February 2006 Newsletter, Disabled American Veterans, Department of New York

Washington - The Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, recently appointed Kevin B. Secor, of Woodbridge, VA, as his senior advisor on issues relating to major veterans groups.

"I'm grateful that Kevin was willing to take on this assignment and continue his long and distinguished service to our nation, its military personnel and its veterans," Nicholson said.

In his new role as special Assistant to the Secretary, Secor will serve as the primary liaison between the department and veterans organizations, informing veterans groups about VA's efforts on their behalf while communicating the concerns of the veterans groups to Secretary Nicholson.

Secor, a native of Schodack, N.Y., retired from the Marine Corps as a master gunnery sergeant, having served 29 years. His last active duty post was as a military assistant and senior enlisted Marine with the Joints Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. His assignments included tours asa Marine security guard in Nigeria and Germany, as a recruiter in New Hampshire and as a member of the Inspector General's staff in Syracuse, N.Y.

Secor also served as a military secretary to the commander, U.S. Marines Corps Forces, Atlantic, and to the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Southern Command.

Washington - House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), who recently unleashed a torrent of criticism from veterans organizations, has reversed his original decision and extended from three minutes to ten minutes the amount of time those groups may have to present testimony centering on their legislative priorities. Testimony from veterans service organizations on the President's budget request and proposed policy initiatives, however, will still be limited to three minutes, a restriction which the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) considers totally inadequate and counterproductive.

"Veterans were outraged by the three-minute time limit, and Chairman Buyer heard their voices loud and clear," said DAV National Commander Paul W. Jackson. "It remains unfortunate that the voice of veterans will be stilled in the debate on the President's budget request and proposed policy initiatives."

The DAV reacted angrily when Chairman Buyer last November decided to do away with a decades-long tradition in which veterans groups presented their legislative agenda to a joint meeting of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees.

Chairman Buyer, in a Jan. 26, 2006, letter, informed Commander Jackson that oral statements on the DAV's legislative agenda would be extended from three to ten minutes.

"The DAV is pleased the Chairman Buyer has conceded more time to hear our proposed solutions to problems facing our nation's veterans," said Commander Jackson. "We hope that this action will lead to the realization that veterans must be adequately heard on budget and policy proposals. The attempt to silence dissent in the House only serves to censor the informative and expert testimony of veterans."

The 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation's disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation's disabled veterans and their families.

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