AMVETS | VFW | American Legion | Richard Star Act | TVLC | POLL | Funnies from the Front
Weekly Report 🎖️
Commanders Coalition Outpost 1
Through our mutual friend, Ritaann Schultz, we were asked to send you information about the new AMVETS Veteran Brain Injury Initiative. A motion was made and passed to form this as a committee under the Department of Florida during the recent state convention.
The purpose of this program is to address the unique challenges faced by Florida’s veterans who live with acquired or traumatic brain injuries (ABI/TBI). Florida is home to over 1.37 million veterans (2023 FDVA data), with 67% of military personnel experiencing at least one TBI (BIAA), meaning nearly 924,000 Florida veterans may be living with lasting brain injury effects.
We look to accomplish our goals by working with the existing statewide network of support, education, advocacy, and services to empower veterans with brain injuries to live with dignity, independence, and opportunity.
To date, we have made contact with suppliers of alternative treatments, including VieLight Therapy, equine therapy, and fishing therapy. We are also working to find sources for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
We have also submitted to Florida Legislatures various legislation to present to the Florida House and Senate. Unfortunately, this was done too late for the current session.
We participated in a Resource Fair at the Tampa VA Hospital in conjunction with March being Brain Injury Awareness Month.
Finally, in order to accomplish the goals, we are soliciting funds from not only State AMVETS, but also other veterans groups. These include VFW, American Legion, and DAV.
For your convenience, attached you will find the original proposal submitted to the Executive Board of FL AMVETS.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to myself.
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Yours in Service,
Timothy J Sorady
Chairman, Veterans Brain Injury Initiative
AMVETS, Department of Florida
amvetsflveteranbii@/gmail.com
Advocating Together for Florida’s Veterans
Tuesday March 3rd, the The American Legion Department of Florida joined forces with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Florida for a productive joint meeting with U.S. Senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott.
Our conversations highlighted the importance of the Richard Star Act and addressed critical mental health issues impacting our veterans and their families. Both offices were gracious with their time, and their teams took copious notes as we shared the real concerns and needs from those we proudly serve.
Department Commander Moore and Department Commander Hice extend their sincere appreciation to the teams who worked diligently behind the scenes to coordinate these important meetings.
When veterans organizations stand united, our voice is stronger — and Florida’s veterans are better served.
~Source Social Media
What is the Major Richard Star Act?
Here’s something most Americans don’t realize.
A service member can:
• Complete 20 years
• Retire from the military
• Go work as a defense contractor
• Earn a paycheck
• Collect full military retirement
• And collect VA disability at the same time, and then retire as a contractor and then eventually draw social security.
That’s allowed under current law.
But if another service member:
• Serves 18 years
• Deploys to combat
• Gets severely injured
• Is medically retired before reaching 20 years
The government tells them, you can only have your VA disability.
So the person who is close to 20 years and obviously had a commitment to retiring, was injured because they went to war, is punished while the person who makes it to 20 years and then works as a contractor can collect everything even though they might not have stepped into a combat zone.
Meanwhile, Congress tells us it’s “too expensive,” while members of Congress walk out of office worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
That’s why we need the Major Richard Star Act. It would allow disabled veterans to collect their retirement early and also their VA benefits.
~Source USMC Veteran Tori Branum
Fleet Reserve Association Branch 34 will be leading the May meeting. We still need a VSO to lead the April meeting.
Greetings, Team
Forty-some participants met at the Legion Wednesday for the monthly Commanders Coalition meeting, and compared dates and opportunities for dozens of upcoming Veteran-related events coming up these next couple of months. Ask your respective representative to the Coalition for more specifics—this is a busy spring for Veterans around the region! That includes THIS TUESDAY’S VETERAN LUNCHEON at the National Guard Armory 11:30 am (“2d Tuesday”) which will again welcome a hundred or so Veterans; so if you haven’t enjoyed that opportunity yet, ……. (donations accepted, 1225 Easterwood Drive).
Our TVLC Legal Clinic (at American Legion Sauls Bridges Post 13, this week included a team of 26 Volunteers (including 8 attys) Thursday afternoon, 3/5/26.
19 Veterans and family came in, plus we assisted others by phone; Veterans volunteered with set up, intakes, etc. even though their court-ordered community service requirements have already been completed. (Khalid, Charles, Gregory, Leonard). FIVE FSU law students helped with intakes and hosting participants. Thanks to Susie Caplowe for tabling for TVLC at the pro bono recruitment event at FSU’s College of Law Thursday (and Congrats to her for being recognized as one of the “25 Women You Need to Know” this year).
Kudo’s again to Veteran volunteers (TVLC’s truck and trailer team this week) Khalid Shafi, Charles Robinson, Sam Adams, David Martinez, Leonard Bell, Gregory Howard, and Eddie McMillian, who delivered the load of food and drinks again Wednesday from Quincy to various locations around Tallahassee.
This week is WEEK NINE, officially the final week of this 2026 Legislative session; but since the appropriations process hasn’t been worked out as scheduled, the session will not be finalizing the 26-27 Florida budget on time. During these last two weeks, though, more than a dozen Veteran-related bills were passed in one or both chambers in the usual Bipartisan co-operation, including the reform bill by Gen. Patt Maney strengthening the 34 Veteran Courts around the state! Several Veterans bills are on their way to the Governor. See www.flsenate.gov for info on the now nearly 60 Veteran-related bills pending this year. Let us know if you want our “tracker” listing of the ongoing status of the bills, which we update daily.
Your Next opportunity to observe a session of the Leon County Veterans Treatment Court (Leon County Courthouse, Courtroom 2E) will be Monday, March 9, 3 pm, and maybe you will consider becoming a Veteran Mentor for the Vets working their way through the program and recovery.
One special need: The number of issues with the VA is outstripping our local resources to keep up with the complications, new claims, and VA delays; so, any other attorneys wanting to join our “VA Law team,” we need you, and have training and national legal resources available to bring you into the fray. Were you a JAG? Have you helped with Social Security or other federal agencies that you already have a headstart on picking up VA law?
Donations to TVLC from various events in recent months and ongoing supporters are helping Veterans successfully reinstate their Driver’s Licenses, sometimes after years of being unable to lawfully drive. The donations also provide gas for the weekly Food Delivery trips to Quincy for the various Veteran housing facilities around the region.
What else?
Thank you,
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative www.Tallahasseeveteranslegal.com
PO Box 11091,
Tallahassee, Fl 32302,
850/ 570-1967
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month 🧠
—whether you have $5 or $5,000,000 it’s not too late to support this Navy Vet
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR 2026 ANNUAL T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER 👕
Funnies from the Front
When you’re on mission….sometimes you just get bored. 😂