Disabled American Veterans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is an American disabled veteran's organization. It currently has over 1.3 million members.
The organization accomplishes this goal by providing free assistance to veterans in obtaining benefits and services earned through their military service. It is fully funded through its membership dues and public contributions. It is not a government agency and receives no government funds.
DAV is the foremost representative of the interests of disabled veterans and their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before federal, state, and local governments. The DAV National Legislative Program ensures disabled veterans are not forgotten by lawmakers.
The DAV was formed as the United States of America faced the painful effects of World War I. Throughout its 85-year history, DAV has grown and adapted to face the needs of disabled veterans. As a new generation of wartime disabled veterans return from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the DAV is working hard to ensure all veterans are cared for well into the future.
The DAV's largest endeavor is the National Service Program. In 88 offices, a corps of 260 National Service Officers (NSOs) and 26 Transition Service Officers (TSOs) directly represent veterans with claims for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. This free service is available to all veterans.
Through a wide network of state-level Departments and local Chapters, DAV extends its mission of hope to communities where disabled veterans and their families live. Its leadership is organized to provide a structure through which these veterans can show their compassion for their fellow veterans.
The National Voluntary Service Program operates an extensive network of programs through which veterans and concerned citizens provide services for their disabled veterans. This includes the Transportation Network, which provides veterans with rides to and from VA medical facilities for treatment, and the Voluntary Service Program, which facilitates volunteers at VA hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes through the VA Voluntary Service Program.
