The American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation pillar is composed of programs, services and advocacy efforts that improve the lives of those who served, along with their families and dependents.

The Legion lobbies Congress for a well-funded, appropriately staffed VA that can handle benefits claims efficiently, quickly and accurately. Locally, Legion volunteers work individually with veterans to help them navigate the complicated benefits application process.

As the VA backlog continues, The American Legion is leading a national conversation about accountability to veterans and reforms aimed at veterans receiving timely appointments and the benefits they earned throughout their service.

The Legion conducts System Worth Saving visits to VA centers across the country. These monthly visits include a thorough assessment of the facility, and discussions with patients and staff at VA. This information is then compiled and published in a report.

The American Legion also works one-on-one with veterans to ensure they receive proper benefits. Accredited American Legion service officers are specially trained to provide expert assistance, free of charge, to veterans and their families. The majority of service officer work involves claims for VA disability benefits, but these compassionate professionals also provide information, referrals and resources on education, employment and business, death benefits and other topics. 

The American Legion's positions on national defense, homeland security, border control and military support are all part of the long-held Legion value that the key to peace and world stability is a strong, well-resourced defense.

In order to protect America, troops and their families must have support. The American Legion plays a vital role in supporting the men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedoms. American Legion posts throughout the nation adopt military units, deliver care packages, provide emotional support for families of deployed service-members and welcome the troops home. Specific examples of their efforts include arranging transportation to reunite soldiers with their families for the holidays and organizing fundraisers to buy phone cards for use in combat zones.

Such assistance doesn't end when service-members return home. At U.S. military installations across the country, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA, Legion staff members help troops work through the medical discharge process and provide representation before medical examination boards to reconcile disability ratings.

For those looking to make differences in their local communities, The American Legion is a great place to start. From Legion Baseball to Boys State / Boys Nation to Legion Riders, there are plenty of opportunities to make your mark.

Take, for example, the experience of Pat Unger, commander of Tyler Cates American Legion Post 281 in Mount Juliet, Tenn. Unger’s vision of creating a Legion Baseball team came true in 2012.

Post 281 Legionnaires provided support by supplying uniforms, attending games, serving refreshments and meeting players’ transportation needs to and from games.

“The enthusiasm and camaraderie among the Legion members and players has been one of the most rewarding experiences for everyone,” Unger says. The experience of going to a baseball game and knowing that The American Legion is a driving force behind the teams is both gratifying and satisfying.

American Legion Baseball is truly a rewarding and fun endeavor for any American Legion post to be involved with Legion posts and volunteers like Unger coordinate each season, culminating with the Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C., watched by millions on ESPN3. More than 100,000 young athletes compete for nearly 5,000 American Legion Baseball teams each year. Some of these baseball players go on to play professionally, including more than 60 who have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

The American Legion's Children & Youth pillar is guided by three main objectives: strengthen the family unit, support organizations that help children in need, and provide communities with well-rounded programs to provide hope and opportunity for young people facing difficult challenges.

One program within this pillar is Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA). This program provides funds to veterans and military service-members’ families who are struggling and have minor children at home.

For example, when health problems forced a Vietnam War veteran and his wife to quit their jobs, they still had to care for their five children at home. A local American Legion post in Washington state raised funds to help out and provided money through Temporary Financial Assistance.

After a fire at an apartment complex in New Hampshire left the families of five active-duty service-members’ homeless, The American Legion stepped in with $500 in TFA funds for each family.

The American Legion provides temporary cash grants to hundreds of families in need each year. Posts make requests for funds from the TFA program, which annually distributes more than $500,000 to help families.