attacks or do they need to be attacked some more? >> i think your question is well-articulated in that the 32nd brigade we have recognized is a premier force for colonel we have been watching that closely. originally, it had been a around tripoli and the defense of tripoli. it appears that some of that force has moved to other areas to help with places being pressurized by the coalition to and still we will continue to watch carefully their positions stearns. we will shape to operations to include ensuring that they comply with the u.s. -- with the security council mandate.

>> so are you just watching them as proof -- are you watching them? >> we are conducting a wide range of operations across libya. i will not talk about the specifics. certainly the 32nd brigade is always considered in the calculation on how we expand the no-fly zone and how we conduct operations in the future. >> can you give us your assessment as of now of the libyan air forces? how many fixed wing and helicopters have you destroyed and will you try to destroy as much capability as possible before you get to the point where you can get the no-fly zone where you want it?

>> well, when we began this, my estimation is that his air force is not generally in good repair compared to what you would consider most world standards for air forces. he had a lot of equipment that was old, much of it was sitting parked in the runways and it could not be used. he was effectively employing a tactical air force, a helicopter air force i would say on the order of several dozen rather than large numbers. when we began the coalition strikes, one of our objectives was to rate the effectiveness of those remaining air force assets. i believe that we have done that. we have not seen any significant movement of those forces.

a good indication that our air strikes were very effective. i am completely confident that the air force colonel gaddafi will not have a negative impact on the coalition and that we will be able to manage if there is anything that we did not see or we were not able to influence by our initial campaign that we would be able to manage that. >> i wanted to ask, he said there has been no an initial communications with rebel forces on the ground. i was wondering if you can talk about the unofficial communications and what they have involved. >> i have not had any unofficial or official communications with

you referred to as the opposition forces. most of my time has been spent talking with the coalition and planning our coalition activities to a force the security council resolution. >> to what extent has there been communications or even out reach two libyan ground forces? there has been leaf-letting about surrender in the past. to what extent are good off the's forces surrender in or officially to abstain? -- to what extent are gaddafi's forces surrender in. >> a key component is the operations. we are executing these to ensure that that type of information is

being made available to gaddafi forces. that is all i will say about that at this time. >> admiral, you mentioned that the downed crew member was treated with dignity by the rebels. how do you know that? is that what he told the americans when they came to pick him up? how many hours did he spend with the rebels? >> i have not gone through a deep briefing with that pilot yet. he is in u.s. custody. dei've not gone through briefing. the people have treated him with respect to make sure that he has medical care. that lease the extent of my understanding of the situation at this time.

>> our aircraft from qatar shot flying in support of the no-fly zone? -- are aircraft from qatar flying in support of the no-fly zone? would it be fair to characterize activity today as stepping back up strikes on ground forces? >> let me answer your first question about qatar. qatar is planning to enter the coalition here. they are in the process of moving their forces in this direction. i believe that we have worked with the french to look at their support requirements. they are operating a long way away from where they usually

operate. i anticipate that they would be available. they will be up and flying by the weekend. the second question, we started out with a large missile campaign and then we went through -- to the no-fly zone. in any type of military campaign like this where you have a significant force that has a strategic air defenses, that has an air force, the initial phases of the campaign have to be able to produce an environment where our forces can operate with what we call air superiority. that is why you would see the first day or so where we fired

161 or something tomahawk muscles -- tomahawk missiles from coalition ships. this was so that the no-fly zones could be a setup. as coalition forces came in, we initially established what i call a smaller no-fly zone primarily centered over benghazi because that was our focus from the beginning. now, we have been able to shape the battle space more and now the no-fly zone has expanded over us. it requires the coalition to be well-coordinated and managed the for fuel and the resupply of the forces that are maintaining the no-fly zones. as the capability of the coalition gross, able to provide more support, more missions to what i would call

non sensitive targeting where we are looking at the battle space as it changes. we're looking at the position of gaddafi's forces that are not complying with the u.n. security council resolution. we are able to produce more a fact. that is how i characterize the coming hours and days. -- we're able to produce more effect. >> -- says that they will put a forces and have some role in the no-fly zone. what have you been told about this? >> have i been told about the proposals from -- can you repeat the first part?

>> what is going to be your role with the nato force that was just announced to help force the arms embargo and contributed in some fashion to the no-fly zone -- contributing in some fashion to the no-fly zone? >> as i was introduced, i have three roles in iraq. naval force africa, the best naval forces in europe. with nato, i am jfc naples. i am basically the commander for the southern region of nato. if nato has a role, i cannot tell you how i would play in

that because that would be a decision for the north atlantic council. however, i do have a staff in naples and i have commanders that are able to carry out nato operations of a similar type of operation to what we're doing now should that be requested. i cannot tell you who would command it or what the command structure would be. that is not a military decision. >> we ran out of quarters. >> admiral, do we still have you? it sounded like the pentagon communications system took a

hit. >> i will send it back to you for any closing remarks that you would like to make. >> i appreciate you taking the time. we have a lot of people out here making sure that this u.s. security council resolution is done right. thank you for taking the time today. i really appreciate your interest in the coalition effort. this is a coalition effort. a lot people out here from a lot of different countries and they are doing a lot of amazing work. i am personally very proud of what they are accomplishing. thank you. >> thank you, sir. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> midday today, friends said they agreed with the u.s. that nato should have a role in the coalition's military operations in libya.

france -- france said they have agreed with the u.s. that nato should have a role. they have agreed with the nato command to support the coalition. diane sawyer will be speaking this evening on the future of journalism. she will be interviewed in front of an audience of students and professional journalists at 8:00 eastern here on c-span. president obama continues on his latin-american trip today meeting in el salvador with the salvadoran president. tomorrow, he is expected to toward parts of san salvador included the national cathedral and a visit to the mayan ruins. the white house has shuffled the schedule, they have moved a few things around.

a visit originally set for tomorrow. that move raised the prospect that the president my return to washington ahead of schedule. in washington this week, the american legion has been holding their annual conference. during this session, we will hear remarks from the veterans affairs secretary eric shinseki. this is two hours from earlier today. >> good morning, i called his

commanders call to order. with the colors of our nation in place, hand salute. please remain standing as i call our national chaplain from the department of wisconsin to lead us in prayer. >> legion family, we prayed. we come before you refreshed and with purpose. the commander brings us together. as federal -- a fellow veterans, friends, family. yes, lord, it is only you who continues to empower us so that no veteran is ever left behind. we would have the seal and that passion to know the issues before we go. to willingly have the compassion and show a lot that is unconditional to those who have

and continue to wear the uniform. we ask for your guidance and presence and that all we would do would be to your glory that is to your life-saving named as well as serving americans better in every day. -- american veterans every day. so, it shall be. >> please direct your attention to the empty chair before you. this is a physical symbol of the thousands of american servicemen who are still missing. there is a reminder for all of us to spare no effort to secure the release of any american prisoners from captivity, the repatriation of the remains from

those who died in the service of liberty. we will dedicate ourselves to this vital endeavor. i call upon the chair of the national legislative council to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> thank you, mr. chairman. please cover. you may be seated. elected in milwaukee, wisconsin during our most recent election, he grew up as a first term ends in -- he grew up as a front tears men in no,.

he is currently living in the last frontier. -- he grew up as a frontiersman. our commander is calmly guiding through his words and action. it is my pleasure to introduce the national commander of the legion, jimmy foster. [applause] >> thank you. [applause] >> thank you, mr. chairman. the american legion has been blessed with outstanding leadership and we are fortunate to have several of our most recent leaders here today. with all of our past national commanders, please stand for a

round of well-deserved applause. [applause] thank you, gentlemen for your leadership and steadfast support of our organization. it is an honor to follow in your footsteps. at this time, i would like to share with you a letter from the white house. "good morning, ladies and gentlemen and members of the american legion family. i am pleased to send my warmest greetings to all of those attending the american legion's 51st annual washington conference. as first lady, i have no greater honor than working with our troops and veterans and i continually inspired by their courage and commitment to our nation. i know for many of you service is the air that you brief and your dedication to strengthening

our country and your community did not end when you returned in civilian life. for decades, the american legion has provided veterans a pass back to service, help to those in need, and honored a legacy of our groot service members through advocacy, financial aid, and educational programs. the american legion works to ensure that our veterans have the support that they have read the current. i truly believe our veterans are one of our greatest resources and i hope you know how much i value your efforts on their behalf thank you for all that you do and for the example of service and strength that you provide, signed, michelle obama, first lady." [applause]

to most members of our committees, the american legion is only known by the landmarks and the local activities it pursues. in most american towns, everybody in town, legionnaire or not, will know where the local legion post is or to the american legion memorial park. they will recognize the caps in parades or veterans day gatherings. they might know about or have played on an american legion baseball team. they may have heard about legion shooting sports. every single day when i introduce myself as a national commander, someone response with what the american leader did for them. -- what the american legion did for them.

we take pride in those moments. we take pride when we get elected to congress. we take pride when the boy scout troop goes to film what -- philmont. i would like to take this opportunity to remind us of the least viable but in some ways the most valuable work that the legion family does. work that touches every veteran and every veteran's family member. it is easy to see what the leaching can do in the community helping a veteran get their veterans -- it is easy to see what the legion can do in a community helping a veteran get their benefits. what most people see not know is what is the legion does here in washington. sometimes we fail to recognize

the good things that we do here. as you know, let too many organizations are quick to take credit. they are quick to rush to proclaim victory for their efforts stomach plant a flag that they brought new benefits and new programs on to their members. -- they are quick to rush to proclaim victory for their efforts, plant the flag. these are our efforts, our works. [applause] the american legion's efforts that take place here in washington. i take great pride in the success that i had during my commanders testimony in september. it was not because of the work of our staff, it was not because of my eloquent testimony, it was not because we are the american legion, and we willed it to be done.

