Free Republic

Anthony Longo, Founder, and CEO of Warriors Choice Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, never wanted the mission to be about him. The Schenectady, New York native came from humble beginnings before joining the Marine Corps in 2004 and serving two combat deployments in Fallujah, Iraq, through 2008 as a radio operator for the 2nd Battalion 6th Marine Echo Company. After his honorable discharge, Anthony relocated to Florida to pursue a career in fire rescue as a firefighter paramedic. He was the leader of his Fire Academy class in Coral Springs, but in his words, “I was itching to do something...

Republican presidential hopefuls Gov. Rick Perry and Mitt Romney will be in San Antonio this week for the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention, but for the first time in its 112-year history, no one from the White House has committed to making an appearance. Officials with the nation's largest combat veterans association said they have about 8,000 registrants, many of whom are battling airport cancellations from Hurricane Irene to make it to the downtown Convention Center for today's kickoff. That's when Perry is scheduled to take the stage. By custom, he was invited as governor of the host state....

Had a wonderful day in the Golden State, starting with a great gathering of patriots in Bakersfield and ending with a gathering of America’s finest in San Diego at an event for Combat Veterans For Congress. There are 24 Combat Veterans For Congress candidates running in 18 states this year. You can visit the organization’s website here to learn more about them. These candidates embody the integrity and courage we need in our leadership in D.C. They’ve already taken the oath to support and defend our Constitution, and there is no statute of limitations on that oath. It was a...

COLPO TO BECOME CHIEF OF STAFF AT WEST POINT – COL MIKE “NO COMBAT” COLPO (THE “CHAIRBORNE” RANGER) INFANTRY OFFICER DOESN’T GO INTO HARM’S WAY IN GRENADA, PANAMA, SOMALIA, KOSOVO, BOSNIA, GULF WAR, IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN – ALSO MANAGED TO AVOID OVERSEAS DUTY DURING 27 YEARS IN THE STATES WHILE OTHER WEST POINT GRADS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY COLPO HUNTOON’S “RIGHT-HAND MAN” DURING SHAMEFUL GEN. BRADLEY AIDE “GUN GRAB” AT TROUBLED CARLISLE BARRACKS “You’re kidding me. This is a joke, right?” said one senior officer at Ft. Bragg when we told him COL Mike “NO COMBAT” Colpo was...

Home Resources News Travel Shop Money Careers Education Join the Military Community War Veterans Overloading VA Thousands of U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical injuries and mental health problems are encountering an overburdened benefits system, and officials and veterans groups worry that the challenge could grow as the nation remains at war. The disability benefits and health care systems that provide services for about 5 million American veterans have been overloaded for decades, with a current backlog of more than 300,000 claims. And as of Aug. 1, nearly 150,000 National Guard and reservist veterans became eligible...

Politicians – read this before self-destructing Posted: January 13, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 David H. Hackworth The recycled Pentagon types now merrily selling their "expertise" to the weapon-makers and the rest of the current crop of shakers and takers who make up today's military-industrial-congressional greed machine are as usual sucking up big bucks, while many of our vets continue to get the shaft. Also as usual. Wesley Clark summed up what's going down in a recent campaign speech: "We've got veterans' hospitals closing; we've got people who have to drive six hours to get a checkup; we've got...