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The American Legion Department of New Jersey is teaming up with the Small Business Administration and the Small Business Development Center-New Jersey for a Boots to Business Reboot workshop Oct. 25 in Blackwood, N.J. The free one-day course, which also includes an eight-week online course, will provide entrepreneurship training for veterans who want to start, expand or purchase a small business. The workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m at American Legion Post 281, 2102 Chews Landing Road, Blackwood. Those wishing to participate must register by Oct. 18 here. For more information, contact Gary Spillane, SBA Veterans Small Business Outreach Officer, via email or by phone at (972) 645-2427.

An Arizona Post has partnered with its city for the first time to be proactive in assisting veterans.Glendale, Ariz., Mayor Jerry Weiers asked Post 1433 in his city to assist with the fourth “Stand Up for Veterans” event.Commander Mike Pearson, who served with the Army in Korea from 1989-90 and during the Persian Gulf War, said Stand Up For Veterans is “a counter-stance to Stand Down for Veterans,” which assists homeless veterans.“[Mayor Weiers] had a concept that we should try to reach out to veterans before they were in complete distress,” Pearson said.While the ‘stand down’ concept is “great,” Glendale’s event is “more like an early-entry diversion concept,” according to Pearson.The Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles and a judge who adjudicated lower-level offenses were present at the event last month. Additionally, VA service officers were on-site and a job fair was held.Blue Star Mothers, Disabled American Veterans, and Combat Dolls, a non-profit organization that works to benefit active-duty military as well as veterans, also were present.Pearson said the Post was “a caretaker of the funds,” and Post Senior Vice Commander Ed Besta, who spent more than 20 years in the Air Force, was involved at the city council level as planning committee chairman. Post Quartermaster Laudric Baskin and Besta were “99.99% of the effort from the Post level,” according to Pearson.Pearson said 325 veterans and 126 dependent family members or survivors attended the event.Pearson said that during the event he distributed Buddy Poppies and spoke with about a dozen prospective members. Photo caption: Members of Post 1433 in Glendale, Ariz., assist the city with its Stand Up for Veterans event on Sept. 24, providing resources to veterans. More than 300 veterans and 126 dependent family members or survivors attended the event. Photo courtesy of Mike Pearson By Kari Williams, editorial associate, VFW magazine

Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump on Monday told the Retired American Warriors PAC that soldiers who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and die by suicide do so because they “can’t handle” the horrors of war. The Trump campaign says the comments were taken out of context and that Trump was highlighting challenges veterans face. But research shows that more than 80 percent of service members who die by suicide have never been in combat, says University of Utah Professor Craig Bryan, director of the National Center for Veterans Studies (based at the U). Bryan is a national expert on military and veteran suicide and is available to address Trump’s comments and the issue of suicide by military veterans. To speak with Bryan, contact him by email craig.bryan@utah.edu or telephone 210-621-8300 or 334-452-9044.

Here’s a list of some of October’s job fairs and networking events for servicemembers, veterans and military spouses. Oct. 18: Warwick Hiring Fair, 8:30 a.m. employment workshop, 9 a.m. brunch and learn, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. hiring fair, Warwick (R.I.) National Guard Armory. Oct. 19: Fort Lee Job Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Regimental Club, Fort Lee, Va. Oct. 27: Joint Base Andrews Job Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., The Club at Andrews, Joint Base Andrews, Md. Follow the links for full details and keep tabs on upcoming career fairs athttp://www.legion.org/careers/jobfairs.