it was your voice is. you came to us as the mothers and fathers of our nation's heroes, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and given their child to our nation, were not eligible for care and state veterans homes. we took that message, the message that these gold-star parents are to this benefit. congress listened to you and now these goldstar parents have the opportunity for quality nursing care. [applause] it was the american legion that realized our original g.i. bill of 1944 needed a very much -- needed a much speeded up date. -- our gi bill of 1944 needed an

update. when we realized it was not enough, you came back. you came back, joined together and said, fix it. you spoke and congress listened. last fall, we passed the post 9/11 gi bill fix that would help are national guardsmen, service, and those seeking technical schools. other organizations might try to take the credit but you made that happen. [applause] congress wanted to pass the defense authorization act that included language relating to immigration, abortion, pretty much everything but the fence. you came to town, set them straight, and you got a clean bill passed. our resolutions called for an increase in the plot allowance,

care for homeless veterans, and provides for compensation and pension benefits. you came, congress listened, and the veterans on the bus -- veterans omnibus passes. we protested when congress attempted to create an amnesty program through the dream act. your e-mails and calls matter. it might not be able to see the successes in your community when you return home. it might be a -- might not be easy to celebrate. your voice is individually the matter. you make an impact when you come to washington. you make a difference when you speak to your congressmen and senators. you are the voice of the american legion and your voice is the voice that rings and the

halls of congress and gets things done. your voices have tremendous impact, not just of a single veteran or military family, not just on a group of schoolchildren, not even on a 2.4 million members of the american legion family, but on the entire american legion to needy of veterans and service members. millions upon millions of people are impacted, sometimes dramatically and always been officially, but what is done here by this people in this room. be proud of your accomplishments because, after all, you are the movers and shakers to make them happen. you are the people who are writing american history. thank you very much. [applause] [applause]

>> the commander just told you why the american legion is one of the more powerful voices in washington d.c.. it is because of you, our strong grass-roots presence. veterans depend on you to a halt make sure that the nation this right by them. -- that is the 10 minute -- veterans depend on you to help make sure that the nation does right by them. this is done to the national legislative council. this was greeted by the national executive committee in 1975 to amplify our grass-roots voice and providing a stronger liaison between all of the members of the congress. by design, the council is a network of politically-active members to assist our efforts

in lobbying. the council is proposed -- composed of 535 members, one lays on for each member of congress and each senator. -- one liason for each member of congress and senator. there is 8 share and vice chair from each department. they take their direction from the national commission. we give awards to the member that has continually exhibited leadership and excellence in support of the american legion, someone who takes time from their busy life to sound a rallying cry to america's veterans, many of whom cannot speak for themselves. i am proud to present this to tennessee governor. a retired major, he is part of the legislative council.

-- i am proud to present this to kenneth governor. we encouraged to have a close working relationship with current members and work with them on a frequent basis concerning the american legion's legislative goals and objectives. he also has the ability to educate new members. he is considered someone who can and will meet with and talk personally with senator gillibrand and her staff. he developed a working relationship when she served in the u.s. house of representatives and he was an active member of the veterans committee. he keeps in close communication with the legislative division and staff and providing ongoing feedback regarding council activities and legislative contacts in his department. theplease join me in recognizing

the legislative council member of the year, major kenneth governor. >> congratulations. presented to kenneth governor for his service to the national legislative council and the national legislative program of the american legion, presented by the national legislative commission, march 21, 2011, washington, d.c. it is well deserved. [applause]

>> when i found out about this award 20 minutes ago, i said if you are choosing me, this legislative council is going to have some problems. i just said to the commander i do not think you guys have thought this thing through. i am proud to receive this award and i am overwhelmed, and i accept this award on behalf of every council member and auxiliary and sons. thank you very much. [applause]

>> thank you for being with us today. we greatly appreciate your outstanding service. after the formation of the then all-male american legion in 1919, a number of women who have served so faithfully and well during the great war, world war room one, wanted to continue their service of becoming an affiliated with the legion. men of the legion, cigars ablaz e, consider the request and agreed a new organization, the american legion auxiliary, should be formed to engage in activities. this was in 1919. "were suitably performed by women." today the american legion auxiliary is the largest women's

patriotic organization in existence and numbers 850,000 members in 9500 units across the united states of america. the of hillary's mission in 1919 was to support the american legion and the sacrifice of those who had served by enhancing lives of veterans, members of the armed forces, their families, both home and abroad. their mission today in a vastly changed world, socially and politically, remains the same. as with the legion, we are honored to have with us today a number of past national presidents of the american legion auxiliary. ladies, would you please rise and also be recognized. [applause]

it is now my distinct pleasure to introduce you to the current national president of the american legion auxiliary, carlene ashworth, and the department of texas. [applause] >> you want to know the story behind that, you have to talk to the commander. commander, i think you for inviting me to offer remarks this morning. the commander pasquale is not only an important component of the conference, but also the it hillary's awareness assembly. we were pleased to offer our members several sessions on

public policy concerns of our nation plus veterans and their families. among the topics we export were a progress report from their representative of the u.s. interagency council on homelessness, on the federal plan to end veterans homelessness, a presentation by the arm of veterans affairs on the supports and services for care givers of veterans, and the preaching of the potential impact deficit and debt reduction proposals on the national defense budget. also yesterday, our legislative committee chairman challenged members to join in the hill walk. we provided an orientation to the priorities and we offered our members a workshop organized by the legion's legislative staff on the topic of advocacy from your desktop. that session showcased members how action on behalf of veterans and families can and should be a year round and never, not just something that takes place on

the annual hill walk. the -- as the organization's of the family, comprised of care givers, the auxiliary is grateful to allegiance 4 x advocacy and support of care givers and services act of 2010. this law includes provisions establishing benefits for the caregivers of veterans. we share the concern of the slow pace of the implementation of the law, and of the va's narrow interpretation of benefits. we support the allegiance family's recommendation for funding of the u.s. department of veterans affairs, u.s. department of defense, and the department of labor veteran import -- trading service. members what the hall of the

medical center's daily and concur with the physicians that now is not the time to shortchange the department's construction and research. with regard to the dod, mindful of the necessity of full funding of the department's military family support programs. these programs support that the whole family is ready support their service member and the family does not suffer or suffers less when their service member is deployed or called up for duty. we are also mindful of the department's proposal to increase premiums of military retirees and the impact that such increases may have on the pocketbook of veteran households. we are supportive of the commander's calls to repeal the disabled veterans tax, the nile or reduction of benefits to qualified benefits, adversely affects not only the veterans but also the family members who rely on that income to meet

living expenses. it goes without saying that the auxiliary continues to stand fully behind the legion efforts to protect the u.s. flag from physical desecration. [applause] commander foster, members are ready and able to advance the legislative priorities. we pledged to continue to work together, advocate for public policies that improve the well- being for military service members, veterans, and families. thank you for this opportunity to address our members @ today's commander's call. thank you. [applause]

>> to give you an update on this sure-shot award, i was at fort jackson with the national president, and we went there with the department of south carolina on our visitation, and we were out there and went on the rifle range to fire the new m-4. i had the m-1 in my younger days. the national president embarrassed me. [laughter] to say the least. as a former marine, she shot nine direct kills out of 11, all head shots, and smoked them. [applause] thank you, for your continuing support of the american legion.

it is time to present another award, but first, it is my great pleasure to present the award's prison term. he was elected national commander of the american legion on august 28, 2002, in charlotte, north carolina. he certainly earned that distinction. past national commander is the veteran of the united states air force where he served as an air policeman from 1963 until 1966. it was then that he joined the american legion and went to work for us. he founded a new legion post in 1972 and served in that post for 22 years as adjutant, and then four years as their commander. since then, he has held innumerable offices at the local, state, and national levels of the american legion. his dedication to veterans is

most evident in his role as an advocate for the wounded, injured, and disadvantages' veterans. in the 1988, he formed the pennsylvania american legion housing for veterans corporation. it is still a growing concern today. during his tenure as national commander in 2003, he personally visited the eight hospitals across the nation and offered the landmark report to congress on his findings called "a system worth saving." today the task force members tour facilities nationwide, issuing annual reports that, thanks to the commander's primary effort, makes a tangible and positive difference in the service and care that our veterans received. we are truly honored to have him with us as a a man whose compassion and leadership on

important social issues affecting veterans and their families is not only his continuing legacy, but ours as well. please welcome from pittsburgh, pennsylvania, past national commander, ronald connolly. [applause] >> thank you very much. i truly appreciate the introduction, but it is not about me. we are here to honor a tremendous person who served our country and serve as the veterans. our honoree is the third-term united states congressman, representing the fourth district and a small corner in western pennsylvania.

before coming to our nation's capital, he actually was a jock, and you can see how tall he is and handsome, and he was a regular track and field and football player at a high school north of pittsburgh. seeing sunnier climates, he went to florida and went to florida state university. he graduated in 1990. he came back to washington, d.c., and worked as a legislative aide to then former congressman pete peterson. it was during that time he gained expertise in health care. he returned to western pennsylvania in 1998 with his recently acquired expertise to work at the university of pittsburgh medical center, which

compromises which -- which comprises 20-odd hospitals, and a $20 billion revenue each year. by 2005, he was acting vice president for a government relations and community health services. that year he was awarded the northern allegany chamber of commerce arcadian award, an annual honor to the local business leader who most exemplifies dedication to the community service. the next year in 2006, he ran for congress of the united states. during his relative short but productive congressional career, and we hope it is going to be a long one, he has introduced 37 bills or amendments that have passed the house, 24 of them

have been signed into law by the president of the united states. what is most important was seven of those bills directly related to the veterans. this commitment to the veterans was from pay one. surprisingly, he is also played in the congressional debate over health care reform. this is all very impressive, but the primary reason we are here to honor him is for his dedication to the homeless veterans. when congressman altmire was running for the congress of the united states, he came to pennsylvania to the american legion housing for homeless veterans banquet, which we hold each year in january. he made a commitment and a promise that he would be there every year, and he has held to that promise.

