First VFW Post to Conduct Business Using Social Media Inaugurated in Central Texas

Jan. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- AUSTIN, TX -­‐ January 28, 2012 – Central Texas veterans have founded the first Veterans of Foreign Wars post that will conduct business using online tools and social media. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Kiernan will be inaugurated Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. at the Doubletree, 6505, N. IH35, in Austin, Texas. Richard L. DeNoyer, Commander-­‐in-­‐Chief, U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars, and John Spahr, Texas will preside over the inauguration.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Kiernan is named after US Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Kiernan, who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 6, 2007. “He was a very close friend, a tremendous leader and soldier,” said Bob Gear, Interim Post Commander. “To the best of my knowledge, this is the first VFW Post named after an Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn Veteran.”

Meetings are held online and using social media, in accordance with current VFW by-laws. A 2011 Military Times survey reported in 2011 that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans belong to veterans organizations that they benefit from; 52 percent have not considered joining a veterans organization. Staff Sergeant Kiernan’s widow, Donna East Kiernan, said, “This VFW Post brings opportunities and benefits to our new veterans… we won’t let them get lost.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Kiernan charter was approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the National VFW on January 4, 2012. To be chartered, the post was required to recruit 25 new or reinstated members, and 35 members in total. Eligibility is based on having served in foreign wars. While members are stationed or live around the world, several of the officers to be inaugurated January 28 are Central Texas veterans; the post Chaplain is based in Amarillo, Texas. The post aims to support the VFW mission to advocate for soldiers and serve the community through a variety of charitable community actions.

For more information on VFW Post Kiernan, see http://ssgkiernanvfwpost12117.org/

About The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The VFW is the nations oldest and largest veterans organization.

Veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. Since then, the VFW’s voice has been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, create a GI bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system, compensation for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome, and improving VA medical centers services for women veterans.

Annually, the 2.1 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary contribute more than 11 million hours of volunteerism in the community, and provide more than $3 million in college scholarships to students every year.

http://www.vfw.org/