WASHINGTON — Congress averted an imminent government shutdown last night by passing a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the federal government for 10 weeks in fiscal year 2017, which begins Saturday. Congress also approved full-year funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which was a significant victory for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. “Stop-gap budget measures harm veterans” said VFW National Commander Brian Duffy, “which is why we are glad that Congress agreed and acted on full-year appropriations for the VA, which will allow it to properly plan and execute its numerous programs to better serve wounded, ill and injured veterans, as well as their families and survivors.”  The VA/military construction budget that the president is expected to sign will provide $74.4 billion in discretionary spending to the VA next year. The amount is about a 4-percent increase to 2016 funding levels, but almost $700 million less than what the White House requested earlier this year. The bill also includes $7.72 billion for military construction, which is about 6 percent less than current funding levels, but nearly $300 million more than the White House requested.  Included in the new funding package are a number of VFW-supported initiatives and programs, such as authorizing VA to provide In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and covering the cost of adoptions, eliminating copayments for medications that counter potential opioid overdoses, expanding VA childcare pilot programs and whistleblower protections, and increasing the transparency of VA Office of Inspector General reports. Regarding IVF, which the VFW had been strongly supporting for two years, the legislation will provide urgently needed relief to veterans who suffer from service-connected injuries and illnesses that prevent them from conceiving.  “Veterans with service-connected injuries must be made as whole as possible,” said the VFW national commander, “and helping them to start families — by receiving the same fertility options that would have been afforded to them had they still been in uniform — is the very least a grateful nation can do.”  Although Congress averted a government shutdown and provided full-year funding for veterans programs, it still has a lot of work to do when it reconvenes after the Nov. 8 elections, to include passing a number of important legislation already introduced, and to finally eliminate sequestration, which has been the VFW’s top legislative priority ever since Congress created it with the Budget Control Act of 2011.  “Five years ago the Islamic State didn’t exist, Russia wasn’t in the Ukraine, China wasn’t building islands out of rocks, and Iran and North Korea weren’t as emboldened as they are now,” said Duffy. “Yet here’s this budget axe that was written in a different time that continues to force the Department of Defense to operate with less funding in a worldwide environment of ever-evolving threats. Sequestration also forces the Army, which is already on a glideslope down to 450,000 active-duty soldiers, to drop to 420,000,” he explained.  “A continued sequester weakens America, worries our allies, and threatens lives — American lives,” he said. “Our brave men and women in uniform will continue to perform and excel at every mission, but overtasking with inadequate resourcing is an impending disaster the VFW will not allow. Sequestration must end!”

DENVER (AP) -- The Veterans Affairs Department turned over documents to Congress on Wednesday in response to a subpoena demanding information about how the cost of a Denver-area VA hospital soared more than $1 billion over budget. The documents were on a CD submitted to the House Veterans Affairs Committee, but it wasn't immediately known whether they included everything the panel wanted, said Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a member of the committee. A VA spokeswoman said the department had no immediate comment. The subpoena, issued three weeks ago, sought documents the VA had gathered during an internal investigation into why a hospital under construction in the Denver suburb of Aurora is projected to cost nearly $1.7 billion, almost triple the earlier estimates. The subpoena also sought documents related to millions of dollars spent on artwork and ornamental furnishings at VA offices nationwide, including more than $6.4 million spent on the Palo Alto, California, health care system. Wednesday was the deadline for the VA to comply with the subpoena. Earlier in the day, Coffman had said the department had failed to turn over any documents, but about 30 minutes later, he said the VA gave the committee the documents on CD shortly after 5 p.m. Washington time. Congress has repeatedly asked to see a detailed account of the Denver investigation, but the department had previously provided only a summary to the Veterans Affairs Committee. VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson had said releasing details of the investigation would have a chilling effect on similar internal investigations in the future. Coffman and others rejected that argument. A separate investigation by the VA's internal watchdog, released last week, said a former high-ranking VA official knew the hospital was veering toward huge cost overruns but didn't tell Congress when he was called to testify about the price on two occasions. That prompted 21 members of the committee from both parties to formally ask the Justice Department to launch a perjury investigation. The department hasn't said whether it will. --- BY DAN ELLIOTTASSOCIATED PRESS  

