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New Alpha 11 Veterans Logistics outlines outreach roundtables, honors support and definition of "veteran"
Summary
Lee Giddon of Alpha 11 Veterans Logistics described a new veterans organization that refers benefit inquiries to other service organizations, coordinates honors detachments for funerals, holds rapidly growing roundtables and explained how veteran status is typically determined (180 consecutive days or qualifying reserve service).
Lee Giddon, representing Alpha 11 Veterans Logistics, told the House Veterans and Military Development Committee that his new nonprofit focuses on connecting veterans to service organizations, arranging military honors through a local honors detachment and convening veteran-service roundtables that have grown from about 20 attendees to more than 70.
"Our mission is to help all veterans access the benefits they deserve," Giddon said, adding that Alpha 11 largely refers benefits work to established groups such as the DAV while coordinating local advocacy, honors and outreach.
Giddon described a local honors partner, the "550 Fifth Honors Detachment," which he said has provided funeral and ceremonial honors for roughly 25 years. He said Alpha 11 held its first veteran roundtable in November and is scheduling a second roundtable in May after attendance increased.
When asked by Representative Thomas about the formal criteria for being identified as a veteran, Giddon summarized common eligibility rules: generally at least 180 consecutive days of active service is required; for National Guard or Reserve members, service counts if they were deployed or were injured in the line of duty.
"The first thing is you have to serve at least 180 consecutive [days]," Giddon said. "Next, if you are a member of the reserve or national guard and you have not conserved 180 days consecutive, you have to be either deployed or you have to be injured on your time of service. Those are the 3 biggest things that to to rectify you as a veteran."
Giddon also estimated that veterans make up about 6% of Ohio's population; he did not provide a statewide count. Committee members thanked Giddon for the presentation; no committee action resulted.
The presentation stressed local collaboration among veteran service organizations and the committee chair encouraged continued coordination.