what is most striking about that and most of you know and most of you hold banquets, the politicians come in and they greet you and they say hi, and they tell you they have another important function or engagement to go to and they leave. congressman altmire comes at the beginning of our program, and he is the last one to lead our program. [applause] -- to leavef our programe. congressman altmire made a commitment to help the american legion fight and change and get an opportunity to homeless veterans who served our country honorably, but cause of the way the dice rolled in their lives, they became homeless. he made a commitment to help

make a change in their lives. he not only did it with words, but he did it with a the nation. congressman altmire donated $10,000 to the pennsylvania american legion housing for homeless veterans corporation. [applause] i am proud to present this special recognition award to the hon. jason altmire from the fourth congressional district of pennsylvania. [applause] >> the award reads in special

recognition of the hon. jason altmire, united states house of representatives, representing pennsylvania's fourth congressional district, for his selfless the nation to the pennsylvania american legion's housing for homeless veterans corp., to continue its mission of assisting the homeless veterans of pennsylvania. the concept for the housing for homeless veterans is simple -- provide a safe, clean, stable environment for the participants while they complete schooling, job training, and become adequately self-sufficient to seek permanent housing in the surrounding community. the main goal for the participants is to become productive tax paying citizens by securing good, decent jobs. over the years, the corporation has had over 400 veterans go to the program with an 85% success rate. in his relatively short congressional career, representative altmire has introduced, co-sponsored, and supported several pieces of legislation aimed at assisting veterans, including expanding

small businesses assistance, expanding the family and medical leave act for military families, and improving treatment of traumatic brain injury. the american legion a plot and deeply appreciates representative altmire's contribution to this excess of america's homeless veterans and their families. presented in washington, d.c., at the washington conference of the american legion, march 22, 2011, signed daniel weaver, national adjutant. [applause] >> thank you, now you know what the award says. this is an incredible honor for me. i cannot tell you how much this means to me. this is not something that you usually do during your conventions. this is a special recognition award, so, commander, your entire team, i want you to know this is very important me, and

commander conley, i know that this hopefully will show the rest of the country and the rest of the american legion how important that program has become in the state of pennsylvania. i can tell you that as a member of congress, when you have a past national commander in your district, and that commander's name is ron conley, going to pay attention to the american legion. [laughter] so thank you. thank you for your friendship and thank you for your advice and consultation, and that has led to my interest in the homeless veterans program. you can spend your time in the number of ways when you are in progress, and like a lot of people, in a bipartisan way, i have chosen to dedicate my time, making sure our veterans are taken care of, that we are supporting our troops, and that is a bipartisan across the aisle motivation for all of congress. we work together on that.

in pennsylvania, we have a unique program of the homeless veterans project, which commander conley continue to carry forward. the reason why i took a special interest in that was because when you talk about supporting our troops, when you talk about the men and women, when the return home and making sure that they are cared for, as a country we seem to talk about the same thing. we talk about traumatic brain injuries, amputations, the family acts, the away from your family, the reserve situation, making sure the business can carry on without you, making sure the job is still there when you return, making sure the bonus you have earned and deserve is awarded to you and you get to keep every penny of it. every of these things are important. homelessness has until recently been one of those issues that people said i did not want to

think about that, i do not want to talk about that. because of you, because of the people in this room, that is no longer the case. the president of the united states, the secretary of the virginia, and american legion chapters across this country have made caring for homeless veterans and eliminating homeless among our veterans population to be the top priority of the v.a. and people who care about veterans in this country. it is no longer something that we do not want to talk about that. i am happy about this award. i accept it with great gratitude, but understand this is an award for you. this is your effort that made this possible, because now as a nation, we recognize we have a lot of work to do, we're making a lot press, but there's more work to be done. i am trying to do my part in a very small way, but it is because of the people in this room and the people in pennsylvania who run that veterans' housing program that

we're making such great strides. i accept this on your behalf. thank you very much for your support, and i look forward to working with you all. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, congressman. we are very grateful for service and honored by your presence here today. at a recent senate veterans affairs committee meeting, ranking member senator john burr to our next guest, there is no better man for the job than you, sir. the senator from north carolina was speaking to and about ray jefferson, assistant secretary for the veterans employment and training, other known -- otherwise known as verts.

the always smiling ray is a west point graduate. he majored in leadership. indeed, he subsequently served as an officer and chief leadership positions in the u.s. presidential honor guard, third ranger battalion, and first special forces group. ray can identify with the challenges of facing with the warriors because he is one. during special forces training some years ago, ray lost all five fingers while attempting to protect his buddies for my prematurely detonating a hand grenade. after recovery, he went back to school with a vision. he went to cambridge, massachusetts, and earned an mba from harvard business school. he came down here as a washington -- as a white house fellow, serve as a fulbright fellow in singapore, work at a high-level job creation position

for the state of hawaii, and finally was summoned back to washington by then secretary of state: powell, received a leisure the award for dedication to public service. he was a natural choice for his position at the department of labour. i can list his other accomplishments from my -- but my introduction would be longer than his remarks. welcome ray jefferson, mr. secretary. [applause] >> good morning, american legion. >> good morning. >> how are you doing this morning? commander foster, president

ashworth, chairman, members of the legion, i am thrilled and honored to be with you this morning. i also want to applaud you for your courage for bringing me back a second time. you must not have heard the story about the assistant secretary who was invited to give a keynote speech early in the morning. after it was over he went back to his office and called the special assistant and said, i ask you to write me a 20-minute speech. instead he gave me an hour-long speech. halfway through it everybody started leaving. it was a disaster. what happened? the special assistant said, sir, i did write you a 20-minute speech. i gave you the two extra copies that you also asked for. [laughter] i am wide awake at 10:00 p.m.

last night and i woke up with energy to address the american legion, the first service organization. [applause] i also asked this question, how many are many veterans to we have here this morning? navy? air force? marina? coast guard? all right. i am glad i did not have to -- i like to share a joke once in awhile where all services look good. i will take a story about the general who had a reputation for being one of the fastest thinking generals and the army. he was evaluating his troops on maneuvers when if friend who was an admiral came by to visit. they were friends early on. the admiral was on charlie. the admiral said, general, i am proud to tell you that i have

the most courageous men and women on the high seas. digital said, i am very happy for you. i have the most courageous men and women on land. the admiral said, we have known each other a long time. i know you are saying that because i said it first. you cannot prove that. the general said, he did not think so? watch this. he called over a private and said, private, you see that tank moving over there from side to side of the private said, yes, sir. the general said, i want you to run over to that tape, jumped out in front of it, and stop using nothing but your body. the private, said, sir, you have got to be kidding me. there ain't no way i'm doing that. that would be killing me. you need to come up with any plan. that private took off running. the general terms to be at war, said, see, it takes a lot of courage to talk that way to a general. i am thrilled and honored to be

here with you this morning. we're here together about a year. i want to acknowledge you have a great team on your economics committee, led by joe sharp and -- where is bob? you have a great economics team, and last june we were here talking about the challenges in the area of veterans and plum. what we have done in the last year, just bring your attention to the right side of the room. i want to ask these two ladies to raise their hands. these are two members of my team. the a both veterans, but they are also what i call super veterans. both of these ladies are graduates of the u.s. military academy at west point. rachel -- give it up. [applause] go ahead and raise your hand. rachel, on the right side, also has a master's degree in

leadership coaching from georgetown university. she is an adjutant general officer. on the left side, nancy was a military police officer, catastrophically injured in a jump, 100% paralyzed in a wheelchair. incredible willpower and just truly hers and miracles, she was blessed to have a miraculous recovery, went on to law school, served as an executive with a quest with the paralyzed veterans of america, and she is now director of strategic out of reach. rachel is our chief people's officer. please welcome them to our american legion family. [applause]

thank you, ladies and gentleman, for that very warm introduction. one last joke. [laughter] then some lessons from the joke. it is about business commanders who were visiting new york city, and he was asked to fly to europe. he walks into a bank, asks to see the loan officer, and he needed a loan for $5,000. the officer said, for love of that size, we will need collateral. the businessman pulled out the keys to his car, a brand-new rolls-royce, it is parked out front. the loan officer takes the keys, gives him the paper work, the businessman fills out the paperwork. he is given a loan for 5009, takes the keys, it gives them to a bank employe, and a bank employee parks the car in the

underground parking rush. the businessman goes off to europe, asks for the loan officer, says it was a pleasure doing business 3. here is your $5,000. here's the interest. the loan officer says, not so fast. when you were gone we did some research on you, and we realized you are actually and multimillionaire. why would a multimillionaire and need a loan for just $5,000? the businessman looked at him and said, i did not get to be a multimillionaire without having some foresight and creativity. how else you get two weeks of the church parking in new york city for only $15? [applause] commander said that was good, so i think they put that on the calendar for next year. what i wanted to say to you

