WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi has urged Americans to sign a special “Thank You Note” to the men and women of the U.S. military. The note is available on the Internet at a site — www.defendamerica.mil — maintained by the Department of Defense.
“Whether deployed to the Middle East, serving shipboard in the Indian Ocean or supporting operations at hundreds of facilities around the world, the men and women of our armed services need to know that we understand – and value – their contributions to the security of our nation and the well-being of every American,” Principi said.
About 4.5 million Americans have already visited the DoD web-site on the Internet, where they signed a simple message: “Dear member of the U.S. military: Thank you for defending our freedom.”
“The Department of Veterans Affairs stands ready to assist our newly deployed troops with a wide range of programs and services when they return home,” Principi said. “We all pray that will be soon.”
DefendAmerica.mil is the Defense Department’s official Web site for news on the war on terrorism. The site provides coverage of top national security leaders, while featuring up-to-date photographs, information on weapons and equipment, personality profiles and human-interest features.
DefendAmerica.mil’s online thank-you note was posted in May 2002, which was Military Appreciation Month.
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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
Veterans can also use our chatbot to get information about VA benefits and services. The chatbot won’t connect you with a person, but it can show you where to go on VA.gov to find answers to some common questions.
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