Jul/Aug 2006 - Korean War Veterans Association

VA Volunteer Service
The KWVA participates in forty eight (48) local VAVS facilities.
However, we need volunteers at many more VA facilities.
By J.D. Randolph
KWVA VAVS National Director
The National Advisory Committee
(NAC) of the Department of Veterans
Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) was
established by VA Circular No. 117, May
17, 1947, and became a federally chartered
advisory committee on February 5,
1975. The Committee advises the Under
Secretary for Health on matters pertaining
to the participation of volunteers in VA
medical facilities, and assists in recruitment
and orientation of volunteers, needs
and accomplishments.
VAVS National Advisory Committee
Membership comprises sixty (60) Service
Member organizations. The Korean War
Veterans Association is one of them.
Service Member organizations are those
which maintain the provision of volunteers
and participation on local VAVS
facility committee meetings at a minimum
of thirty (30) VA facilities.
Service member organizations shall be
the only category of NAC members having
voting rights. Participation on a local
VAVS facility committee is defined as
having VA-recognized representation on
that committee. This definition relies
upon the policy that if any organization
whose VA recognized representation
misses three (3) consecutive local VAVS
facility committee meeting, the absences
will cause its removal from the committee.
The KWVA participates in forty eight
(48) local VAVS facilities. However, we
need volunteers at many more VA facilities.
In many states we have major medical
centers that do not have Korean War
Veterans Association representations and
deputy representations.
We should be very proud of our volunteers.
Last fiscal year we had 53,113 hours
of voluntary service in 48 facilities. The
top three hospitals are Big Pines in FL
(5,775 hrs), Fresno-Central in CA (4,103
hrs), and Dallas-North in TX (3,922 hrs).
I believe this fiscal year we will beat these
numbers.
To all State Departments and Chapter
President/Commanders: we need your
help getting KWVA Representation and
Deputy Representation in each hospital,
community based outpatient clinic. I have
a data base on all hospitals and how the
representation is. We have many hospitals
that have no representation, so we do not
get credit for the KWVA volunteer hours.
If I can be further help, please call or
email me 972-359-2936, randy9683
@sbcglobal.net.
All Chapter and/or Department
news for publication in The
Graybeards should be mailed to
Art Sharp, Editor, 152 Sky View
Dr., Rocky Hill, CT 06067 or
emailed to:
Sharp_arthur_g@sbcglobal.net
BUSINESS
TROOPS IN KOREA from page 8
Bonifas because the troops there don’t
get many visitors, he said.
“I’m hoping while I’m here in Korea
that we go to some places that not
everyone sees,” he said. “I think it’s so
important that you go the hard road to
get to that hillside and say, “Hey guys,
gals, I’m proud to be a part of your
team.”
This trip embodies Gainey’s main
responsibility as the senior enlisted
advisor to the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff: to meet with service
members from all branches of the military
and bring back their feedback or
problems to the service senior enlisted
advisors and the chairman. Since taking
this position, Gainey has visited 18
countries, including two trips to Iraq.
“When I get out, what I notice is that
every service, regardless of what uniform
you wear, has the same hopes,
desires, dreams, goals and ambitions to
be good,” he said.
Gainey said his goal for this trip is
to visit members from all branches of
the military, and to let them know what
his role is as the senior enlisted advisor
to the chairman. He stressed to all the
troops he met with today that he does
not replace the service senior enlisted
advisors, but he is a link between them
and the troops.
Today Gainey also did a radio talk
show at American Forces Network
Korea. He talked about the value of
military service, quality of life issues,
leadership and other topics. One point
he emphasized was the importance of
joint operations in the military.
“The days of services fighting as
separate units are over,” he said. “You
will fight joint for the rest of your life.”
Quality of life issues are always in
Gainey’s top priorities, he said,
because quality of life is the foundation
for all other priorities. Gainey thanked
the troops in Korea for their service,
which he said he is impressed with
already.
“Be proud of who you are; be proud
of what you’re doing, because you’re
dong a good job,” he said. “I’m proud
to be on your team.”
11
The Graybeards
July - August A
2006