today is we cannot have transformational outcomes for our veterans unless we become a transformational organization. which cannot be a transformational organization unless we have transformational individuals. that is one of the reasons that rachel over there is working to ensure that each member of the team is growing in realizing his or her potential. for set and creativity is what is going to be required to effect meaningful employment into the's economy for veterans, for our service members, for our spouses. we do three primary things at vets. you prepare men and women for meaningful careers. we provide access to curtis for veterans and we protect that access and those rights. let me say that again. we prepare them, we provide access, and we protect. last year i thought about the fact that the program has not

been modest kinds -- has not been modernized in 19 years. i do not care how many jokes you have, you can only do so much with 186 powerpoint slides. we have reached out to figure, who are the most effective programming people in our nation in kerr transition, and who are they in the world week this year are transforming and redesigning this program to the ground up. for the first time ever we will have prework. will take assessments. isn't that a new idea? you would take assessments to determine how ready you are for employment and what your -- what your interests are. we will bring you to the program with other people who have the same needs. then we will bring in best practices content, like how to - mental telling, afte

resilience the techniques, how to transition from a military to a civilian work environment. we will get away from the powerpoint slot and go to what we all know to the military -- learning by doing. experiential learning. that is the adult learning best practice. we will do something never done before. after taps for, how many of you have brought -- have bought a laptop in the last few years and you spend a lot of time on the front the next of of weeks, and carlene is shaking her head, support?to tach po for 16 member -- for 60 days, they can go on the phone and get customized coaching to implement a plan that they create. never been done before. [applause]

we will have an entire program online, so any of you, in the employees you have, any veterans, spouse will be able that access this online platform, all the content will be on line. for the first time we will measure the results. 1.7 million people have gone through taps the last 19 years. do you know how much feedback we have to improve the program to the database? zero. will get proformance metrics when they graduate, when they apply what they learned, and when they get a job. that is why goal that this fully implemented by veterans day. that is why we are preparing our servicemen and women for the 21st century. we are making sure spouses are where they can use this program. we would do the partnerships with the military spouse

employment program which has given jobs for 19,000 spouses. [applause] we cannot do this work alone. we need you, the american legion, and the other organizations to help us. i know secretary shinseki will be with us shortly. he is a source of inspiration. we need connors. we are doing this with dod, hud, this is not just vets up here. let's talk about running access to meaningful quarters. we used to meet with employers one at a time. you can imagine how long that can take to set up a meeting. now we have started the partnership with the u.s. chamber, phase one in july of and 14 states.ik

directors have been invited to address rooms full of employers, 300 employers at a time and in 45 days we have reached 1500 employers last year. how long would that normally have taken to do that same thing? your spirit -- yars. now we are going to face -- right to be working with the top 100 chambers of congress --, worked -- commerce in the nation. the legion will be there. we have over 100 employers confirmed to come and hire veterans. there is a waiting list for them to get in the door. we have over 500 veterans confirmed. [applause] we are telling employers you

come to higher on the spot. this is a hiring fair, and we expect to do this with the other 99 top chambers in the nation. we're just getting stoddard. we're right to ask for your help as we do that following fairs. we are going to be asking to helping us with this as we go to the other 99 hiring fairs. bee you can help us with the employers there. i have sent this out. nancy is the one who sends it out. you get this information through joe sharp. that is one thing you can do. we're also forming a partnership, the society for resource managers. number 2, job corps. young guest veterans have the highest unemployment, so we have the program with job corps,

giving them round trip transportation, housing, everything provide it to customize accelerated training program leading to a job, a lifelong certificate, and 21 months of post employment support. take that.r -- we'll [applause] thank you. we have over 100 veterans now. we have space for 200 more in the pilot. i ask for help to help us get the word out to young veterans. we have sent information to you in the past. you have helped us get it over 100. can you please help us get to 300? the number one source of information on how people signed up for this pilot is family and friends. you all can be incredibly helpful to us in this area. commander, i am going to ask nancy to send this information

to joe today. if you would graciously consider to share this with the legion, i can think of no greater source of communication to our young veterans, the family and friends of the american legion community. i ask for your assistance homily. -- humbly. it is great, we can come to a national conference in washington, d.c. we need to remember that in america, 70% of americans live in rural america, 37% of veterans live in rural america. for a long time, veterans in oral america have been underserved when it comes to employment. we realized this last year, and we launched a pilot program in washington state, a very innovative partnership, working with veterans service

organizations, state government teams, and the corporation for national community service, where for the first time we get boots on the ground in rural america. we're in contact with veterans in rural america. when they say yes, we are right there knocking on their door, giving them one on one coaching and services. never been done before. let me tell you something. we were hoping to have a 10% participation rate. our participation rate is in excess of 90%. [applause] we would like to move this in face to to six states and make the national initiative. where constrained by resources, but as i talked about foresight and creativity, we have a few

ideas. we will be working on those. you cannot let a good program like that down. the cost is almost zero dollars to implement. let me say in terms of providing access that we are completely supportive of the inspiring vision that secretary shinseki has laid out for all of us roughly a year and a half ago of ending veterans homelessness in five years. we contribute to the program, and we have and incarcerate the better training program as well, reduce recidivism among our for lee incarcerated veterans to give them a second chance in life. we also have a green jobs training program. provide and protect. i will conclude with protect by same that we have done a process

assessment of our employment rights program. it is very paper center. it is not automated. it does not use the best technology. it is slow. we're bringing in best practices. where automating it, develop an electronic case manager credit and means there will be a better customer service experience, and we will continue to look for ways to become more effective in the application of the employment rates. you all, you can do all the right things, but people who are not in this room did not know about the value of hiring veterans, and it is hard to have transformational and back. that is why we are working with fortune magazine and forbes magazine and business week to have articles that will be covering the value of hiring of a veteran and how to find

veterans, which are the most widely read descriptions by c zero's in america. i am glad that last year fortune magazine put a veteran on its coverage who i believe is the first time in history, and not just a veteran, but you can see this in the back, a woman veteran as well. [applause] we have got commitments from business week to do to sections on veterans employment this year. that is 30 million people who will see each of those. we have a commitment from for us to do one more. we are working with the entertainment industry foundation and hall with to do a event that is supposed to blanket the airwaves with powerful, and to our messages about veterans. why to hire them, honoring military families. all of this is a big part of our

emphasis on raising awareness and our nation about the value of hiring our veterans. let me conclude by sharing a few things. i hope you find the things we are doing to be the right things. did not prepare a speech for my time with you today. i just wanted to give you an update. president woodrow wilson said we're not here merely to make a living. we are here to enable the world to live more amply, greater spirit and with a finer sense of hope and achievement. we are here to improve the world, and we impoverished ourselves if we ever forget

that errand. members of the american legion, you have always remembered that noble errand. you remind us of our values and who we are. you remind us of the service and sacrifices that have been required for us to get your. you remind us who and what we have the potential to become. woodrow wilson also said, commander, that we grow great buy our dreams. all great men and women are dreamers. they see things in the soft hayes of a spring day or the red fire along with your's evening. some of us that these great dreams die, but others nourished and protect them, nurse them to

the bad days until they emerge into the sunshine and a light which comes always to those who sincerely hope their dreams will come true. members of the american legion, you remind of the global dream of what our nation is, the journey that we have traveled, where we are going, and who we can become. eleanor roosevelt said it is better to like a single candle than to curse the darkness. you, the american legion, is a candle that lights the way to a better america and a better future. please continue to burn bright. thank you very much. [applause]

>> thank you. >> thank you, mr. secretary, for being a dynamic young man, and thank you for your continued support and service to america by helping veterans secure meaningful employment. and somebody should have got those two former soldiers over there and find out if they are a member of the american legion. i got a thumbs-up. there we go. thank you, ladies, for your service. thank you. the american legion has since its inception dedicated itself not only the veterans themselves, but to their families.

that is one reason the suns of the american legion was created in 1932. the sal is made up of boys and men of all ages whose parents or grandparents have served in the united states armed forces and were eligible for membership in the american legion. together, members of the american legion, the american legion auxiliary, and be son of the american legion make up the entire american legion family. we all place high importance on preserving our american traditions and values, improving the quality of life for our nation's children, caring for veterans and their families, and perhaps, most importantly, teaching the fundamentals of good citizenship. with a past national commanders of the son of the american legion please rise and be recognized at this time.

[applause] thank you, gentlemen. please welcome the current national commander of the sons of the american legion, from texas, david duke. [applause] >> good morning. thank you. the morning, ladies engineman. -- good morning, ladies and gentleman. we have our priority list, and every issue is very important. it has to be addressed as so. call me caribe, call me selfish, with all the great things that has happened to me this year, from being elected to this great office in milwaukee, to

being at pearl harbor, madam president, commander foster, with the 120 survivors of that horrific attack, to the laying of the reeds at the beautiful morals this week, have one more on my pocket list, as i call it. this being the year that our representatives and senators get off their duffs and do the right thing and pass a joint resolution 13, that congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the fans -- of the flight of the united states of america. -- of the flag of a united states of america. so, commander foster, i know i can speak to the over 340,000 members of the sons the american legion that we are by your side with honor and pride. thank you.

