VA to pay for all emergency mental health care

DAV

H.R. 2138 and S. 2392, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2025, would provide an annual cost-of-living increase for VA disability compensation benefits for veterans and Dependents Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits for survivors, as well as adjustments for certain dependents’ benefits. These increases help ensure that all compensation payments keep pace with the rising cost of living.

Without annual COLAs, the purchasing power of these benefits would diminish over time due to inflation—undermining the value of the compensation ill and injured veterans earned through their service, as well as the support that survivors and dependents rely on.

Please contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2138/S. 2392, the Veterans’ Compensation COLA Act of 2025. Click here to take action: dav.la/cola2025. ... Read MoreSee Less

DAV

This past April, for the second annual DAV Community Impact Day, Hawaii Chapter 1 Adjutant Juan Castillo came up with the idea of having members call their roster of Oahu veterans to conduct buddy checks.

Chapter member Jacqueline Elisca was one of the volunteers. She said the veterans she spoke with were very grateful for the conversation and were touched that she took the time to reach out.

“I really enjoyed the day,” Elisca said. “It was very interactive. We do the little things, but sometimes we don’t see how it affects that individual.”

She was even able to help one veteran who was having trouble with his Department of Veterans Affairs medical care by providing him with the information needed to resolve the issue.

“When I left, I felt like I did some good that day,” Elisca said.

Check out the link in the comments to read about what other DAV chapters did for #CommunityImpactDay. ... Read MoreSee Less

DAV

Fifth grade social studies teacher Brad Puckett (left) used DAV’s Field of Flags to turn Veterans Day lessons into a visual, community-wide tribute. With DAV’s flag planting kit, planning and setup were straightforward. The resulting flag display wasn’t just educational—it was transformative.

When Vietnam veteran Marvin (right) saw the display in front of Commerce Middle School, he had to stop and express his gratitude. "Thank you for contributing to the education of the next generation. You are the hope of our nation.”

Learn more about Commerce Middle School's Field of Flags and how you can host your own field this Veterans Day: dav.la/45C8gOI. ... Read MoreSee Less