Author: Bob

LARRY A. HOFF ePOST 2100
Issue #71 FEBRUARY, 2019 COMMUNICATION IS POWER

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OUR NEXT MEETING

YOUR CYBER POST OFFICERS

February 21st, at 7:30 PM is slated for our next tele-meeting, by invitation, using GoToMeeting. E-mail me if you want an invite: commander@epost2100.org.
Our tele-meetings are provided for you to learn about and have input regarding your cyber Post. BTW, have you visited Our Web site, lately?

Post Commander………………... ROBERT GREEN 770-786-8702 Senior Vice Commander…….. LES GREEN 770-596-5635 Junior Vice Commander ……….PAUL AUST 770-315-2189 Junior Vice Commander………. MARK FENLEY 678-661-1031 Finance Officer……………………. CHUCK GOETZ 706-219-4209 Judge Advocate…………………... TED RICHARDS 404-754-0415 Exec. Committee……………….… RICK SCHIRMER 678-687-7270 Exec. Committee………….……… ED MCMILLAN 770-757-6136

COMMANDER’S CORNER

OUR HELP DESK STANDS READY TO ASSIST US VETERANS WITH FREE COMPUTER-RELATED AID. ROBERT MCTUREOUS 404-304-1772

MIND GAMES

As many of us members grow older, we may tend towards not being as mentally sharp as we previously were. This is not true for some, but for many.
The playing of computerized games such as Hangman, Word Search, Solitaire, Chess Crosswords, Sudoku and others can be both an entertaining and constructive way to maintain some mental facilities and even eye-hand coordination.
Games can be played solo, against a computer or human opponents. I’m just sayin’...

Did you know that all Honorably discharged veterans qualify for membership to the Military Exchange? Simply go to VetVerify.org to verify your veteran status and sign up for an account. The web site has the information you need to verify your veteran status and how to sign up for an account.

Our cyber Post was founded in memory of Colonel Larry Alan Hoff. The following was written by our first commander, Dan Albertus.
Col. Larry Alan Hoff, USAF (Ret), of Loganville, passed away on Thursday, October 20, 2011, after a long and courageous battle with esophageal and liver cancer. Larry was born on November 8, 1946 in Monroe, WI to Glen and June Hoff, Sr. Col. Hoff entered the United States Air Force in 1968 after receiving his commission from ROTC at San Jose State University. He was a career pilot, unconventional warfare officer and Joint Staff Officer who had commanded at all levels from detachment to Squadron. During Operation Desert Shield\Storm, Col. Hoff was the Director of the Joint Staff Crisis Action Team (CAT). He followed this with assignments as the Director of Operations for the United Nations Special Commission for Iraq (UNSCOM) responsible for planning and conducting international inspections for weapons of mass destruction within Iraq. He followed that with an assignment as Director of Special Management (AMC-TACC) where he was responsible as Director of NATO Air Operations for NATO AFSOUTH for planning and operations of the NATO imposed peace between Croatia, Bosnia, and Serb combatants in the former Yugoslavia. After retirement, in 1995, he served thirteen years as the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor (SASI) for GA-956, Senior Representative for AFJROTC region COAR-2 QAFJROTC, and as Director of Emergency Management for Walton County Public School System.
He retired in June 2010. Col. Hoff was also an assistant professor of Health Science/ Emergency Management for TUI University. He was a member of the American Legion, Department of Georgia Junior Vice Commander), National Sojourners (Commander of Hero’s of 76), Daedalion Society of Military Pilots, Air Force Association, Military Officers Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Royal Order of Scotland (president), Loganville Shrine Club (past treasurer [Continued on Page 2]
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and vice president), Yaarab Shrine and Legion of Honor, York Rite, Scottish Rite and Columbia Lodge #91. Col. Hoff married Linda Baker Hoff on June 29, 2001. In 2011-2012 Larry Hoff was The American Legion of Georgia, Department Senior Vice Commander. The following year (2012-2013) he was slated to be Department of Georgia Commander. I had the opportunity to meet Larry in 2011 and was so impressed with his dynamic personality and leadership, that I wanted to learn more about his Cyber dreams and plans for the future of The American Legion in Georgia. Larry believed fervently that The Legion in Georgia could be a leader in helping our organization at the National, Department, District and Post levels, to update and modernize our use of Cyber tools and communications.
Larry had presented a broad concept of using a Cyber Strategy to the Department Officers which they accepted in concept. We discussed how to develop the approach with Past Commander, Charlie Tucker. We all knew that bringing new technology to our nearly Century old organization would not be easy. Another close friend of Larry’s in our effort was Tommy Hatton, who has helped us in so many ways. During this period, Larry’s health while fighting Esophageal and Liver Cancer, worsened and I volunteered to help him, as an unofficial adjutant, to keep his work moving ahead. In October, 2011, Larry passed away.
The year that followed, was a struggle to get two ideas accepted: 1) Possible ePost 2100 concept accepted and 2) a Department Cyber Committee concept accepted. When these ideas were nearly killed, a close friend of Larry, the new 2012-2013 Department Commander, Bill Lienhop, took Dennis McClendon and me to Florida to visit their Department cyber post. That trip and Bill’s support breathed life back into Larry’s dreams. Only one name could be given to Georgia’s Cyber Post and that was ‘Larry A. Hoff’. On March 11, 2013, the ePost2100.org was chartered. So, now, if you are asked just who the man was, you will have some good information to impart. After all, our ePost 2100 is named for Colonel Hoff.

