Hal Roesch II Named New VFW’s New National Commander
Hal Roesch II of Hampton, VA, was recently installed as the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ 112th national commander during a change of command ceremony at the VFW National Headquarters. Roesch assumes command of the oldest combat veterans service organization boasting more than 1.5 million members, including its auxiliary. “I stand before you, humbled, elated and ready to selflessly serve the 1.5 million members and its auxiliary as we continue the tradition of serving America’s veterans, service members and families worldwide,” Roesch said.
Roesch is a 20-year U.S. Air Force retiree serving from 1982 to 2002. He earned his VFW eligibility during his combat service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and overseas service as part of Southern Watch. Roesch said the VFW is preparing to build a 20/20 Vision For Veterans and it begins with re-educating and reintroducing the organization to its communities and local and national leaders. He also reinforced the organization’s commitment to inclusivity stating, “Our doors are open to all eligible veterans and today I stand here before you and personally invite all eligible veterans to join our organization.”
Senate Approves Adding Agent Orange Presumptives In Defense Bill
Last Wednesday, the Senate approved a VFW-sponsored amendment to S.4049, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA), to add bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsons Disease to the list of presumptive conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange. The scientific community maintains that sufficient evidence exists to link these three conditions. The amendment was introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and was approved by a vote of 94-6. A vote on the Senate NDAA is expected to occur within the next few days. The VFW thanks Senator Tester for his efforts to expand veteran’s disability benefits and urges the conference committee to keep this provision in the final version of the NDAA.
Multiple Veteran Bills Sent To The President
Last week, the House and Senate passed multiple bills supporting veterans. VFW-supported bills H.R. 3535, the G.I. Bill Work Study Improvement Act of 2019, H.R. 3504, the Ryan Kules and Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019 and S.3637, to amend Service Members Civil Relief Act and provide additional legal protection for service members impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These three pieces of legislation now head to the White House. The VFW asks the president to swiftly sign these bills into law. Veterans, service members and their families will greatly benefit from this bipartisan, bicameral work by Congress.
House Holds Hearing On Sexual Harassment
Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Oversite and Investigation Subcommittee and Women Veterans Task Force recently conducted a hearing on ending sexual harassment in the VA. Representatives from the VA’s human resources department, women’s health services and health administration, along with VA acting Deputy Secretary Pamela Powers, responded to questions regarding the findings of the June 2020 Government Accountability Office report, Sexual Harassment: Inconsistent and Incomplete Policies and Information Hinder VA’s Efforts to Protect Employees. Powers stated that VA needs to address harassment behavior and plans to add bystander training. Chairman Takano (D-CA) referenced documentation of VA harassment that dates back 30 years and urged VA to ask for funding if that will assist in rectifying this issue.
