Tango Alpha Lima

Our Mission

To enhance the well-being of America's veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness. The American Legion's vision statement is "The American Legion: Veterans Strengthening America." The American Legion's value principles are as follows:

A VETERAN IS A VETERAN - which means The American Legion embraces all current and former members of the military and endeavors to help them transition into their communities.

SELFLESS SERVICE - which means The American Legion celebrates all who contribute to something larger than themselves and inspires others to serve and strengthen America.

AMERICAN VALUES AND PATRIOTISM - which means The American Legion advocates for upholding and defending the United States Constitution, equal justice and opportunity for everyone and discrimination against no one, youth education, responsible citizenship and honoring military service by observing and participating in memorial events.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - which means The American Legion meets the unique needs of local communities.

ADVANCING THE VISION - which means The American Legion educates, mentors and leads new generations of Americans.

HONOR THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US - which means The American Legion pays perpetual respect for all past military sacrifices to ensure they are never forgotten by new generations.

The American Legion's motto is "Veterans Strengthening America."

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES TOGETHER
FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America;

To maintain law and order;

To foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism;

To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars;

To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation;

To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses;

To make right the master of might;

To promote peace and goodwill on earth;

To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy;

To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

Together we can make a difference!

The use of the blood of one human being to save the life of another is one of the world’s greatest medical achievements. Thousands of people are alive today – happy children, young mothers, accident victims, the elderly – who have survived major operations because blood and blood components were available to combat many types of diseases and other medical problems.

While there will always be risks associated with blood transfusions, blood and blood products from healthy volunteer donors has proven to be much safer than blood from any other source. For this reason, your American Legion post should make every effort to recruit more healthy volunteer blood donors. In addition to making a significant
contribution to the health and welfare of your community, donors receive the satisfaction of knowing they have helped someone who needed blood or a blood product.

We urge our Posts, Units, and Squadrons to plan and host local blood drives, along with the State Wide Blood drive that is held annual every year.

The program will destigmatize asking for mental health support, provide peer-to-peer support and resources, and educate everyone on how they can Be the One.

Why is this a priority right now? 

Today, the No. 1 issue facing the veteran community is suicide, according to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. It is estimated that between 17 and 22 veterans or servicemembers take their lives each day. That’s more than 6,000 annually. The rate of suicide for veterans is more than 50% higher than that of non-veteran adults. As the Global War on Terrorism continues, there will be more veterans facing mental-health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. 

What will Be the One achieve? 

At its core, The American Legion is activating a national platform to reduce the rate of veteran suicide. The Be the One campaign will: 

• Destigmatize asking for mental health support, creating opportunity for those with mental health issues to speak freely and get the support they need. 

• Provide peer-to-peer support and resources in local communities. 

• Deploy FDA-approved therapeutics for veterans to identify issues and find resources for support. 

What can my American Legion post do to help? 

American Legion posts will be instrumental in the success of this campaign. They have the power to foster unity and camaraderie, and get support quickly to veterans in crisis. In non-emergency situations, posts can also: 

• Educate members, other veterans and civilians about the campaign. 

• Display resources at your post or in your community. 

• Share events or success stories on the legiontown.org platform.

What’s the quickest way to get help in an emergency? 

If you are a veteran in crisis, resources are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 

• Call 988 and press 1 

• Text 838255 

• Visit the VA Crisis Line website 

Veterans, service members, and some family members may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. 

Burial benefits available include a gravesite in any of the VA national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone, marker, or medallion, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family.

You can plan ahead to make the process of applying for a burial in a VA national cemetery easier for your family members in the event of your death. To do this, you’ll need to apply for a pre-need eligibility determination.

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