteran who had been stationed at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand during the Vietnam War and who later had several cancers linked to Agent Orange exposure. DAV had been helping him since 2013 but was unable to get a favorable ruling from the Department of Veterans Affairs because the law didn’t recognize the base as being exposed to the herbicide. Brooks died in 2017.

Wilson said Brooks’ story effectively illustrated how the PACT Act would affect family members and survivors—not just veterans. Language in the bill would add Thailand to the list of VA-recognized areas for presumptive Agent Orange exposure.

“Later on that day, we got a call saying that [Congressman LaMalfa] was going to support the bill,” he said. “And then when the vote came down, we saw that he voted yes.”

DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem said conversations like that illustrate how crucial it is for DAV members to talk with elected officials and advocate for DAV’s critical policy goals.

“Congress controls the money, but we remind them of their obligation to those who’ve served,” she said.

Wilson said advocacy starts well before those conversations happen, with members participating in DAV’s annual resolution process; DAV’s critical policy goals are borne from issues raised at department and chapter meetings.

“That’s where the engagement really begins, is at that local level,” said Wilson. “Your vote matters. Your input matters.”

Ilem said chapter-approved resolutions move on to the department level and then the national level, where they’re voted on during the DAV and Auxiliary national convention each year. Adopted resolutions make up DAV’s legislative program for the year and allow the organization to endorse critical veteran-related federal legislation.

However, this process is strictly nonpartisan. DAV does not endorse political parties or candidates.

“As the DAV Bylaws and Constitution point out, our purpose is ‘to advance the interests and work for the betterment of all wounded, gassed, injured and disabled veterans,’” Ilem said.

To be that support to fellow veterans, Wilson said it’s important for DAV members to vote in all government elections, educate themselves about issues affecting veterans, know DAV’s critical policy goals and use resources like DAV’s national legislative team when they have questions.

After the president signed the PACT Act into law in August 2022, Wilson said DAV filed an appeal on behalf of Brooks and his widow, Barbara, keeping a promise made to the family.

“We told him and his wife before he passed that we’re never going to give up on the claim,” said Wilson.

This time, the VA approved Brooks’ appeal.

“It was the way Bob was able to help her,” said Wilson.

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As Veronica Medley puts it, she comes from a family of “teachers, preachers and soldiers.”

That includes two parents who served in the military and a family history of service dating back to World War I.

“A lot of civil servants,” Medley said. “So knowing that this is in my blood helps me to just continue to take the path. Even when things get rough and when they get rocky and every single plan I have fails, I know that, OK, this is a part of who I am. This is my path, and it will all work out in the end.”

For nine years, Medley has leaned on her inspirational bloodline and learned resilience as she navigates being the spouse of an Army staff sergeant. While there are certainly benefits to military life, some of those same perks have made pursuing her own career challenging.

Medley and her husband have lived in places as varied as Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Grafenwöhr, Germany. There’s always something new and different around the corner, and Medley said she enjoys the flexibility.

But at times, it has meant putting her dreams on hold.

“Some of the challenges that I face personally, of being a military spouse, is that same element of flexibility, the unknown,” Medley said. “I had this whole plan of my education and my career. And then we moved, and then we moved again, and then he deployed.

“So having to weave my own plans into his own career plans has been the main challenge.”

On top of all the moving, Medley’s chosen field, psychology, requires an education that can’t always be obtained online and licensing that often differs from state to state.

That’s why Medley turned to DAV job fairs. She was working in Germany as a career counselor for transitioning service members when it came time for another permanent change of station back to the states.

“I had the exact same freakout moment that everybody has,” Medley admitted.

Then she realized she had access to the same resources as the service members she counseled.

“And so when we were about to [change stations], I remembered, OK, I am still a military spouse; I am entitled to use the services as well. Let me utilize the services,” she said. “And that’s how I found my way to the job fair.”

DAV hosts dozens of virtual and in-person job fairs across the country every year, connecting transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses with employers who appreciate their unique skills while also understanding the challenges they may face.

