The American Legion maintains a network of 2,000 professional,
accredited representatives – known as service officers – who are officially recognized by VA to provide representation and assistance to veterans and their dependents. The service is free to all veterans.
The Legion also maintains fully staffed offices of professional appeals representatives at VA’s Board of Veterans’Appeals (BVA) and Appeals Management Center (AMC). National appeals representatives at the BVA and AMC provide direct representation to veterans and survivors whose claims are denied at the regional office level and then appealed.
The Legion has expanded national staffing to provide professional service officers at VA’s three Pension Management Centers (PMCs), centralized locations where VA processes all claims for pension, a non-service connected benefit for wartime veterans hardest hit financially. The Legion also has national service officers assigned to VA’s two Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) rating activity sites in WinstonSalem, N.C. and Salt Lake City. They provide direct representation and other assistance to separating servicemembers filing VA disability claims prior to release from active duty.
The American Legion works with the National Veterans Legal Services Program and the Veterans Consortium in court cases involving claims-decision appeals.
Featured Image courtesy of the American Legion