>> thank you for your continued dedication to the american legion family. our next speaker is recognized as a familiar face. that is because he is a close neighbor to our d.c. staff and also more importantly he works so closely with the american legion. we met in his office for 71 minutes. just around the corner from our d.c. headquarters, to discuss issues of concern of veterans. and issues of concern to the agency that he is now leading. he is a 1965 graduate of west

point,: on to complete 38 years of hon. proletariat service in the united states honor -- 38 years of honorable service in the united states army, the highest office in the army from 1999 until 2003. he has shown himself to be a true friend of veterans and wishes to do good work with federal services organizations in general and in particular with the american legion. it is my honor to introduce to you again the hon. erickson shaklee -- eric shinsek, the secretary of veterans affairs. [applause]

>> thank you very much for that kind introduction and for the invitation to be here today. for those of us who still have teams playing in march madness, congratulations. for the rest of you, condolences. we will see next year. let me acknowledge your vice- commanders, and the outstanding as a good director, the adjutant, the legislative chairman, carlene ashworth, auxiliary president, and as president of the sons of the american legion. i understand, jason altmire was here. he and the senator you will

recognize later, each has been a tremendous supporter and worker on behalf of veterans, families, and survivors. in my opinion there are no two more deserving members of congress for that kind of recognition. congratulations to them once again. members of the legion, other distinguished guests, and i include ray jefferson. it is always difficult following re, ladies and gentleman, i am honored to be here, and i salute the legion's longstanding devotion to our nation's veterans. last week i attended the funeral for frank buckles, as it in the army at age 16, the last american veteran of the war to end all wars, and who has in

later life, why he lied to serve in world war women want. he said if your country needs you, should be right there. that is the way i felt when i was young, and that is the way i feel today. on the eve of battle during world war ii, a person wrote his family, always pray not that i should come back, but i will have the courage to my duty. with great sadness, the lieutenant was killed in the battle at guadalcanal. and joined what is today more than 1 million americans who have throughout our nearly 235- year history of our nation, placed their most precious gifts on the altar of freedom. with your help and support, 2010 was a good year for veterans. for two years we have been teaching three fundamental

behaviors we have been after and focusing people on three key creditors, three behaviors, 3 prius, six simple rules of thumb, and i will go to those quickly and then you will see how that translates into the kinds of things we're working on. the three behaviors, a sound like of course stickers, but they're not. people centric. we serve veterans. that is our own mission, and veterans are the center of the focus. in that kind of a service- oriented relationship, people count. they must be trained. they must be well trained. they must be properly motivated, have the right attitudes, and then enjoy it inspiring leadership. that is my responsibility. to put in place the kind of leadership that will generate the first two points.

next, result oriented. we must be able to measure return on any investments the make -- we make. if we cannot measure, we will not invest. there are many good idea that has come to me, saying, mr. secretary, we need to do this. if no one can lay out the business plan for one would take our precious resources and invest it in that way and sure return for veterans, frankly, we have withheld the decisions. finally, forward looking. we need to look five years to envision that the a -- the v.a. we will need in terms of training, commitment, and in terms of leadership. if we're going to better serve veterans than we do today, and and that that long-term decide.

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his budget requests 132.2 billion dollars in 2012, $61.9 of that is in discretionary funding which is where healthcare is. that's what affects us most of the $70.3 billion in mandatory funding. our discretionary budget request represents an increase of $5.9 billion, about a 10.6% increase over the 2010 enacted budget. two documents, while each document, the budget request and advance appropriations request is important enough on their own, when you put them together, they are powerful in terms of energy, opportunity and

continuity. thanks to congress' granting the advanced appropriations that you and the american legion worked so hard to get for us. so while v.b.a., benefits, and n.c.a., my two other administrations, like all other departments and agencies across the government are dealing with a continuing resolution. v.h.a., the healthcare administration, is fully funded for 2011 and delivering healthcare to veterans without interception. [applause] this was your doing. it's often noted that less than 1% of americans serve in our military. those who do allow the rest of us to do what we do the best, out-create, out-think, out-work and out-produce the rest of the world. they, those who serve in

uniform, help unleash our powerful economic engine, enabling us to do what we've historically done, and that's win. now, i know the economy has lost a bit of sparkle at the moment, but i trust the instincts, the energy, the creativity and the intellect of the american people to get us back on course. that economy is coming back. president obama has challenged all of us to win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, out-building our competition and this budget helps veterans and v.a. do our part. today, our military remains operationally deployed in iraq and afghanistan. conflicts have been underway for most of the past decade. the burden on our magnificent, all-volunteer force and its families to accomplish every mission without failure, without

fanfare, without complaint, has been enormous. we all know that. as they redeploy home and return to their communities, the nation must find ways to offer them the opportunity to add their substantial -- gained operationally -- their substantial skills, knowledge and attributes to that powerful economic engine i described. and ray jefferson's discussion with you was about how to jumpstart jobs for veterans. v.a.'s mission is crucial to their transition home. as president lincoln reminded us 146 years ago, we care, we care for those who have borne the battle and their spouses and orphans. those requirements and responsibilities have grown as we address long-standing issues of past wars. we did this last year. if you'll recall, agent orange, gulf war illness, combat ptsd

were some of the decisions we took care of and at the same time watched the injuries and illnesses from the current conflicts grow significantly. these numbers will continue to rise for many years, maybe even decades, after the last american combatant comes home from iraq and afghanistan. you understand this is reality. this is reality. you have all lived it, and we have to ensure that the lessons of the past aren't revisited. when the last combatant comes home, v.a.'s requirements are still going to be building and we look for your help and support and insights on how to do our jobs. v.a. is a large organization with a correspondingly large budget and diverse and complex mission. we provide healthcare, disability benefits, pensions, home loans, life insurance --

life insurance -- educational assistance, and we run the largest -- the nation's largest cemetery system, which, by the way, has outperformed every other enterprise in this country for the past decade, public or private, non-profit or profit. so some ask, why is v.a. so large and complex? why is the federal government doing so many things for veterans? and my research demonstrates it's a pretty simple answer, because in times past, those who wore our nation's uniforms were often either unable to acquire or afford those services on their own, no one would provide them. and so v.a. was missioned to deliver the promises of presidents and meet the obligations of the american people, and very simply, that's our mission. at present, about 8.4 million

veterans receive v.a. medical care and benefits and by way of comparison, i will point out that in 2008, i arrived in january 2009, but at the end of 2008, that number was 7.8 million. today it's 8.4 and it's projected to be 8.62012, -- 8.6 2012, in year. i project the numbers will continue to grow. there's another 14.3 million veterans and 35 million spouses and adult children who don't receive care and benefits from v.a. but still see themselves as veterans or parts of veterans families, whether or not they ever visit one of our medical centers or apply for disability. what i'm suggesting is, this is a large veteran population.

and they expect us to get things right for the veterans we do serve. over the next two years, we intend to produce the following deliverables -- homelessness. president obama strongly supports ending veterans' homelessness by 2015. two years ago, there were approximately 131,000 veterans on any given night counted as homeless. these are estimates. today, we estimate there are about 76,000 homeless veterans. we intend to take this number below 60,000 by june of next year. and en route to ending veteran homelessness by 2015. the 2012 budget includes $939 million to prevent and reduce homelessness amongst veterans, an increase of 17.5%, or about

$140 million over the 2011 budget. a comprehensive review is underway to use v.a.'s inventory of vacant or under-used buildings to house homeless or at-risk veterans and their families. v.a. has identified 94 sites, potentially adding 6,300 units of housing through public-private ventures using v.a.'s enhanced lease use authority, an authority we have from the congress. [applause] so we're generating the housing units that we need. this enhanced use authority, lease authority, e.u.l., is scheduled to lapse at the end of calendar year 2011 and its reauthorization by the congress is needed to continue increasing housing for homeless veterans and their families so we have

placed a request before the congress to help us by extending the e.u. l. legislation. the most flexible and responsive housing option remains the hud voucher today, a voucher that's collaborated on by housing and urban development department and v.a. both secretary donovan and i endorse the importance of this joint effort. the hud vouchers are our only option at the moment for housing veterans with families or women veterans with children. that's our only option and that's why it's critically important. let me touch on the claims backlog. 29, -- 2009, we produced 279,000 claims decisions, it was a record for us. but we took in a million claims in return. in 2010, for the first time, we bruised a -- produced a million

claims decisions going out the door but took in 1.2 million. this year we are programmed to receive between 1.4 and 1.5 million claims. the growth is tied, in part, to the economic downturn. the numbers are large and merely hiring more claims processors won't give us that added capability to dominate this kind of growth pattern. we'll get incrementally better, but it doesn't allow us to handle the numbers coming in as well as take down the back log. we must automate, we must automate and we must do that quickly. 2012 budget for v.b.a. is $2 billion, an increase of $330 million, or 19.5% over the 2010 budget and these funds are needed to get us out of paper, into electronic processing,

something that should have happened in v.a. decades ago. automation -- [applause] the power of automation, you know, part of our challenge is getting, not just the sheer numbers up, but also the quality of the decision, the accuracy of the decision being made. and our quality right now is about 84%. that's not good enough. it needs to be about 98%. if you're the boston rox, -- red sox, .800 batting average is o.k., but we're not the boston red sox, we're the v.a. we need to get this number to around 98%. here's what automation allows you to do. we have terrific claims processors who have been doing this for 20 and 30 years old so they are very experienced. and then we have youngsters who have been in the program two or

three programs and are still learning but because of the sheer demand of numbers, we have to put them online, supervised by the senior folks. automation allows you to take the experience of a 30-year veteran and put it into a rules-based engine so that the three-year experienced person has the benefit of that kind of experience. when the data is provided, you push a button, you get a decision that would have been driven by the long-time employee. so that's why we have to automate. we have a host of promising options being piloted today. we expect a good number of them to begin paying off next year as we begin moving to fully automate the disability claims process. the president's budget request for v.b.a., benefits administration, provides $148 million to complete pilot testing and fielding of our paperless system, we call that

