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A message from our new National Commander
"Communication, Community and Comraderie" 

To my fellow Legionnaires in Idaho,

By virtue of attending this conference, you should take pride in knowing that you are among the most dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers in The American Legion. You are going the extra mile by offering veterans one of your most precious commodities, your time!

Upon my election as national commander, I asked departments, posts and Legionnaires to put a special emphasis on what I call the “three C’s.” That’s Communication, Community and Camaraderie.

First, reach out and use all tools to amplify your message. You can do that by fostering positive relationships with your local news outlets, frequently posting on popular social media platforms, and informing fellow Legionnaires about what is happening in your post.

Second, we should remember that The American Legion makes its biggest impact at the local level. Not all veterans are aware of the latest congressional activity, but they do see what The American Legion is doing in their communities. Community service is a privilege not a punishment.

Last, but definitely not least, is camaraderie. Too many veterans leave the military feeling isolated. It is a major reason why more veterans have been lost to suicide since the 9/11 attacks than all Americans killed in action from the Korean War through the Global War on Terrorism. We must continue regular buddy checks to let veterans know that they have a family – The American Legion Family – that truly cares about their well-being.

It is still early in my tenure as your national commander. If I have not yet met you personally, I hope to see you when I visit your department or at some other gathering. But whether we meet or not, just know that your national commander and your American Legion will always have your back. Thank you for all that you do.

Best wishes for a productive conference.

For God and Country,​

Dan K. Wiley 

National Commander

WE'RE HERE FOR EACH OTHER

Today, the No. 1 issue facing the veteran community is suicide. The mission of The American Legion's Be The One initiative is to reduce the rate of veteran suicide. We're actively working on lessening the stigma associated with mental health treatment and empowering everyone to take appropriate action when a veteran or service member may be at risk – one life at a time.  Whether you're a veteran or the friend or family-member of a veteran, you can Be The One.

As part of The American Legion Be the One mission to end veteran suicide, we have joined forces with Columbia University to develop training for those who want to learn more about interacting and responding with veterans who may be in crisis. 

After the training, participants will be able to:

• Use the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to determine at-risk individuals.
• Identify risk factors and warning signs
• Outline the types of suicidal ideation and four behaviors that indicate imminent risk.
• Communicate effectively with an individual who may be at risk of hurting themselves.

Members of The American Legion Family are encouraged to take part in this training and share the training with their communities. CLICK ON THE LOGO ABOVE and you'll be taken to the American Legion's website where you may sign up for online Be The One training. Check back to this page or subscribe to The American Legion Online Update newsletter(Opens in a new window) to receive information about new training opportunities as they become available.

Who Are We?

The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, mutual-help, war-time veterans organization. A community-service organization which now numbers nearly 2 million members -- men and women -- in nearly 13,000 American Legion Posts worldwide. These Posts are organized into 55 Departments -- one each for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The American Legion's national headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana, with additional offices in Washington, DC. In addition to thousands of volunteers serving in leadership and program implementation capacities in local communities to the Legion's standing national commissions and committees, the national organization has a regular full-time staff of about 300 employees.

Click here https://www.legion.org/ to visit The American Legion Headquarter's web site.