Because she and her husband were still stationed in Germany, Medley took advantage of DAV’s virtual job fairs. Even once they were stateside, she lacked reliable transportation and continued to use the virtual job fairs.

“The virtual job fairs really came through for me, personally. It was so easy to navigate, [and] they were so easy to access. I was able to just do it from my phone a couple of times,” Medley said.

Medley said the virtual environment allowed her to ease into the job search process, and she gradually became more comfortable. It’s an asset particularly for those who may feel overwhelmed by the traditional in-person job fair, she added.

Medley connected with an employer that reached out a couple months later. After a series of interviews, she accepted a job, but something was gnawing at her. In her previous job counseling transitioning service members, she encouraged people to pursue their passions, and yet, she wasn’t pursuing hers: a doctorate in psychology.

Medley decided to take some time off to figure out her next steps and pursue additional education. She now works as a consultant for Fayetteville State University in North Carolina and continues to work toward her doctorate. Her ultimate dream is to work as a pain psychologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In a “zig-zaggy manner,” Medley’s job fair experience led her back to the dream path she had strayed from soon after her husband joined the military. It also helped her understand the job market, including the needs of job seekers and employers. That perspective helps her in her current job, which involves advising the university on how best to serve the students who will one day enter the job market. It also gives her clarity on her own goals.

“I love going to job fairs even when I’m not looking for a job,” she said. “I’m able to keep a pulse on what’s happening.”

Medley said she encourages other military spouses to attend DAV job fairs for the same reasons. She also encourages employers to be as flexible as military spouses have to be, noting that the service member’s schedule can change day to day, requiring the spouse to adjust their schedule. Those challenges make many military spouses skilled planners, organizers and managers.

“If you can accommodate us,” Medley said, “you’re going to have a really, really valuable employee.”

Find a full schedule of upcoming DAV job fairs and other employment resources at jobs.dav.org.

The post How DAV helped this military spouse rediscover her dream career path appeared first on DAV.

“Full of challenges.”

That’s how retired Army Lt. Col. Hal Fritz humbly describes the day of the Vietnamese attack in which he earned the nation’s highest military award for valor, the Medal of Honor.

For Fritz, that day—Jan. 11, 1969—is filled with memories of intense enemy crossfire and quick, decisive action to save his fellow soldiers.

Both of his gunners were killed in the assault’s opening seconds, and Fritz was thrown from his vehicle. Despite being injured, he jumped atop the burning wreckage and began directing his soldiers.

“I thought we hit a mine,” recalled Fritz, a DAV life member of Chapter 103 in Crest Hill, Illinois. “When I came back to the top of the vehicle, I realized we were in an ambush.”

That’s when Fritz did what combat leaders do. He made split-second decisions under grueling pressure and concentrated enemy fire, risking his life to save others.

“I was trying to get everybody together and get the wounded taken care of,” he added. “We had a lot of fire coming in from both sides of the road, and they were trying to overrun our position.”

According to his Medal of Honor citation, “With complete disregard for his wounds and safety, he ran from vehicle to vehicle in complete view of the enemy gunners in order to reposition his men, to improve the defenses, to assist the wounded, to distribute ammunition, to direct fire, and to provide encouragement to his men.”

But he didn’t just stick to guiding those around him. He got in the fight. Fritz handled a machine gun and, in doing so, continued motivating his soldiers to repel the enemy ambush until the attack broke.

That victory was short-lived, however. A second enemy force advanced within 2 meters of Fritz.

“Capt. Fritz, armed only with a pistol and bayonet, led a small group of his men in a fierce and daring charge which routed the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties,” the citation reads.

Following the battle, Fritz refused medical attention until all the other wounded soldiers were treated and evacuated.

He received the Medal of Honor in 1971 from President Richard Nixon, who said, “Words are very inadequate to add to deeds of self-sacrifice, deeds of very great bravery.

“These deeds speak for themselves.”

