Don't Skip Leg Day

Rob, Brittany, Kristina and Ryan return to the podcast to break down a busy September for veterans' advocacy in Washington, including the latest congressional activity, the VFW's continued opposition to Section 108 of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act, and preparations for the VFW Fall Legislative Conference. The team discusses why the VFW continues to push back against using future veterans' disability benefits to fund other legislation, including the Major Richard Star Act. They address criticism surrounding the VFW's position, explain why proposed changes to the VA rating schedule are not inevitable, and emphasize the importance of preserving the regulatory process. They also highlight the power of grassroots advocacy, with VFW Action Alerts generating nearly 95,000 messages to Congress regarding Section 108. The conversation turns to the VFW Fall Legislative Conference and the National Legislative Committee members who advocate year-round in their communities and on Capitol Hill. Kristina and Ryan explain how VFW members can become more involved in advocacy, how resolutions give individual members a voice in national policy, and how programs like the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship help develop the next generation of veteran advocates. In the Still Serving Spotlight, Rob and Brittany welcome Dr. Kelly Brown of the Allied Forces Foundation to discuss the Warrior Yomp, a long-distance endurance event bringing together wounded, ill and injured veterans and allied service members from around the world. Brown shares how the foundation uses physical challenges, camaraderie and international partnerships to help veterans reconnect, heal and find their communities. The episode closes with a personal reflection ahead of the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 and the fifth anniversary of the end of the war in Afghanistan. Rob, Brittany, Kristina and Ryan share how 9/11 affected their lives and military service, the challenges of reconciling the end of America's longest war, and why continuing to serve and advocate for the generations that follow remains so important. Hosts: Rob Couture – Director, VFW Public Affairs & Strategic Outreach Brittany Dymond Murray – Associate Director, VFW Public Affairs & Strategic Outreach Featured Guests: Kristina Keenan – Director, VFW National Legislative Service Ryan Gallucci – Executive Director, VFW Washington Office Still Serving Spotlight Guest: Dr. Kelly Brown – Board Chair and Operations Officer, Allied Forces Foundation Learn More: VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship: https://www.vfw.org/StudentFellowship Allied Forces Foundation and Warrior Yomp: https://www.alliedforcesfoundation.org/ Ask the VFW: https://vfw.org/AskTheVFW 127th VFW National Convention highlights: https://vfw.org/Convention Episode Highlights: 0:00 Intro and Roll Call 4:11 Congress returns and VA electronic health record oversight 13:17 Latest on the Take Care of America's Veterans Act 16:07 Why the VFW opposes Section 108 21:50 Major Richard Star Act and questions over funding 29:56 Nearly 95,000 messages sent to Congress through VFW Action Alerts 31:28 VFW Fall Legislative Conference 34:34 Training the VFW's grassroots advocates 39:06 How VFW members can get involved in legislative advocacy 44:32 The power of VFW resolutions and member-driven advocacy 45:46 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship 49:28 Legislative priorities heading into the fall 54:25 Still Serving Spotlight – Dr. Kelly Brown and the Allied Forces Foundation 56:08 How Allied Forces Foundation brings veterans together 58:22 The 2026 Warrior Yomp 1:02:36 Building camaraderie among allied veterans 1:06:10 How veterans and supporters can participate 1:15:23 Finding connection and community after service 1:17:17 Good of the Order – Reflecting on 25 years since 9/11 1:18:45 Ryan Gallucci reflects on serving during 9/11 1:24:27 Kristina Keenan reflects on 9/11 and military service 1:28:31 Brittany Dymond Murray on loss, Afghanistan and finding meaning in service 1:34:38 Rob Couture reflects on 9/11, war and bringing his soldiers home 1:42:42 Continuing the mission through advocacy 1:45:35 Closing thoughts