Pillar II National Security

American Legion Post #48
P. O. Box 323
820 South Alamama Street
Chesnee, SC 29323

Pillar II: NATIONAL SECURITY

    The American Legion's positions on national defense, homeland security, border control and military sup-port 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.

Local 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 three U.S. military installations across the country - Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. - Legion staff members help troops work through the medical discharge process and provide representation before medical examination boards to reconcile disability ratings.
www.legion.org/troops

OPERATION COMFORT WARRIORS
    This program provides wounded service members with rehabilitation equipment for physical therapy and entertainment in the form of soft clothing, electronics, video games, movies, music and more. One hundred percent of donations to OCW go toward gifts for injured servicemen and women.
www.legion.org/ocw

MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE
    The Legion's support of the U.S. military from adequate funding for weapons systems to reasonable child-care services for deployed troops is respected in the Pentagon, at the White House and on Capitol Hill.

SUPPORT FOR TRICARE
    The U.S. military's health-care system and medical insurance program frequently face challenges in Washington. The American Legion persistently testifies on the need to keep TRICARE and TRICARE For Life viable and affordable benefits of military service.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
    The American Legion works with the Department of Homeland Security at the national, state and local levels to prepare for natural disasters. In many communities, American Legion posts serve as civil-defense shelters and havens of relief in the event of catastrophe or attack on U.S. soil. The Legion and DHS collaborate to help local posts prepare their communities. www.legion.org/documents/legion/pdf/disaster_07.pdf

BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
    The American Legion opposes illegal immigration and amnesty for those who came to the United States illegally. The Legion advocates for strict border and port security as a defense against invasion or attack by foreign enemies, illegal drug trafficking and adverse economic impact. The Legion, however, strongly supports legal naturalization.
www.legion.org/citizenship/immigration

NATIONAL EMERGENCY FUND
    The National Emergency Fund has provided more than $6 million in direct financial assistance to American Legion Family members and posts affected by natural disasters in recent years. The donations have enabled Legion Family members to rebuild their homes and their lives.
www.legion.org/emergency

BLUE STAR BANNERS
    The American Legion's Blue Star Banner was resurrected after 9/11 to acknowledge U.S. families with loved ones serving in the Armed Forces during wartime. American Legion Blue Star Salutes and other post-sponsored events to distribute the banners are effective expressions of home front support for military families.
www.legion.org/troops/bluestar

BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM
    The American Legion conducts state competitions throughout the country for posts that donate blood or host blood drives.
www.legion.org/security/blood

FOREIGN RELATIONS
    The American Legion maintains a strong working relationship with the State Department to promote peace, human rights and trade on a global scale. The Legion urges the president and Congress to continue pursuing the "smart power" strategy of using military and economic strength in tandem with foreign aid and human-rights negotiations to fulfill U.S. foreign policy.

FULL ACCOUNTING OF POW/MIAs
The American Legion maintains unwavering support for the full accounting of all U.S. military personnel taken as prisoners of war, missing or killed in action on foreign soil. Official meetings of the Legion start with a prayer to honor our nation's POWs. POW/MIA flags, patches and pins are displayed at Legion events to demonstrate the organization's eternal vigilance.
www.legion.org/powmia

DID YOU KNOW?
In a given year, American Legion posts collect more than 80,000 pints of blood through donation drives.