Blue Water Navy

Shinseki to Legion: Your counsel is important
Submitted by hsoria on Thu, 03/05/2009 - 3:28pm.
Thursday, March 5, 2009

American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein came to Washington in late February for a meeting with new VA Secretary Eric Shinseki hoping to get 30 minutes of his time. Rehbein got more than double that and left the meeting with a renewed sense of hope regarding the future of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"I was left with the feeling that he has a very deep and abiding dedication to the welfare of those not only wearing the uniform now, but those who have worn the uniform in the past," Rehbein told attendees to The American Legion's annual Washington Conference and Commander's Call March 2-4 in Washington, D.C. "I know that he will be coming back to The American Legion because he's open to our opinions and our interpretations."

When Shinseki himself spoke during the conference, he asked for the Legion's continued guidance as a voice for U.S. veterans. "Your accomplishments are legend," Shinseki said, noting a track record that includes the drafting of the original GI Bill and lobbying for VA to be a cabinet-level position. "Your counsel is important to me. I've said that several times over. So I welcome your advice on how to enforce the time-honored covenant between America and her veterans. We have worked together on behalf of American's veterans for nearly 90 years. I want to thank The American Legion for not letting this country forget its wartime veterans - a tradition you continue today. I ask you to be as proactive and forward-thinking about our future direction."

Shinseki talked about the continued need to modernize VA, including converting paper records over to electronic files. He also briefly touched on an issue high on the Legion's agenda for years: the backlog of unresolved claims filed with VA by veterans. "The constant need to expedite access to high-quality benefits and services in a timely, consistent and equitable manner remains my constant everyday concern," he said. "I've taken on this issue of the backlog. I can't tell you what it is right now. I don't fully understand it. But I'm taking it on."