What is the mission of today’s Veterans of Foreign Wars?

What is the mission of today’s Veterans of Foreign Wars?
By: Kenneth Hagemann

It is the same as our 1899 founders envisioned: to serve, represent and advocate for troops, veterans and families. Those Spanish-American War veterans knew that veterans needed a union that would fight to force the politicians to honor President Lincoln’s pledge, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle”.

Since then, the VFW has played an instrumental role in virtually every significant piece of veterans’ legislation passed in the 20th and 21st centuries in Washington D.C. and statehouses across this country. Most recently, we successfully advocated for passage of the Honoring our PACT Act, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, and UCMJ reform on sexual assault and harassment. Here in New Jersey, we recently advocated for a veteran’s consumer protection law that protects veterans from being charged exorbitant fees for VA benefits assistance along with holding the Governor’s Office and the State Dept of Military & Veterans Affairs accountable for veteran services and National Guard members’ quality of life issues.

Our 2025 legislative goals are to ensure the politicians “Honor the Contract,” making sure veterans care and benefits remain fully funded and appropriately staffed to carry out this critical mission. Veterans fulfilled our part of the contract we signed at enlistment, and we expect our elected and appointed leaders to do the same.  We are also advocating for several pieces of property-tax relief legislation reserved for New Jersey’s military veterans.

For 125 years, the VFW has been on the frontlines caring for troops and veterans both on the frontlines and abroad, and we are committed to continuing the fight for future generations of warriors.