Like many of us, I sat stunned in recent hours as the news of the death of two more black men in Louisiana and Minnesota was followed in quick order with the assassination of five Dallas Police officers and wounding of several more.  I extend personally and on behalf of American Veterans for Equal Rights my regrets at this bloodshed across our country and our prayers for all those killed and wounded, their families and friends. 

We cannot allow this thoughtless violent tit for tat to continue.  We must find an equitable resolution to the treatment of our black citizens, we must expect and make possible fair policing of our neighborhoods even as many police forces work to do so.  We must find a sensible way to judge who can and who cannot have deadly weapons, particularly those weapons of war. 

Finally, Congress cannot continue to fiddle while the burning of Rome may be beginning.  The senselessness of recent violence from many sources across our country is exceeded only by the blind in fighting of Senators and Representatives who represent our people continues on Capitol Hill.  We can only hope that those citizens and representatives of the people find a middle ground and proceed to make our country safer for all our citizens.  God Bless those who take that initiative. 

Stay safe. 

Veterans Proudly serving since Valley Forge!   

Steve Loomis

LTC, EN, U.S. Army (Retired)

National President

American Veterans for Equal Rights

505-301-1737

Website www.aver.us

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AVER/

AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2016 Albuquerque

Contact: AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer publicaffairs@aver.us 718 849-5665

Re. AVER Elects Board at National Convention

American Veterans for Equal Rights, America’s first national organization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender armed forces veterans, held its biennial convention in the high desert splendor of Albuquerque New Mexico, electing a board to carry on its mission advocating and defending the rights and benefits of LGBT patriotic service members and veterans.

LTC Steve Loomis, US Army, retired, was reelected as President. Chief Julz Carey, US Coast Guard, retired, was reelected as Vice President.  Former Sergeant Danny Ingram was reelected as Treasurer, and former Staff Sergeant, James Apedaile, US Army, Retired was elected as Secretary. 

AVER’s five national regions elected Regional Vice Presidents: Former Sergeant First Class Denny Meyer in Region 1 –Northeastern US, Former Staff Sergeant, James Apedaile US Army, Retired in Region II –Southern US, former Petty Officer James Darby in Region III –Midwestern US, MAJ Dorothy Seaton, USA, Retired, Region IV –Southwestern US, and CPO Nick Jackman, USCG, Retired in Region V –Western US and HI. Denny Meyer was reappointed as national Public Affairs and Veterans Affairs Officer; Penn Baker remains national Transgender Veterans Liaison; and Patrick Bova remains as national Archivist.

The Keynote speaker at the convention was USAF Reserve General Patricia Rose; and the recipient of the Leonard Matlovich Medal was Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, US Army, retired.

Further details about the convention will be issued shortly in a full report.

AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2016

RE: Cammermeyer to Receive Matlovich Medal

Contact:  AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us or AVER President, Steve Loomis, LTC, USA, (Ret) 505.301.1737

Atlanta, GA (MAR 16, 2016) – Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, the highest ranking active officer to challenge the US military’s ban on LGBT service members, will be presented the 2016 Leonard Matlovich Medal for Distinguished Service by American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), the nation’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veterans Service Organization.  The Medal will be presented to Dr. Cammermeyer at AVER’s 25^th anniversary national convention to be held April 21-24, 2016, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.   Continue reading →

Happy birthday with gratitude to the United States Coast Guard, which turns 225 today 4 Aug 2015. The Coast Guard is the oldest continuous maritime service in the United States (the Continental Navy was disbanded in 1785), and is the only branch of the nation’s 7 uniformed services to operate under the civilian control of the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the Department of the Navy in time of war. Continue reading →