Drew Carey — comedian, actor, author and host of “The Price is Right” — will emcee the Veterans Inaugural Ball – Salute to Heroes hosted by The American Legion on Jan. 20. The event — organized by the Veterans Inaugural Committee, made up of 15 congressionally chartered veterans service organizations — is the longest-continuous inaugural event for veterans. Carey spent six years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and supports the military, veterans, servicemembers and their families. “I am proud and honored to be a part of such a momentous event,” he said. “I look forward to paying tribute to my fellow veterans and the Medal of Honor recipients.” American Legion National Commander Charles E. Schmidt applauded Carey for his service and commitment to honoring veterans. “The American Legion would like to thank Drew Carey for his service to our country and lending his talents to this event,” Schmidt said. “We know with him behind the microphone everyone in attendance will have a fantastic time. It is only fitting that on the night the new commander-in-chief takes office, the opportunity is given to thank the bravest of the brave — our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients — in person and we are proud to provide that opportunity once again.” President Dwight Eisenhower began the tradition of the Veterans Inaugural Ball in 1953 as a way for the newly sworn in commander in chief to pay tribute to Medal of Honor recipients on the night of the inauguration. The president and/or vice president will attend the ball, as has been the case ever since Eisenhower’s inauguration. Other invited guests include members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, congressional representatives, celebrities, corporate citizens and veterans group leaders. The black-tie event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., dessert and coffee at 9 p.m., and entertainment and dancing at 10 p.m. It will take place at the Renaissance Washington, 999 Ninth St. The American Bombshells, Janine Stange and renowned band, Free Spirit, will provide the entertainment. Tickets for the reception, dinner, dessert and ball are $300 and are available here. Information on sponsorships, premium packages and table purchases are also available by emailing info@salutetoheroesball.org.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than one-third of calls to a suicide hotline for troubled veterans are not being answered by front-line staffers because of poor work habits and other problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the hotline's former director. Some hotline workers handle fewer than five calls per day and leave before their shifts end, even as crisis calls have increased sharply in recent years, said Greg Hughes, the former director of the VA's Veterans Crisis Line. Hughes said in an internal email that some crisis line staffers "spend very little time on the phone or engaged in assigned productive activity." Coverage at the crisis line suffers "because we have staff who routinely request to leave early," he said. An average of 35 to 40 percent of crisis calls received in May rolled over to back-up centers where workers have less training to deal with veterans' problems, said Hughes, who left his post in June, weeks after sending the emails. The House on Monday unanimously approved a bill requiring the VA to ensure that all telephone calls, text messages and other communications received by the crisis line are answered in a timely manner by an appropriately qualified person. Rep. David Young, R-Iowa, the bill's sponsor, said a veteran in his district told him he repeatedly received a busy signal when he called the crisis line this spring. The man later got help from a friend, but "this hotline let him down," Young said. "A veteran in need cannot wait for help, and any incident where a veteran has trouble with the Veterans Crisis Line is simply unacceptable." The VA said Monday it is increasing staff at the New York-based hotline and opening a new hub in Atlanta. The agency also pledged to continue efforts to improve training, as it responds to a report by an internal watchdog that said crisis calls are routinely allowed to go into voicemail and callers do not always receive immediate assistance. David Shulkin, the VA's undersecretary for health, called veterans' suicide a public health crisis and said suicide prevention is a top priority at VA. An estimated 20 veterans commit suicide every day; the vast majority were not connected to VA care in the last year of their lives, Shulkin said. The crisis line dispatched emergency responders an average of 30 times a day last year and made 80,000 referrals to suicide prevention coordinators, he said. "We are saving thousands of lives. But we will not rest as long as there are veterans who remain at risk," Shulkin said in a statement. Approval of the House bill follows a February report by the VA's office of inspector general indicating that about 1 in 6 calls are redirected to backup centers when the crisis line is overloaded. Calls went to voicemail at some backup centers, including at least one center where staffers apparently were unaware there was a voicemail system, the report said. The bill now goes to the Senate. The crisis hotline received more than 500,000 calls last year, 50 times the number it received in 2007, the hotline's first year of operation. The toll-free hotline number is 800-273-8255. -- BY MATTHEW DALYASSOCIATED PRESS  