Fritz retired from the Army in 1993. He continued serving those who serve others as an official with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

Nowadays, he spreads his story to youth and other veterans about the importance of mental health.

Fritz also participated in Operation Cabin Fever III, an event put on by DAV Chapter 17 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The day was a chance for the community to rally together to raise money for a local government veterans emergency fund. While Fritz was a highly sought-after speaker for the event, for him, it was a chance to give thanks to those who care for the men and women who served.

“They’re attending this event, not for personal money, but for the personal satisfaction of knowing that they’re supporting the veterans that protect the country,” said Fritz. “And that’s why being at these events is so important.”

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Every week we hear about the incredible work DAV volunteers do to help veterans in their communities and at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities.

I like to share those stories as often as possible. I hope it inspires all of you who are leaders in DAV to thank and recognize your volunteers for the work they do. Doing so spurs more people to consider volunteering their time—even an hour—to help our nation’s veterans.

Back in September, the VA hosted its 2023 Customer Experience (CX) Symposium in Washington, D.C. More than 2,500 attended, and a big part of the event was to recognize VA volunteer standouts making a difference in veterans’ lives.

Two of those volunteers are with DAV.

The first is Barbara Brown. She’s the Transportation Network hospital services coordinator for the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The VA named her their Customer Service Volunteer of the Year.

Barbara is an Air Force veteran and member of DAV Chapter 45 in Barrackville, West Virginia. She’s been around her VAMC for more than 20 years as an employee, patient and volunteer.

Two and a half years ago, she started volunteering with DAV by coordinating medical rides for veterans, a role she loves.

“I may not have a whole lot of drivers, but we do have a lot of satisfied customers,” she said.

Michael White, the chief of the hospital’s Center for Development and Civic Engagement, said that Barbara’s efforts kept their Transportation Network running when other facilities had to halt their programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. She created, developed and implemented safety “go bags” for her volunteer drivers and taught them how to sanitize their vehicles and mitigate the virus’s spread.

“With a drive to do whatever it takes to raise the bar on the excellence in the care we provide veterans, Barb motivates us to keep on improving,” he said. “Our VA and our veterans have been changed for the better because they’ve worked with Barb.”

In addition to her Transportation Network responsibilities, she always finds other ways to help, whether it’s bringing a pair of slippers to a veteran or offering a push to help someone in a wheelchair get to where they need to go.

“The appreciation that some of these people give you, it’s wonderful,” Barbara said. “I just feel so blessed that I’m able to bless other people back.”

The other recognized DAV volunteer is Anit Tyagi. In 2021, he received a $7,500 DAV scholarship for his volunteer work at the Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC in Aurora, Colorado.

His volunteering led him to develop Remembering Our Veterans: A Living History Video Memoir Program to capture veterans’ oral histories. The recordings are added to veterans’ medical records to help VA doctors know their patients better. They’re also given to family members and preserved online for the general public to hear their stories.

Anit’s VAMC submitted an award write-up to symposium judges who selected the program as a Veteran Health Administration CX Innovation award finalist.

As a finalist, Anit traveled to Washington to present the program to symposium attendees.

“That really was an honor because it really showed that the program was receiving the recognition we think it deserves,” Anit told us.

Remember Our Veterans caught the attention of senior VA officials in attendance. Among them were representatives from the VA’s National Cemetery Administration. Anit now has a conversation scheduled to discuss incorporating his project into their online Veteran Legacy Memorial.

Anit is currently a research assistant with the VA, but volunteers with the Remembering Our Veterans initiative.

He plans on applying for medical school in the near future.

I am so proud of Barbara and Anit. They represent all of DAV’s volunteers well. Congratulations to both of them on a job well done!

And to all of our volunteers, thank you. We know how precious of a resource your time is. To spend even a little of it helping improve the lives of veterans is deeply appreciated.

If you want to learn more about the community service scholarship opportunities DAV offers, visit davscholarships.org.

Visit driveforveterans.org to help with the DAV Transportation Network. We could use you; there’s a shortage of drivers around the country.

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