v.b.m.s., veterans of about management system. and that's where we're headed. we began piloting v.b.m.s. in november of 2010 in providence, rhode island. it looks great. we hope to have it rolling out nationally in 2012 and then we'll see what numbers provide. the g.i. bill. the budget request supports expanded eligibility for post 9/11 g.i. bill benefits by including non-college degree programs such as on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence courses, among others. it was acknowledgment that not every youngster wants to sit in a college classroom for four years and if we're going to provide the opportunity for a college degree to some of our youngsters, we need to provide options for others who wanted to go to work. and here, the vocational training business kicks in and we have youngsters who want to go into carpentry or plumbing or

electrical work. we need to provide them the opportunity not to come out as apprentices, but hopefully journeymen and well on their way to licensing. so that we've provided equity in the system. it also fully funds this -- this budget fully funds full automation of the payment process for the new g.i. bill by the end of this year, speeding tuition and housing payments to eligible veterans and through october of 2010 last year, v.a. has invested over $7 billion in tuition, housing stipends to more than 423,000 student veterans and eligible family members. the new g.i. bill, montgomery g.i. bill and vocational rehab training, over 800,000 young

veterans and family members are in college. my report to you is that the program is working thanks to the congress' generosity and thanks to the great support of organizations like the american legion. mental health, this budget seeks nearly $51 billion for medical care and out of that, $6.2 billion for critically required medical health programs and also directly to our suicide prevention initiatives alone. we have a suicide hot line in new york. it's taken in over 400,000 phone calls to this point and something a little over 11,000 suicides in process were interrupted by the good folks on the phone lines. so that's -- [applause] so those 11,000 people who are

definitively helped and saved by that investment. our focus is on treatment for post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and other psychological and cognitive health requirements as well as greater collaboration between the department of defense and v.a., to seamlessly provide mental healthcare. this is something that secretary gates and i are personally invested in. in addition to the major initiatives, the new budget recognizes the tremendous responsibilities and financial burdens assumed by veterans' caregivers, provides stipends for specialized training, healthcare and mental health services. it's hard to quantify the sacrifices they make to help veterans. they are historic partners in helping us with the rehabilitation of veterans as someone who speaks from personal experience here, we can never

say thank you enough, provide enough assistance to our caregivers. so that's part of the budget, as well. the new budget also invests in the healthcare needs of women veterans wherever they seek care. we know these numbers will continue to grow and we want to get out ahead of that growth and ensure that we have both programs and facilities as well as research underway before their numbers are more significant. it also provides operations maintenance funding to the national cemeteries administration to establish a new standard for providing nearly 90% of the veteran population a burial site within 75 miles of their homes, and over time, that distance and population has shrunk. at one time, it was much larger and we are now down to within 75 miles, any population of 80,000 veterans will have -- our goal

is to have a cemetery within 75 miles of their home. and finally, the 2012 budget request continues robust funding for rural health initiatives that we funded in 2009, 2010 and 2011. let me close with a reminder. i've talked about what we're trying to do not just to handle today's programs, but how to be ready five years from now to provide even better service to a larger and more complex set of requirements that veterans have. so let me close with a reminder about why we look that far into the future. why v.a. must look beyond today and position itself for its responsibilities over the coming decade. on march 26, 2010, about a year ago and a couple of days, marine corporal todd nicely, walking point for his squad in lacarey,

afghanistan, tripped a 40-pound pressure detonated i.e.d., ripped off his body armor. the blast was so powerful, it ripped off his body armor, his helmet, tore off his right leg and left hand and eventually his left leg and right arm had to be removed, as well. amazingly resilient through innumerable surgeries, todd nicely is one of our nations three quadruple amputees out of iraq and afghanistan. "the washington post" recently told his incredible story aboutaur vival, about adjustment, about love, about support. but at its core, the article described a marine, a young marine with a heart of a lion. and what shines through all of this are todd's resilience, his

humility, his own personal strength of character, and an incredibly positive attitude that comes from someplace deep inside. in his words, "i remember screaming once or twice, those blood curdling screams they do in the movies." he recounted of the moments immediately after the i.e.d. went off, "and i remember thinking to myself, don't do it again, because this is the last damage that these boys will have of you in their heads so stay strong," and after that, i shut up, all that incredible pain, right? at their reunion at bethesda, his 24-year-old wife, crystal, a wonderful woman, every bit as tough as her husband, asked him if he knew his legs were missing and he said he did. she then asked him if he knew his hands were also missing, he

said, no. he was quiet for a moment, then asked, did anybody else get hurt? crystal said, no, and his response was one word, "good." during an awards ceremony at walter reed army medical center with members of his unit present, lieutenant colonel mcdonough, battalion commander, said he hoped his own children might one day have the courage of corporal todd nicely. when it was todd's turn to speak, he said simply, i'd like to thank everybody. i'd like to thank my platoon for getting me back. if it weren't for you guys, i don't think i'd be alive today. other than that, i don't really have much more to say. i love you guys. todd nicely's toughness, his courage, concern for squad mates even when his own life hung in the balance, and his quiet humility are hallmarks we have

witnessed time and again amongst this generation of warriors, but not just this generation, warriors of previous generations, as well. whatever service we come from, all of us can see in todd nicely and his actions the essence of the marine corps, always faithful. i am told the word polytrauma was not a word until this conflict. simply, people who are this badly injured did make it off the battlefield. polytrauma is a new word to all of us. todd nicely and others like him are going to need v.a. for a long time so we must posture our v.a. for the future, a future that we can already see, even today. we must remain always faithful to the men and women who have gone into harm's way for us. we've come a long way in the

last 26 months. that's my report to you of the but we have a lot more work to do. my report to you today underscores the fact that this administration, this v.a., and our partners like the american legion, will spare no effort in serving the generations of men and women whose love of freedom and dedication to democracy have raised america up to greatness. i look forward to working with all of you in our mutual calling. may god bless all who serve and have served our nation in uniform and may god continue to bless this wonderful country of ours. thank you all very much. [applause]

>> thank you, mr. secretary. like secretary shinseki, our distinguished service award recipient hails from hawaii. daniel akaka is the first senator of native hawaiian ancest tree and the only chinese-american member of the united states senate. like most of his generation, his view was interrupted by world war ii. upon graduation from high school in 1942, he served in the united states army corps of engineers first as a civilian worker, then as an active duty soldier from 1943 to 1947. following the war, the senator returned to school, enrolling in the university of hawaii. a strong believer in the power of education, he made it his career as a teacher and principal in the state of hawaii

department of education. he was first elected to the united states house in 1976. congressman akaka then was appointed to the united states senate when senator spark masanna passed away, subsequently winning election to the office in 1990, where he is now in his fourth and final term. having recently announced he does not intend on running for re-election in 2012. a strong and vocal advocate for veterans, the senator has served on the assistant committee on veterans' affairs for each year of his tenure since his arrival to the united states senate. at the start of the 110th congress, he was tapped to serve as chairman of the committee, a position he retained until the completion of the 111th congress.

during his tenure as the chairman, the senator presided over significant legislation to provide historic budget increases for our veterans, secured advanced propositions for the v.a., expand access to the v.a. healthcare, improve health services for all veterans and modernize benefits earned by america's troops. also noteworthy, considering his initial college education, was funded by the original g.i. bill, and his strong belief in the power of education, senator akaka sponsored the post 9/11 veterans educational assistance improvement acts of 2010. this legislation, which president obama signed into law in january of this year, substantially improves and expands educational benefits so that america's newest generation

of veterans receive a benefit package that is equal to or better than those provided veterans of world war ii, korea, and vietnam. this recipients of this year's american legion distinguished public service award is the junior senator from the state of hawaii and a true friend of his fellow veterans, the honorable daniel akaka. sadly, senator akaka cannot be with us today, but he has communicated his gratitude to the american legion through this video. >> aloha! i am sorry that i could not be with you in washington, but i wanted to take a moment to thank you for this great honor.

as you know, the american legion is a widely respected organization. you do so many great things for so many people. i am truly humbled and honored to be recognized by the legion. .

however, there is more work to be done. as a senior member of the veteran's affair committees, i

continue to fight that our members, veterans, and their families receive the benefits and services they have earned and designer -- and deserve. from the bottom of my heart, and thank you so much for this recognition. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, let us pay tribute to the great attributes that senator daniel akaka has given the veterans over many years. [applause]

if anybody has ever been before him, he does talk just like that. i am proud of him. matthew snyder was a fighter. he made the supreme sacrifice for his country on march 3, 2006 while serving in iraq. his father has proven that the apple did not fall far from the tree. when protesters from the severely misguided westborough religious cult intruded upon matthews funeral. -- funeral, alberta came to court. what he prevailed in the lower court, he lost his recent supreme court decision by a vote of 8-1. nevertheless, thanks to the american legion writers and

other supporters, we have been able to shield some families from the pain inflicted as the protesters shout out their hateful venom. his legal team worked for his case pro bono. other expenses have added up enormously. adding insult to injury, mr. snyder is responsible for paying the westborough churches court costs and legal fees. this is simply an outrage. and other you members, we have been able to raise a small sum of $26,458.58 for the fund. i would like to present this check in person to mr. snyder himself who is with us here today with his pro bono

attorney. [applause] >> the symbolic check behind us -- we all know the check is not in the mail. it is literally here. this is for him. we hope that there is much more

to come. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. as a proud member of 791 -- [laughter] -- [applause] i appreciate everything you do. all of us know the words "duty, honor, and sacrifice." mr. snyder knows the word "sacrifice" more than some of us ever will. mr. snyder is a kind individual who made a huge sacrifice for our country. he has become a very dear friend. without further ado, here is mr. snyder. [applause]