Chicago veterans voiced their opinions during a recent American Legion System Worth Saving town hall meeting led by Past National Commander Marty Conatser and Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Deputy Director Roscoe Butler. Attendees included local veterans, Department of Illinois leadership, state congressional staff, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital staff, and Legion national staff from Washington, D.C. Dr. Steven Braverman, newly appointed director of Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, spent his first day on the job at the town hall meeting with local veterans discussing their concerns about the care and services received at the facility. Braverman, a physician and former Army medical center commander, brings nearly 30 years of experience caring for soldiers and other servicemembers to the Hines VA. “My first priority is to learn about the organization and not take for granted that everything published on the Internet or the news is the absolute truth because there has been a lot of information that’s been negative in regards to Hines,” Braverman said. The hospital has had many documented challenges, but that’s nothing new for Braverman. At the town hall meeting, he candidly described his time as the commander of the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas, when one of his doctors fatally shot 13 people and injured more than 30 others in 2009. Of the many lessons he learned from that experience, he said one of the most vital was the importance of community partnerships. After the incident, he worked with local hospitals outside of Fort Hood to assist in providing mental health care to his military and civilian employees. One of his goals as the new director is to establish relationships with community organizations, especially veterans groups, and collectively discuss how to improve the Hines VA and welcomed the questions and comments during the meeting. Feedback from Chicago-area veterans at the town hall focused primarily on improving communication with patients regarding scheduling appointments and wait times for medical services. Harold Toney, commander of American Legion Post 915, described his experience waiting an entire day for an MRI and that he just wants the staff to keep him informed. “They don’t care about the people that are waiting,” Toney said. “There’s no communication, no informing the patients when there is a problem. I can understand if there is a delay and they tell me, then I can make the decision to wait or make another appointment.” Another veteran asked the Hines VA staff if the hospital will increase their number of physicians, and Braverman confirmed the organization facilitated an orientation for new employees that morning. But not all comments regarding the hospital were negative. Bernie Darmetko of Legion Post 96 said he’s had a very positive experience at Hines VA and has helped other veterans enroll in the system as well. Braverman is the first permanent director hired in nearly two years. Since October 2014, each director has served in an interim capacity and Braverman said he thinks he’ll be able to provide a long-term strategy for the organization with a permanent leadership group. “By building a leadership team that is permanent, it takes away doubt from the employees that what they’re seeing is going to just be changed in a short period of time and they’re not having to play ping pong with the priorities of the hospital and priorities of the leadership,” he said. Roscoe, who facilitated the town hall meeting, assured the veterans in attendance that he believes Braverman understands the issues veterans face and can make changes. “I believe if he’s up to the challenge and you’re willing to work with him, he can move mountains. It’s not the end of the process here tonight; I hear from him a commitment to work with you,” Roscoe said.   By Stacy Gault

DENVER (AP) -- The Latest on members of Congress asking prosecutors for a perjury investigation involving cost overruns at a Denver-area veterans hospital (all times local): 7:30 p.m. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has formally asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether Veterans Affairs Department executives lied to Congress to conceal massive cost overruns at a Denver-area hospital. Twenty-one members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee made the request Thursday in a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The letter asks for an investigation into statements by Glenn Haggstrom, formerly the department's top official in charge of construction projects, and Stella Fiotes, director of the VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management. No one answered a call to Haggstrom's home phone Thursday. Fiotes didn't immediately return a phone message. The hospital, under construction in suburban Aurora, is expected to cost around $1.7 billion, nearly triple the 2014 estimate. VA officials declined to comment on the lawmakers' letter, and the Justice Department didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. --- 2:50 a.m. Some lawmakers say federal prosecutors should investigate whether a former Veterans Affairs Department executive committed perjury when he testified about the cost of a new Denver-area VA hospital. Florida Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and Colorado Republican Rep. Mike Coffman said Wednesday the Justice Department should investigate Glenn Haggstrom's statements to Congress in 2013 and 2014. Haggstrom didn't immediately return a telephone message seeking comment. The VA's internal watchdog released a report Wednesday saying Haggstrom knew the project was veering toward huge cost overruns but didn't tell lawmakers that. Haggstrom was the department's top official in charge of construction projects nationwide. He retired in 2015. The hospital, now under construction in suburban Aurora, is expected to cost around $1.7 billion, nearly triple the 2014 estimate.