Types of Military Veteran Organizations

Let's look at what a Military Veteran Organization does and why they were set up. We will also look at some of the various different organizations that can be found in the USA.

Many of these organizations have been set up as non profit organizations in order to help those veterans who have left military service. They will normally provide such information on programs that have been set up for veterans in order to help them in getting jobs plus educating them about what benefits they are entitled to. There have been many set up over the years including ones more recently for those members of the USA military who have returned from either the Gulf or Iraq wars.

Today the most major veteran's organizations to be found in the USA are:

1. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
2. The American Legion
3. AMVETS
4. Disabled American Veterans
5. Jewish War Veterans of the USA
6. Catholic War Veterans
7. American Ex-Prisoners of War

A veteran is someone who has served in the armed forces and has then been honorably discharged. However, there is a common misconception that a veteran is someone who has either been in combat (taken part in a war etc) or has retired from active duty.

We will now look in more detail at a couple of the military veteran organizations from the list above.

1. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

This organization is made up of both current and former members of the US Armed Forces. In order to be eligible for membership to this organization an individual must have earned a US Government issued overseas expeditionary or campaign medal. It became a Government chartered non profit organization by an act of the US Congress in 1936. It was first formed in 1914 from the merger of two prior veterans' organizations which both arose in 1899.

Today the VFW works on behalf of American veterans by lobbying Congress for better veterans' health care and benefits. It also has a nationwide organization of employees and volunteers who help veterans with any VA disability claims. Plus they also donate hundreds of thousands of dollars as well of millions of hours for community service.

2. AMVETS

The American Veterans (AMVETS) is a volunteer led organization which was formed by World War II veterans and will accept those veterans who have been honorably discharged from the armed forces. It is one of the most respected organizations in the US today and provides not only support for veterans but also active military in order to procure their earned entitlements.

Similar to the VFW ,it is politically active and will lobby congress in order to get better treatment and facilities for veterans.

As you can see from above there is much more to the military veterans organization rather than just being a socialization center where old buddies can meet up.