>> thank you. thank you. i cannot express pinkies enough. the veterans have probably been my biggest supporters over the past 4.5 years. i do not think i could have done without the support of all of you and all of our active duty soldiers and marines. it has been a long battle. i am not about to give up because some people on the supreme court said they could do it. [applause] i will continue to press for legislation. i will make the protested funerals a little bit harder for the westborough baptist church. i would like to say one thing today. i know one person has been with me the whole time.

this is matt. that was a very loyal son and use a very loyal friend and brother. today and he was a very loyal friend and brother. and i know he would be supporting this 100%. he would not want to see another family go through what we went through. just keep fighting. if you get a chance to talk to your legislator, get them to introduce a bill. yet my undying gratitude for everything you have done for me and my family. thank you. [applause] >> now more from the american legion annual conference here in washington with the results of a survey on gender specific health services within the veteran system.

more than half of women went to sexual traumas services -- rated the sexual trauma services and adequate. this runs close to one hour. >> let's get started. but this started on the results of the survey we conducted on line. about 3000 veterans responded and tell us what they think about health care among private practitioners. if you have not turned off your cell phones, please do so now if you would not mind. we are starting on time. every second counts. right, leo? welcome. we are here to discuss the survey. this is one of the few comprehensive surveys conducted since the d.a. did one in 1985.

we are -- since the va did one in 1985. we are here to honor women. i'm joining us now is general -- jimmie l. foster. >> since it was 90 years ago, the american legion has our veterans and their families. all veterans. not some, not most, but all. with the increasing number of women and the evolving roles, the american legion realized it needed to explore more comprehensively the needs of women veterans. that is why our rehabilitation committee took the initiative to hire the consulting firm to conduct a survey of women veterans, focusing on their

experiences with and attitudes about health-care treatment and services at v.a. medical facilities and from private practitioners. we know that america has about 2 million women veterans. as we also know, only about one in four of them is enrolled in the v.a. health care system today. the american legion wanted to find out why. we do 3/4 of our women to veterans -- we find 3/4 of our women veterans declined to take advantage of the benefits. when you have been wounded, lost limbs, women who have suffered mentally and emotionally today because they chose to serve america with honor, pride, and a distinction. the department of veterans affairs has been taking steps to

improve their medical facilities for female health care. the american legion appreciate such affairs. there is much progress to be made. too many times women veterans who seek help at v.a. hospital are mistaken as civilian lives. too many people still think that veterans are only men and not women. to many women who have served in combat are still diagnosed with depression instead of posttraumatic stress. changes in culture take time. v.a. the starting to change the approach to dealing with women veterans. the american legion want to help v.a. the make this important transition. v.a. healthcare these to be more reliable, responsive, and confident in the treatment of women. military sexual trauma need a

better screening process. women need to feel welcome, comfortable, and an v.a. -- in an v.a. the facility. we are announcing the results of our women's of veterans survey. this american legion and then also honors the service and sacrifice of women in a uniform. from those who had to masquerade as men in the american revolution to those who are destroying our enemies today on land, in the air, and at sea. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, commander. our next speaker is adrian will cop, and the managing principal.

[applause] >> good afternoon. i'm the managing principal. we greeley acknowledged veterans to are scared. every day, young men and women risk their lives to protect and defend our nation. those who serve share common bonds a sacrifice, and teamwork, leadership, and courage for preserving our freedoms. we celebrate these bonds among the differs military members to serve their our nation's history. we acknowledge that diversity in our military, age, race, and other attributes. it includes the unique experiences of each military veteran. we wish to express our gratitude to the american legion who gave us this opportunity to conduct a survey.

we greatly appreciate the education he received from the numerous individuals who work with, on behalf of, and for american veterans. thank you for helping us understand the issues. we provide technical servicing to clients based on solutions. we are based in north carolina. we operate on a national basis. our team consisted of a team of consultants. in addition, all project members have experienced in management and business assessment, marketing and outreach, and strategic performance metrics. the american legion contracted

presidium to have them a sense of dissatisfaction with the quality of health care. the survey was to assess the perception of and the satisfaction with women's health care. is sought to determine the factors driving women veterans as opposed to private and public health care. from the american revolution to panama to bosnia to kosovo, women have served in some capacity in every conflict. almost 2 million women veterans -- there currently 2 million women veterans as a september 2010. there are approximately 1.8 million in all age groups.

over 70% are considered wartime veterans. they expect this to increase by 2020. that is about 6.7% increase. working closely with the national veterans affairs, prosidian determined the satisfaction with the quality of health care could be assessed their using 10 attribute of quality. because of very relationship to profitability and positive references, quality is an important indicator of customer satisfaction. responses for use to identify the needs and concerns of women veterans and to develop recommendations to the american legion. they've also provided an assessment between the gap between desired performance and actual performance. based on the perception, this will have them focus the resources to improve the quality

of health care provided by the v.a.. include a sample of 3012 women veterans in order to better understand the health care needs. it was made up of 57 questions. the first 19 were demographic. the remaining covered and attributes of service quality with approximately five questions in each attribute. patient age determinant of health care and satisfaction plays an important role. the general concept includes the comparison between a customers expected service and his or her experiences in actual service. they are as follows. tangibles. tangibles deal with the appearance of the facility, equipment, personnel. reliability.

reliability deals with the ability to deal services of dependably and accurately. the third attribute was responsiveness. responsiveness deals with prompt service. competent. competence was the possession of required skills and knowledge. this also dealt with the research capabilities or experiences specifically related to women's health issues. number five, courtesy. curtis the dow with the politeness, respect, and friendliness of the contact personnel that only for the veteran as he/she receive service but for the family members who may join each of veteran. communication. listening to the customers, acknowledging their comments, keeping customers informed in a language that one can

understand. numbers 7, credibility. credibility dealt with the honesty of the service provider. number eight, security. security was defined as danger from risk, doubt, and security of information. how comfortable does the patient feel with providing personal information in the health care situation, a special with respect to the personal issues that may be faced uniquely by women? access. accessed as with approach ability and ease of contact. it also deals with the location of the facilities and where they are in relation to where the veteran actually reside. lastly, understanding the customer. that generally means making an effort to know the customer and his or her needs. a total of 3025% viewed the

survey on-line. of that number, 3012 answered the survey. because it did not require answers to each question, the irresponsible variable. -- the response pool was variable. of the 3012 respondents, 2844 provided information regarding their city, location, is a code, and home residents information. these residents locations were represented by national standard federal regions. this is established by the office of management and budget and is required. the idea between looking at the location from a standpoint of the national federal to identify where they currently reside in compare that to where he or she receive services. they see if there is a gap in this spirit we may find some time that the distance may be

prohibited. another demographic was race. 80% of the respondents consider themselves white based on census categories. of the remaining respondents, 11 some were black or african- american. 4% hispanic. asians comprise one is armed. another 1% considered themselves american, indian, or alaskan native. another 1% was native hawaiian or pacific islander appeared 3% characterize their racial category as other. this shows pose 9/11 only veterans have very similar distribution.

non veteran ratios are currently deployed and maintain this with a similar dispersion. in terms of the branches of the military, and the sample included women veterans from five branches of the united armed forces. in addition to others, it illustrates that some represent multiple branches of the military. in addition, some women veterans also served in multiple capacities. there are those to a participated in the navy and also served in the air force. numbers as current as september 30, 2009 from the department of defense should the army comprises 41% women veterans. the marines, 60%, at navy, 21%.

air force, 23%. reserve forces, 7%. the analysis of the survey is a proportion of the survey and those. sponson shows the official estimate. they show that once deployed a typical pattern does not consider themselves -- they associate more closer with the branch a military they were deployed with. we'd like to thank the men and women of our military that sacrifice dedication and courage. we like to think the american legion and miss verna jones

for her leadership. veterans' care is a right and not a privilege. we have a debt of quality and service to our veterans. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you. this is one of the four pillars upon which the american legion was founded. they gathered in paris in 1919 and committed themselves to compassionate care of their fellow searchers -- fellow soldiers appeared the work has taken many shapes. we help veterans file this.

we fight for this guided by that spirit. we are here today to better serve our nation's increasing percentage of female veterans appeared to do that, we must first better understand their means. i want to thank all of those who took time to fill out the online survey to better assess the needs of women veterans and the services they receive. results from this survey and the feedback we receive will help guide their policies, practices is, methods and approaches and the way we advocate. as the global war on terror nears the 10th anniversary, we can be sure of one thing. all who serve in these times are

in combat in a fruitless war. the theater is everywhere. they believe a veteran is a veteran and all who serve or what serve deserve the best care possible regardless of duty, station, or gender. the american legion which accepted the malt members -- male members to four women have sworn their lives to protect our freedom. to those who have identified sufficiency -- deficiency in the care, please not that we are here to address those problems and help solve thethem. >> i have the honor privilege of introducing our next speaker. and is dedicated to helping the

amount veterans. let's give verna jones a round of a plot. >> thank you. we are committed to providing the highest quality one and finishes include a steady and satisfaction with health care and other benefits. through this study, the american legion plus able to focus on service quality and determine what was driving women veterans decision to use the v.a. as opposed to other health care systems. we agree that this is an important research topic. as our constituents pointed out, the relationship between cost, profitability, satisfaction, a positive for a map is [unintelligible]

25% of 1.8 women veterans are using the department of veterans affairs health care system. other women veterans may have negative perceptions of health care delivery. research on this subject is important. women represent a rapidly growing portion of u.s. veterans currently forming almost 20% of our armed forces and representing the bass is a growing population of the v.a. health-care system. over time, women's roles have changed dramatically. more current data is needed for evidence base strategic planning a programs and services to women. the commission has increased the

outreach program for women. as they endeavor to excess the experiences and attitudes concerning health-care providers, the american legion will work to strengthen the role and see that the needs of this viable population is met. the results will be used for the our region methods. they have specific remedies. the information shows the demographics and processes to play a valuable role in shaping plans, initiatives, procedures as we forge ahead with new information and an even stronger commitment to serve our veterans.

they receive the benefits they truly deserve. the pentagon expects the ranks of women to grow 6% year over year. the veterans of america has sacrificed the freedom we hold so dear. we owe gratitude to ban and women of our military. we owe a debt disservice to ensure they are all well taken care of and are all well provided with the benefits they deserve. the american legion will go forward the information we received and continue to monitor our progress.

they will continue to meet with facilities. we make recommendations to congress on how they can more effectively be support appeared the american legion will refine our reach to women's ranges appeared they tend to conduct surveys, web based polls and focus groups. and assesses improvements in the attributes of service quality. the american legion will continue to applies -- advise additional funding critical to both men and women. we believe that quality health care is a bright and not a

privilege. to care for him [unintelligible] we have a vision for all veterans and strive to advocate the need for our women's veterans spirit we understand that she too has borne the battle. we like to thank all of you.

