We are pleased to announce our Democrats Abroad Veterans and Military Families Caucus was approved on 19 February 2018. To join the Veterans and Military Families Caucus, please contact Kirk Samson at [email protected].
Below is our caucus' Terms of Reference (TOR). The TOR is the guiding document for a caucus.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Democrats Abroad Germany (DAG) honors the men and women of our armed forces and is committed to representing their best interests in the democratic process. Government policy must reflect the interests of those who serve or have served honorably, those who support them overseas and their families. In order to support these efforts, DAG is establishing the Veterans and Military Families Caucus (VMFC). This caucus will work with the leadership of Democrats Abroad Germany and the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party to achieve mutual goals and to assure caucus members that the Democratic Party is fully supportive of their needs while serving (and after service) on behalf of their country.
All of the various groups, ethnicities, persuasions, identities, and beliefs that make up American society are present in our military, and so all of the other caucuses share issues and concerns in common with the Veterans and Military Families Caucus of Democrats Abroad. Discrimination has no place in the Armed Forces or Department of Defense organizations.
GOALS
- Reach out to Democratic veterans, active duty and reserve military members as well as their dependents living abroad to encourage them to vote and to give them a voice in the democratic process.
- Represent the interests of this community and the community of civilian employees and their families who work abroad on behalf of the United States Armed Forces.
- Provide a forum in which all DA members can better understand the issues affecting our military forces and veterans and the concerns facing them and their families.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- Veteran and military communities overseas deal with unique issues which are best served by a dedicated caucus to coordinate communication and actions with the DAG Executive Committee and (as authorized) the media or outside organizations.
- It is a priority to ensure that Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools are robustly funded to guarantee that military families benefit from excellent educational facilities. It is important to ensure that the children of military families serving overseas have quality programming for after school activities, both for social development as well as to compete on an equal level with students living in the U.S. for university admissions.
- We believe that it is critical to assist Congress and the Department of Defense to find ways to improve full and part-time working opportunities for dependents accompanying military members overseas.
- We believe that retired veterans living overseas should have access to all of their privileges and benefits to the maximum extent possible.
ACTIONS
- Provide information and concerns to other DAG caucuses regarding taxation, discrimination, privileges and overseas base closures or expansion to ensure that as these issues impact veterans and military families they are shared with the broader DA community for a successful joint response.
- Maintain contact with other American non-profit or political organizations in key countries to find areas of joint concern regarding veterans and military families.
- Operate as an Ombudsman between all DAG members and U.S. government offices on issues involving veterans’ benefits.
- Initiate platform measures, and organize discussions on issues pertinent to government policy impacting veterans, military members and DoD employees, and their families living abroad.
- In coordination with the DAG Communications Director, elicit or create talking points to address high-profile political concerns related to veterans or the military living overseas.
STRUCTURE
- Participation in the DAG VMFC is open to any veterans who have served honorably, active duty and reserve military members, civilian employees of the Department of Defense or its agencies, and their immediate family members. Any other members of DAG are also welcome to join this caucus.
- The caucus will be represented by a Chair and Secretary who are responsive to both members and any requests for action or information from the DAG Executive Committee. Additional positions may be established depending upon interest within the caucus.
- The caucus Chair and Secretary will be determined by biannual election of all caucus members. The Chair or Secretary may be removed by the DAG Executive Committee at any time for conduct contrary to the interests of the organization.
- The caucus Chair should be a veteran or active duty military member, but any other caucus positions (Secretary, plus any additional position established by the caucus) are open to the general VMFC membership.