Vietnam Veterans | VFW | TVLC | FSU Veteran Program | VA Disability | Special Forces Memorial

Weekly Report 🎖️

Major John Haynes Outpost 1

Mar 15, 2026

WE STILL NEED A VSO TO LEAD THE APRIL MEETING

An infographic titled “WHY VA DISABILITY INCREASED AFTER 2001” summarizes statistics and reasons behind higher U.S. veterans’ VA disability ratings after 9/11, citing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, a larger share of post‑9/11 veterans receiving ratings, and more ratings at 50%+. It highlights changes such as faster evacuation and advanced trauma care, with images of military helicopters, soldiers carrying a wounded person on a stretcher, and a photo labeled “Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.” A concluding quote says modern military medicine shifted the cost of war from “headstones to lifelong care.”

Veterans’ benefits are not charity. This is the cost of war.

Congratulations Susie Caplowe from TVLC

FSU Veteran Entreprenuership Program

I am reaching out to let you know about two upcoming free programs for military members and their families.

Florida State University’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is hosting two certificate programs designed to help participants start or grow their businesses. Please see the attached flyers for additional details.

We will also be holding an information session on Monday, March 23, in Tallahassee.

One program will take place in Tallahassee, and the other will be held in Panama City.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could share this information with your members or networks who may be interested.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your support.

Best regards,

Jaymee

Jaymee Spannring, MBA, PMP, PMI-CPMAI

Program Manager

Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship

Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship

Florida State University

Flyer for the Veteran Entrepreneurship Certificate Program networking info session on Mar 23, 5–7 PM at the Jim Moran Building, 111 S Monroe St.

Flyer for a free in-person entrepreneurship certificate program for veterans and military-connected families, showing a classroom discussion and listing April–May session dates with Veterans Florida sponsorship.

Ritaann’s Incredible Journey Hitting the Road for BI Awareness Month

I was honored to be a guest on In a Flash with Kim Justus this week to kick off March Brain Injury Awareness Month!

Denny Armington the president of Brain Injury Florida joined us in the two hour discussion that covered my mission and current fundraiser for BIF. All donations raised BIF will earmark to be used for our Florida TBI Veterans. We covered a lot and the time went by quickly!

The two hour conversation can be listened to anytime on Spreaker. You can pause and resume the podcast to listen at your convenience.

Please visit Brain Injury Florida (braininjuryfl.org) and scroll down to “Recent News” to read about my upcoming TBI veteran mission.

Thank you for listening and for considering a donation to help our TBI Florida veterans!

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ritaann-s-incredible-journey-hitting-the-road-for-bi-awareness-month--70480571

Blessings!
Ritaann

Greetings, Team

Thursday afternoon, 3/12/26: Our TVLC Legal Clinic at American Legion Sauls Bridges Post 13, this week included a team of 26 Volunteers again (including 7 attys).

20 Veterans and family came in, plus we assisted several others by phone, in and out of state; Veterans volunteered with set up, intakes, etc. even though their court-ordered community service requirements have already been completed (Khalid and Charles). Hats off to Jim Piche, who again repaired and donated another bike to a Vet Ct Veteran to enable him to attend VA and other obligations from the Veteran Treatment Court. FIVE FSU law students helped again with intakes and hosting participants.

Kudo’s again to TVLC’s truck and trailer team this week-- Khalid Shafi, Charles Robinson, Sam Adams, Gregory Howard, and Eddie McMillian, Veteran volunteers who delivered the load of food and drinks again Wednesday from Quincy to 4 locations around Tallahassee.

NEW VETERANS BENEFITS PASSED THE LEGISLATURE: Dental Benefits were expanded (HB 253), Veteran Housing subsidies were added when moving is delayed (SB 1602), among several Veterans bills on their way to the Governor. This week was 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 did not finalize the 26-27 Florida budget on time. Before regular session ended, 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! (HB 199). See photo of VFW Commander Frank Roycraft, one of dozens of Veterans who spent time helping legislators understand the effects of proposed legislation on Veterans and their families this year. Also See www.flsenate.gov for info on the now at least 64 Veteran-related bills which were pending this year. Let us know if you want our “tracker” listing of the ongoing status of the bills, which we updated daily during the session. Some legislation passed may present potential harm to some Veterans if signed by the Governor; other bills fortunately died on the floor of one or the other chamber as the session ended yesterday.

Veterans Treatment Court Monday celebrated several Veterans who advanced to their next phase, but two Veterans were removed from the program for consistent non-compliance over the last year or more. They now return to the regular criminal docket. Your Next opportunity to observe a session of the Leon County Veterans Treatment Court (Leon County Courthouse, Courtroom 2E) will be Monday, March 23, 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

FINAL SALUTE – FLORIDA NATIONAL CEMETERY

Next Final Salute is March 25, 2026 – Held Each quarter the Florida National Cemetery (TALLAHASSEE) recognizes At Final Salute military honors are given to those veterans previously interred at the Tallahassee National Cemetery because when they passed, they were unclaimed, they were unaccompanied at the time of interment, or were interred without military honors. Military honors include the reading of each veteran’s name, ringing of the bell, a rifle salute, the playing of taps, and the folding of the American flag. The American flag is presented on behalf of unclaimed veterans and to family when present.

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