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COMMANDER’S CORNER

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

FEBRUARY 24-27, 2019 WASHINGTON CONFERENCE MARCH 21-24, 2019 DEPARTMENT SPRING/COLLEGE, DULUTH
APRIL 29-May 1, 2018 NATIONAL COMMANDER’S VISIT MAY 5, 2019 9TH DISTRICT CONVENTION JUNE 28-30, 2019 DEPARTMENT CONVENTION, DULUTH AUGUST 23-29, 2019 NATIONAL CONVENTION, INDIANAPOLIS

ELIGIBLE MEMBERSHIP DATES

Below, are the eligibility dates for those veterans seeking membership in the American Legion:
WWI: 4/6/17 TO 11/11/18 WWII: 12/7/41 TO 12/31/46 KOREA: 6/25/50 TO 1/31/55 VIETNAM: 2/28/61 TO 5/7/75 LEBANON/GRENADA: 8/24/82 TO 7/31/84 PANAMA: 12/20/89 TO 1/31/90 GULF WAR /WAR ON TERRORISM: 8/2/90 TO THE PRESENT If you have questions about eligibility, please contact Adjutant, Ted Richards.

NEWS FROM THE U. S. VETERAN COMPENSATION PROGRAM

The Concurrent Retirement & Disability Payments (CRDP) is designed to remove the offset of VA and DoD payments. The program provides a 10-year phase-out of the offset to military retired pay from receiving VA disability compensation for members who have a combined disability rating of 50 percent or greater.

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TWO BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW MAY AFFECT US

New GI Bill Developed To Correct Mistakes
Last fall, major technology failures at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) led to delayed and inaccurate payments for thousands of Post-9/11 GI Bill users, as the agency failed to implement a provision of the Forever GI Bill law that changed the way housing stipends are calculated.
VA Will Fix Incorrect Payments
The new Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act holds the VA accountable for retroactively fixing payments that were inaccurate as a result of the technology problems.
More Leverage With Landlords Created
VA is also required to do something else for student veterans under the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act: provide them with electronic proof that they will be receiving housing payments from the VA. Students can then show these to landlords.
Local Help For Transitioning Service Members
For troops transitioning out of the military, the VA will now post a list of programs and organizations that can help. The law requires the VA to contract with a non-federal entity to identify these programs, which will include smaller, more community-based organizations, according to the committee aide.
Better Access To Jobs Programs For Homeless Veterans
This provision of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act is “an absolute game changer” for homeless veterans, said Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, which has been advocating for a law like this for five years.
Previously, veterans had to be either on the streets or in a shelter to qualify for employment assistance under the federal Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program. But now, veterans have 60 days after moving into housing to apply for these services.
Employment Benefits For More Reservists
Certain members of the National Guard and Reserves called to active duty will have more time to use benefits under the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program, or Voc Rehab.
The program provides job counseling and other services for veterans with a VA disability rating of 20 percent or higher. Veterans that qualify must use the program within 12 years of separating from the military.
Voting Changes For Military Spouses
Military spouses can now elect to use the same residence as their active-duty spouse for state and local voting purposes, regardless of when or where they got married and whether they are currently living in that state because of military orders.
Enhanced Burial Rights
The new law allows spouses and children of active-duty service members to be buried in veteran cemeteries, even if they pass away before the service member — something that was previously allowed but only with the VA’s approval.
—The above information was gleaned from a U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs report.
DISCLAIMER: Information displayed on U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs (USVCP) (www.veteranprograms.com), and any of their associated websites is for general informational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Nothing contained herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of a competent Veteran Service Officer (VSO) in good standing and licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. Posts and surveys made on this website are opinions or suggestions of users of this website and are not representations, opinions or suggestions of U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs. We make no endorsements or recommendations of any VSO, attorney, law firm, claims specialists or organization working with veterans on their service-connected claim(s). U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does NOT represent or warrant, and makes no claims, promises or guarantees about, the usefulness, completeness, adequacy or accuracy of any information, posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses contained in or linked to this website, or the competency, qualifications or identity of any person providing information or making a post, survey, topic, comment, blog or response contained in or linked to this website. U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs (veteranprograms.com) assumes NO liability, and expressly disclaims any and all responsibility, for the content of all posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does not monitor, pre-screen or moderate posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses. information for educational purposes. USVCP Not A U.S. Government Publication.

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More than 41,000 members of the U.S. Coast Guard have gone without pay for nearly a month.
These men and women and their families are hurting, and they urgently need our help.
The American Legion is offering members of the U.S. Coast Guard, who have minor children in the home, temporary financial assistance of one-time grants up to $1,500 per eligible household. The Temporary Financial Assistance program is funded through generous donations made by people like you to our Veterans and Children Foundation.
The Temporary Financial Assistance program has already received more than 1,000 requests. But we need additional funds to respond to the grant applications that are continuing to pour in.
We’ve set a goal to raise $250,000 to help reach even more U.S. Coast Guard members and their families who need immediate assistance.
Please make a gift now. Any amount you give will go directly to our Veterans and Children Foundation to help us reach as many U.S. Coast Guard families as possible during this crisis and the next.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, please visit legion.org for information on how to apply.
Thank you for everything you do for our nation’s heroes.
For God and country,
Brett Reistad National Commander

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TO JOIN THE AMERICAN LEGION, SUBMIT THE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION, A COPY OF YOUR DD-214 , AND A CHECK FOR $35.00 TO: Chuck Goetz 675 Washboard Road Cleveland, GA 30528

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