A Decade of Excellence.

In one short decade, the DAV reaffirmed its place as the world's best veterans service organization by enlarging our corps of National Service Officers (NSOs), offering new and better services to veterans, setting records for membership, and earning the respect of policy makers in Washington. The energetic spirit of the organization during the past 10 years is a testament to the generations of men and women who have sacrificed for the cause of freedom.

"It is no accident that directing the DAV over the last decade has been National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson," then National Commander Alan W. Bowers told delegates to the 83rd National Convention. "Art has been at the helm of our organization ensuring that we remain steadfast in our mission of service to disabled veterans and their families."

The compelling story of DAV's achievements was outlined during the Board of Directors meeting at the National Convention in Reno, Nev. The "Decade of Excellence" multimedia presentation was given by National Headquarters Executive Director Richard E. Patterson and Washington Headquarters Executive Director David W. Gorman.

"In the last decade, the DAV has grown to a record 1.3 million members," Patterson said. "We have witnessed the growth of our corps to 270 National Services Officers staffing 70 offices throughout our nation and Puerto Rico. They include the newest disabled veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan."

"During this decade of excellence, our NSOs have represented millions of veterans and their families resulting in tens of billions of dollars in new and retroactive benefits," said Gorman. "We've also expanded our service program to include 26 Transition Services Officers at 80 military separation sites across America."

Another recent addition to our Service Programs are the Mobile Service Office (MSO) vans staffed by NSOs who take services directly to veterans in their communities. And thousands of veterans continue to depend on the DAV Transportation Network to transport them to and from their VA medical center appointments. DAV Volunteers play such a large role in VA's Voluntary Services Program that it could not operate without them.

Sound financial management has ensured more cost-effective operation, resulting in reduced overhead and allowing more funding for service programs. Outreach programs have placed the name and mission of the DAV before millions of Americans each year. "In short, the DAV has re-established itself in one short decade as the best of the best," said Patterson. "There's a reason we got here-quality leadership."

Achievement in service was credited to the National Service Officer Training Academy at the University of Colorado in Denver which turned out highly trained NSOs to offset the retirement of many highly skilled service officers. In 1993, the number of NSOs had declined to 230 with many near retirement. The academy program ended in 2002 when the need for NSOs was satisfied and replaced with the time-tested 16-month training program for new NSOs. The long-standing structured and continuing training program was also strengthened by including a Management and Leadership Training Program to provide further professional development for NSOs.

The Decade of Excellence also saw the creation of the National Area Supervisor Program to provide additional service to veterans in many underserved localities.

The MSO program was launched in 2001 with 12 vehicles operating in communities throughout the country. In 2003, MSOs brought DAV services to veterans and their families in 563 cities and towns and traveled the distance equivalent to three times around the world.

Our Transition Service Officers last year conducted 1,467 formal presentations at military separation sites across the nation and met with 62,755 service members, filing nearly 23,000 veterans benefits claims during the same period. At the same time, new outreach programs provided service information to Hispanic and Native American veterans in their communities.

"During the decade from 1993 to 2003, DAV expenditures for service for claims assistance and advocacy grew 60% to nearly $38 million," Patterson said. "But all of our services remained free to veterans and their families."

In 1999, the DAV launched its Homeless Veterans Initiative by providing 14 special vans used by Departments to assist needy veterans. The vans are used to seek out homeless veterans and provide them transportation to shelters which would give them the care, food, and shelter they need.

Legislative programs to help veterans and their families were greatly enhanced with the support of new grassroots programs. The Decade of Excellence presentation highlighted the 1999 Memorial Day weekend rallies at 129 VA medical centers in support of the veterans health care system and seeking congressional support for additional funding. The programs were formalized in January 2000 when the Commander's Action Network (CAN) was created to broaden participation in our grassroots efforts and advocacy program in support of veterans legislation. In 2002, for example, a record 8,592 e-mails from the DAV web site were sent to members of Congress in a single day. By October 2002, 72,858 e-mails had been sent via the DAV web site in support of concurrent receipt legislation before Congress. That kind of clout had a dramatic impact on members of Congress in March 2003, when our strong grassroots advocacy and support from House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) prevented $25 billion in cuts from veterans' programs in the budget resolution.

Gorman said the DAV Transportation Network had grown dramatically over the decade, from 32 vans purchased in 1993 to the 144 vans added in 2004. Over the decade, more than $27 million had been used to provide the best services to veterans going to and returning from their VA medical appointments. By 2003, our volunteer drivers covered 27.4 million miles, providing 734,000 rides to sick and disabled veterans.

The Transportation Network program reached its most recent zenith in May 2003 as 211 vans were donated to VA facilities in 24 states. It was the largest van donation in the history of the program.

Meanwhile, more than 17,000 DAV and Auxiliary volunteers also provided 2.5 million hours of voluntary service at VA facilities last year--exceeding the volunteer efforts of all other veterans service organizations combined. Patients at these medical centers were entertained by Major League Baseball umpires Larry Barnett and Jerry Layne, pitchers Jason Arnold and Mike Maroth, NASCAR drivers Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett, and many others as part of the Celebrity Entertainment Program.

Our volunteer program was further strengthened in 2000 with the creation of a program to recognize outstanding young people who are active volunteers at VA facilities. Since it was created, 39 scholarships totaling more than $250,000 have been awarded to deserving young volunteers. Named in honor of the late Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown, Gorman said, "Jesse would have been proud of the program. He placed great importance on education opportunities for America's youth."

The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic has been another program of outstanding service enhanced over the past decade. In 1993, there were 171 participants and 18 sponsors, but by 2004, the event had 325 participants, including veterans severely disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 77 corporate and individual sponsors.

Our public outreach efforts have expanded to include the DAV Day at the Ballpark Program which began in 2001, and the vintage World War II B-25 bomber, Panchito, which boldly communicates the DAV message to millions of fans at air shows around our nation.

"You have witnessed where we have come from over the last 10 years, and how we have gotten to the position of prominent leadership," said Gorman. "The road before us will certainly offer potholes and detours, but it is by strict adherence to our mission, that the DAV succeeds."

"There is much to do for disabled veterans and their families, and we have a new generation to work for," he said. "It is with firm resolution and commitment that we face the future, and the belief that we haven't seen anything yet."