>> from stars and stripes. i am wondering with the results that you saw there if it is a matter of education in the facilities or it is also a matter of outrage? i know they said it is important to the outreach. it seems like there is a lot of dissatisfaction. do you have some sort of breakdown as to how much it is? >> i can answer the first part. it is both. it is the amount of edit occasion predict it is about education and outreach. -- it is about education and

outreach. we must do both to find out what they need and then educate the v.a. >> it is important to focus on an improvement in the service as a whole. it is not an issue of education with regard to the recipients of health care. it is an issue with resources and focusing on the quality of care provided. in our survey, 66% of the women who participated in represent the population of veterans not only register v.a. it for health care services that maintain their private health care service. that subsets, only 40% v.a. have ever used -- only 40% have ever used v.a. they do know what their benefits are.

>> 47% who are eligible have chosen not to use it within the system. there are reasons for its. communication plays a vital part. >> can you give us some figures? >> we will just cover a few of these statistics that may have been highlighted. about 6% of the women in our service separate from some form of traumatic brain injury. 38% sever from posttraumatic stress.

15% his suffered the treated that to military sexual trauma. 28 cents a not apply for women benefits or did not know they were eligible. 66% were enrolled in health-care systems that maintain private health care. 40% -- it is only available to them. the preferred these private healthcare. that has to do with safety and security. and may be attributed to it as well. 38% and not satisfied with measures a credibility. 67% of the professionals exhibited trustworthiness. that is positive.

it has a lack of trustworthiness. 21% would almost never referred to the v.a. to another service member. only 60% frequently referred the v.a. to another service member. only 67% said they probably would. 42% said they would use the v.a. for a second opinion if it was offered. 27% stated -- or they talk about requirements, information security is at most. especially when you look at the limited edition the veterans may have.

38% were dissatisfied with measures of access in terms of the facility being easily accepted. 1 and the other things that was highlighted was the attributes of understanding. 36% were dissatisfied with the v.a. in terms of the military sexual trauma screening process. general levels of dissatisfaction with 50%. 60% felt the treatment was not clearly explain to them. thank you. >> are there things that they desire there were not yet getting? >> service quality was the

general focus. do not come up. -- it would not come up. >> how were you doing? of those who responded, how many were officers? how many were enlisted? how many were national guard reserves? the last question would be, how many are using the military medical facilities v.a. stood at the? >> in regard to the 19 demographics, we took care not to require a response for the demographic questions. where you are located, how old you are, things like that. we do not have information regarding the ranks. we highlighted that the relative demographic disparity of the veterans who participated closely approximate the numbers of women in different branches

of services. army consisted of 38.2%. air force, 25%. nagy, 19%. military reservists was about 18.8% of the respondents feared national guard was another 15%. the closely approximated the representation of veterans. >> are there differences between women being treated in the facilities [unintelligible] atre they'd v.a. treated eight facility? >> we did not specifically compared the differences.

we did compare the veterans related treatments outside of this once they become a veteran. we did not compare it to there. did they say how dissatisfied they were with services of the v.a.? >> based upon the relationship that the american religion has, what elements of this survey did you find particularly surprising if any. >> we each have a different section of it. one thing that was surprising was a general level of discomfort that women veterans feel with regard to getting

treatment for women specific health issues. there is a general concern of a lack of understanding of women specific health issues in the inappropriate access to the services. when you consider the impacts that may have been impacted by sexual trauma, this seems to be a general lack of understanding and ability to address appropriately woman's related health issues. converse to other studies that may highlight women's trauma as the mental illness, we noticed the trauma was not related to stress. it was related to combat related issues including military sexual trauma. >> again, thank you for your question.

as having commanded two major organizations, is a question is very much on point. in terms of what a surprise me the most was the perception was feet sensitivity. they went even further to say that lack of gender specific intakes -- if a veteran had an incident where by they have been sexually assaulted while on active duty and they bring this to the attention once they are in a veteran status, to have to explain the situation to a male practitioner was a very discouraging experience.

as a former commander i was saddened to hear that. it certainly promotes the need to address that. that would be a critical error requiring attention. >> one of the other areas was that when we were asked if they were service connected 49% have not been deemed service connected. that was surprising. almost half the women were not service connected. that was surprising. that is one thing we will look into.

we will be playing -- paying close attention to that. >> we did not require them to provide the contact information. they did. with respect to their privacy, we have not use that information. >> we also know that there is a credibility factor here. they are waiting. they are expected to see actions coming out of this. aside from taking the time, it begins to bring to service some very latent paints. with that being the case, we

have been extraordinarily impressed with the leadership. i am a member now. i am a member of the -- [applause] i remember of the retired officers association. there is no other organization that does what you do. >> i am a little concerned when i hear about the numbers you have interviewed compared to the number women's veterans. 300,000, is that what you said? 3000 out of 1.8 million?

we have a lot to do. >> certainly. we work closely to promote it. we make sure they are not slowly american legion members. we are working to calibrate it over time to ensure that it adequately represents the true one. >> can we get some information into the women's magazines? >> and on the internet with regard to private newspapers. it is widely promoted. >> thank you. >> with 3000 respondents, does

it give you a confidence factor? >> we also had been working on the team. we did not deem it necessary to do 3 million. as long as we have the adequate coverages and deployment of services. thank you. >> we leverage the 10 attributes of a framework. it was developed 20 years ago to initially steady service quality and technology.

we thought this was appropriate. we looked at how one would go. this is as it is related to the v.a. the most appropriate way to study them was to assess a measure of service quality. there are other remarks that could be used. one focuses on 10. >> they are both ph.d.. one is in statistics and the other and behavioral organization.

we built a model that does nothing off the shelf. we did exactly what the american legion had asked them to do from a research perspective. i hope that helps. >> you want to have an outcome. it seems that what we heard is that there needs to be more participation and satisfaction from those who do participate. what are some the things we could do it immediately to abdicate to improve both participation in satisfaction? water something she could say take a little longer? >> 1d think we need to do is to

continue to educate and that there is help for this. one thing we need to do is constantly but that the benefits and advocacy. it helps to this. it is measuring the quality that they hospital is providing. we are trying to foster -- we have a good relationship. we are trying to foster better relationships.

we want to develop that relationship. there will be the very first veteran service organization. we want to do this for veterans. [applause] >> how would you feel about the must never again issue facing its. i guess it to be the top issue that they address. >> we would consider access to be the most significant. we consider understanding, which is hard to get your arms around.

we consider it not a separate facility, but support that is appropriate. >> i would say it starts the day that person separates from active duty. it is a part of the exit interview. it might be advisable. i retired in 1991. and might be a great opportunity to ensure that that person is able to connect immediately as a potential veteran with the american legion with knowing what is available.

with having the information, whether it is a publication or flyer believing was something in the hands. they are able to take out all this and affirmation. they will be able to organize their lives going forward. i would also take it a step further. allowing organizations. i would say to you that the vast majority of our clergy is unaware of the programs, the initiatives and opportunities that is provided through the american legion and they are able to communicate this. it becomes a total community, a

holistic approach. that would be additional input from me. thank you. >> how will this be there? >> thank you. actually, i was going to talk about that. i was leading to that. all of these questions are the reason we initiated this survey. this is a proud history of advocating on behalf of veterans. we have fought to secure and protect the benefits.

events is a today's visual commitment to those women who have served side-by- side with that. what we are discussing today shows there is a need for this. we have a passion to continue what we do. this is why we do what we do. we are moving into the future. we have to recognize the changing demographics. that is what this survey is about. this is a question of how we are glad to get this done, i had delivered a copy this morning. the hard work will begin when the exit this room. the hard work that we all know that we are capable of doing. the commitment is to take

disinformation and stand side- by-side with the department of veterans affairs. there is a need to listen to what is being said. it could be the boys. it can also be the action. we need a buy in. there is the commitment of those who might not be connected. they may not have a family member who is serving our understand the sacrifices. it is our job to educate them. it is another thing to accomplish the goals. we need to change the attitude of the country. the young people of this country are doing the same thing. if we do not provide that voice no one will. whether we going to do?

which line to take this information and make a difference. we will continue to do what is right. this is my segue into ending the press conference. i do not want to limit any more questions. yes? >> i was wondering if for going to be? >> we are listing to the last few minutes of this. we can go live to a conversation with diane sawyer on gender issues. this is hosted by george washington university model -- a global media institute. global media institute.