A Voice for Veterans 

by Staff Sgt. Stefany M. Leyva
129th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

Nov. 11, 2021

MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. – “The more people that are on those rosters, the more elected officials see that we are out here and that we have a voice,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Reed Johnston. “Every name on the [VFW] roster is a bullet that goes to Congress to fight the battle for veteran benefits.” 

Johnston, the inspector general superintendent at the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing, is much more than an advocate for veteran benefits. He holds a multifarious role as the VFW's post service officer at Post 4103, a local VFW post serving South San Francisco, and is impassioned to bring awareness to service members about benefits available for veterans and their families.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is a non-profit organization created in 1914, and is the nation's oldest combat veterans organization with over 6,000 posts nationwide dedicated to veterans service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs.

Since it began, the VFW has become part of communities around the country, providing an all-volunteer force that advocates for troop support, youth activities and scholarship programs.

VFW's Adopt-A-Unit military assistance program is one of many programs offered, which the 129th Rescue Wing has ceremoniously been a part of since July 2012.  

Post 4103 formally adopted the entire wing and has since provided approximately $50,000 in donations for events such as homecomings, family days, and care packages for deployed members – it is a long-running partnership based on family, support and camaraderie, said Johnston. 

“What’s great about our post is that we are really diverse, we have veterans from World War II and every conflict since. We have women, husbands and wives, sons and fathers, and everyone shares their story,” said Johnston.

“During meetings, you’d have a table with a couple of World War II vets, Operation Desert Storm vets, and Vietnam vets, and they were all together, men and women, it was... phew,” Johnston exhaled as tears welled up in his eyes. 

“Unfortunately, the membership of the VFW has gone from 3.5 million members to 1.5 million,” said Johnston. “World War II veterans are dying, hundreds per day, and the younger generation veterans are not to the age yet where they are looking for that camaraderie, either because they are working on their career, education and spending time with family, or they found it somewhere else.”

Johnston earnestly fulfills his position as a veteran service officer  and harbors a centralized concentration on benefit advocacy. He navigated through his own military transition without any assistance and recognized it as time when one needs help. He now dedicates his time to educating others and giving guidance on how to access a support system of various programs and funding.

"From a shuffle in manpower, I went from an active duty senior enlisted position with full benefits to a civilian technician position. That’s a big difference, especially for someone with a home and a family," Johnston said. "I worked through it. I did it on my own and submitted a VA claim. I volunteered to become a post service officer because I realized I can help people going through the same process. It helps me knowing that I’m able to be here to answer questions and to pay it forward," said Johnston.

“One thing many people don’t know about is that when you come back from a [combat] deployment you go on a priority list for VA health care and have five years of medical care,” said Johnston. “Even if you never use your veteran healthcare, the fact that you are registered for it helps because the VA gets funding for the amount of veterans who are enrolled. So even if you don’t use it, get registered, because that's funding that you or a fellow veteran may need later down the line.”

Members should keep in mind that the benefits available are not only for them, but for the family as well, so the sooner they enroll the sooner they are helping their families and their future, said Johnston.

Carolann Wunderlin, an Air Force veteran and the Airman & Family Readiness Program Manager at the 129th Rescue Wing, also plays a vital role in veteran organizations with her dedicated involvement with the American Legion. Wunderlin values the camaraderie of these organizations and exhibits the importance of building a national-level platform in the veteran service community.