James Madison VFW Post 2217

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

Your DD214 is the first step to your VA benefits. Need a copy of your DD214 or other military records? Use the milConnect website. https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/

05/28/2026

Get your VA Welcome Kit! It guides you through the benefits and services you've earned, whether you're just out of the service or a longtime civilian. Keep it handy for school, jobs, housing, healthcare, retirement, and aging care planning!

Welcome to VA! https://www.va.gov/welcome-kit/

05/28/2026

America turns 250 this July 🇺🇸 Join the VFW in celebrating by signing the Happy Birthday, America pledge and committing to proudly fly the American flag now through July. bit.ly/4sIWXO6

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

VFW applauds a landmark federal court ruling finding that unaccredited claims company Veterans Guardian violated federal law by charging veterans.

05/28/2026

SPC Jeffery Carr Army
5 26 1989
🇺🇸

05/28/2026

We acknowledge a generous donation from Mrs. Tina Tierson in memory of her son, U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Timothy William Romei. Corporal Romei died on 8 Oct 1990, while serving his country in Operation Desert Shield.

35 years later, we are constructing the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
☆ Dedication Ceremony Details: https://www.ndswm.org/dedication-ceremony

📌 Here are a few avenues to donate to help support the construction of the memorial:
https://bit.ly/4mtIQZW
https://bit.ly/SupportTheMemorial

05/28/2026

Brand new desert storm flag! See it here: https://bit.ly/4jvqOnE

05/28/2026

“A brilliant mind and a small-town hero.”

Today we remember Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent. She enlisted in the United States Navy in 2003 as a cryptologic technician. Senior Chief Petty Officer volunteered to deploy to Iraq and was assigned to a Special Operations Task Force in Balad, Iraq.

After returning home, Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent took the Naval Special Warfare Direct Support Course that included foundational skills required to serve alongside Navy SEALs, setting the stage for including women in the program.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent did two additional rotations in Iraq before a long stint at a remote outpost in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, in 2012, where she won awards for being a top human intelligence collector and linguist.

In 2016, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and was successfully cured following surgery.

While pursuing her master’s, she decided to become a Doctor of Psychology and was accepted into the Navy’s highly competitive clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She was later told she would not be granted a commission as an officer due to her previous cancer diagnosis.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent refused to accept the decision and fought the regulation. She petitioned the Navy’s chain of command and then Congress. Although she gained traction and made small changes to the regulations, it was not in time before her next deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

On January 16, 2019, in Manbij, Syria, Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent and three other Americans were killed by a su***de attack. Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent was the first female combat death in Syria since combat operations began against ISIS in Syria, and the first female U.S. service member killed by enemy fire in more than three years at the time.

Following her death, the Navy officially amended the regulation that Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent fought before her deployment.

Today, we honor her service and her sacrifice.

Learn more about Shannon Kent at https://foundationforwomenwarriors.org/shannon-m-kent/