you're on with peter gaytan. caller: ok. i'm just calling because i'm the widow of a disabled veteran. he died recently. and as a result of his death, i'm having to stay in an assisted living facility, because i'm not able to stay alone. and my claim is one of the many, many, many claims that are backlogged. i want to know if there's anything i can do to help to clear that backlog. guest: yes, ma'am. there's a lot you can do. one is what you've already today, provide a voice from your perspective. it's one thing for a suit to say we have a problem, but when the person direct al fect by the inabilities of our process to work properly is telling the real story, and i appreciate that. the next step is to contact your local american legion. let us know your situation, because we can help right away, because we have dedicated legionnaires who not only help you with your v.a. claim because of your husband, and by the way, thank you very much for his sacrifice, but we can help you with your immediate needs. we have different progra

we're joined now by american legion executive director, peter gaytan. mr. n, according to projections i've seen, about 1.2 million members of the u.s. military are expected to be discharged over the next four years or so. is the u.s. prepared to handle this influx of folks being discharged from the mill snear guest: well, i think to be prepared, we need to consider all the needs of our returning veterans. some are in different points in their lives. some are coming back and maybe want to go to school, take advantage of the g.i. bill, which was created by the american legion, and we're responsible for updating that bill as well. they may want to purchase a home, or all of them need to become employed. we as a nation are aware, but we need to meet their needs. they met our needs. they put the uniform on and said we're going to protect you, and now they're coming home. we as a grateful nation need to ensure those processes and programs are in place to take care of them. host: you had your washington conference this week, talking to members of congress. what wer