Fathers Day | Florida Armored Combat | GWOT Memorial | TVLC
Weekly Report 🎖️
Good Day Outpost 1,
Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers out there. I am calling on our national Veteran Service Organizations to financially support the Global War on Terrorism Memorial. I recently contacted the GWOT Memorial Foundation and asked why no national VSOs appeared on their list of donors. They confirmed that none have pledged support thus far.
GWOT veterans are watching closely to see what the big veteran organizations will do. Whichever National VSO leads the charge in financially supporting the GWOT Memorial is going to capture the lion’s share of younger veterans into their ranks.
The question is: who is it going to be?
In your service,
Edward W. Hood
National Commander
Commanders Coalition
A message from the Commander of Tallahassee Composite Squadron—
I’m a member of the Tallahassee River Raiders of Florida Armored Combat, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on uniting communities by bringing medieval tournament fighting to the modern day. Our members champion various causes, charities, and other non-profits and with my connections and experiences throughout my life and Civil Air Patrol, I champion support for active and veteran service members.
I wanted to reach out to gather initial interest for an event where we would have armored knights fight to support the many veteran organizations in the Big Bend area. Tentatively, we would charge an entrance fee for the venue and all proceeds, including sales made at venue, would go to the organizations present at the event. I will be reaching out to Mission BBQ in the coming days to try to secure their location and we are also considering Tallahassee Harley-Davidson as a back-up. We are looking to schedule this for sometime either late August or in September.
If you believe there would be interest in an event like this among the Commander’s Coalition members, I can arrange to be at the meeting in July to provide further details. There would be little to no effort on the part of the organizations attending, unless they would like to set up a booth, but we will handle the main event and the venue.
Very Respectfully1st Lt Justin Torres
Tallahassee Composite Squadron Commander
Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary
1-850/445/6690
https://flwg.cap.gov/locations/group-1/tallahassee-composite-squadron
Free Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses For Every Blind Veteran in America
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Greetings, Team
Come to Veterans Court this Monday June 22, your next chance to observe a session of the LEON COUNTY VETERANS’ TREATMENT COURT, (3 pm Leon County Courthouse, Courtroom 2E). At some point, we hope you will consider becoming a Veteran Mentor for one of the Vets working their way through the program. Several “new” Veterans, recently transferring into the VTC program on criminal charges, are awaiting a Mentor, both men and women. ( KUDOS to everyone who sent an advocacy email to the Governor’s office in these past few weeks: General Patt Maney’s House Bill 199 was signed into law last week and will now strengthen Veterans’ Treatment Courts all over the state by increasing the number of Veterans entering the Criminal Court program to rebuild their lives and court record, recover from addiction or other behavioral/ trauma personal problems and succeed in moving forward for their families and their future. The new Veterans Ct bill goes into effect July 1.) Save the date: the next Graduation Ceremony will be Monday, August 17.
This week’s TVLC’s legal clinic hosted another dozen Veterans and family members in person at the American Legion Post 13 hall at Lake Ella. Our Team included 20 Volunteers (including 5 attys). And, in addition to the Leon Property Appraiser’s Office, SSVF/Family Promise, the local Wellness Coalition, and Lakeview Health’s tables, we were joined by another new Veterans Service HOME Helpers ( for VA-funded personal assistance to Veterans around the house).
Wednesday’s volunteer food delivery team, Veterans Sam Adams, Charles Robinson, and Khalid Shafi drove the truck and trailer load to VET VILLAGE and HOMEFRONT housing sites. SEE PHOTO. Thanks again Margaret for the use of your truck!
.REDUX: ALARM FOR AREA VETERANS AND SUPPORT AGENCIES: Vet Village, owned by Volunteers of America, Inc, is planning to close at the end of September, for lack of funding! Everyone start brainstorming to see which agencies, govt entities, etc. can maybe lease and continue operating the facility for 54 Veteran beds for “transitioning off the Streets!” Time to be creative and deliberate!
Florida’s Boys State and Girls State, sponsored by the American Legion was approved for $200,000 for next summer! The legislature finally passed the budget for the next year (beginning July 1) and included a near record number of local and statewide Veterans’ Projects (including 48 in the FDVA budget alone); See the 550-pger HB 5001E General Appropriations Act at www.flhouse.gov/Budget/2026E ; pending Governor’s review now. On the same day, the Gov also signed a package of several Veteran and Military-related bills, including: HB 253 (Sen. Sharief, Representatives Edmonds and Gantt) which expands funding eligibility for Dental Services through the Florida Veterans Foundation and Fla Dept of Veteran Affairs; and SB 1602, (Sen. Wright, Representatives Rosenwald and Daley) which provides transition funding for Veterans Housing; and SB 820 (Sen. Bradley) which provides for more specific record-keeping (and consequent boasting of successes) for the hundreds of specialty, Problem Solving Courts (Veterans Treatment Courts, Drug Courts, Mental Health Courts, etc) in judicial circuits around the state. The related line items in the Florida budget for Problem-Solving Courts were refunded at the same levels as in previous years, with legislators now waiting for more documentation on both sides: some hoping to increase and others planning to decrease the funding of the various life-saving court programs.
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?
What else?
Thank you,
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative www.Tallahasseeveteranslegal.com
PO Box 11091,
Tallahassee, Fl 32302,
850/ 570-1967
