There's a new veterans organization on the block -- the Veterans of Modern Warfare ("VMW"). They are looking for members from current active duty service personnel, National Guard, Reserve and Coast Guard service members as well as any veteran of the United States Armed Forces who has served since August 2, 1990. My own era organization, the Vietnam Veterans of America ("VVA") is providing VETSConnect Program which supports veterans of all conflicts with a special affinity for veterans returning from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terrorism. Veterans of Modern Warfare - http://www.modernveterans.com/ Advocacy for Today's Veteran: VMW is serving our nation's most recent war veterans. Their purpose is to support the veteran and their families by providing education and information about the benefits they have earned, assistance in obtaining their benefits, and advocacy in issues important to their generation. Their associate organization, AVMW, welcomes family, friends and all supporters of the veterans of modern wars to join in VMW efforts and work side-by-side with VMW on their journey "to get all the way back home." The VMW has local Chapters in: Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. It has a message board and provides information on: New SGLI Insurance; Higher Education Benefits; Pending DoD/MS Research; and available Military Discounts. It also has an online form for immediate, personal assistance. VETSConnect - http://www.vetsconnect.org/ Hundreds of thousands of the military have served in the Iraq theatre of operations, Afghanistan, and other places in the ongoing global war on terrorism. Another generation of war veterans is being created and Vietnam veterans know what that means for the new veterans, their families, and their communities. They recognize the challenges of reintegration from combat to civilian life. To ensure that those challenges are effectively addressed, VVA launched the VETSConnect program. VETSConnect funds projects in support of today's veterans and current military. VETSConnect utilizes the proven resources of VVA, its associates, and members. The aim is to connect Vietnam veterans with recent veterans and current members of the military so that VVA's experience, particularly in the areas of veterans' benefits and veterans' health care, can be used to help them and their families. VVA does not want veterans of Iraq and the global war on terrorism to go through what Vietnam veterans did, particularly we know that sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans and VVA members are among those who have served, are serving, or will be serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. All across the country VVA members and VVA chapters are reaching out to and assisting returning veterans and their families. VVA cares because their members have been there and back. VVA's VETSConnect effort may have different forms and varying activities in different places, but reaching out to and helping returning veterans and their families is how VVA lives its founding principle: "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." When it's as close to home as your own son or daughter, there is no alternative. --- Regards, Walt Schmidt