Monday, March 8th, 2010

I’m not much for saying “I told you so,” but last month we predicted a big day for the producers of “The Hurt Locker,” which was the clear headliner of last night’s Oscar awards ceremony. With best picture and director honors, its great to see stories of military service continue to gain way into the American conversation.

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Friday, February 26th, 2010

Have you been checking out the Winter Olympics in Vancouver? As with so many Olympiads, these games are well represented by those who served our country. My favorite, the bobsled, where all three men’s U.S. Olympic bobsled teams — were piloted by a current or former National Guard member. My favorite is John Napier, who joined the Vermont National Guard to repay his mother for $25,000 in debts, so he can fulfill his bobsled dream. He has also formally requested to be deployed to Afghanistan soon after the games are over. Great kid!

The U.S. Department of Defense has special coverage of all our military Olympians here.

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Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

I was excited to see my good friend and Veterans Advantage board member Donna De Varona on the ground in Vancouver providing guest Olympics coverage for the New York Times.

Many know Donna for her own Olympic fame, as a gold medalist swimmer, and later as an Emmy Award-winning anchor and correspondent for ABC Sports. She is currently a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Women and Sport Commission.

More on the Veterans Advantage Board of Advisors.

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Monday, November 23rd, 2009

We hope you enjoyed reading about our Veterans Day activities. I must say it was a great feeling to see so much enthusiastic support from literally tens of thousands of parade goers and Veterans alike.

Veterans Advantage has been active in community events in our NYC-area since our founding 10 years ago. Recently, for instance, I had the good fortune to be invited to a special fundraiser hosted by the Outward Bound foundation, recognizing the special work they are doing for vets, picking up the tab for them to enjoy the great outdoors in character and self-esteem building hiking and camping trips. We were touched by a speech by Army Chief of Staff Casey and his lovely wife, who told everyone that military families need our thanks, but also our help “now, more than ever.”

Home Depot CEO Frank Blake spoke movingly about his company and family’s commitment to support those who serve.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week, take a moment to say a prayer for those in harm’s way in far-off lands, who serve and sacrifice on behalf of our country. And as President Obama declared this month Military Family Month, we should all find ways to thank the families behind our servicemen and women. Let’s not forget that when one member of the family serves, the whole family serves.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

We are pleased and honored to participate in the New York City-area Veterans Day activities for our 10th straight year, this Wednesday, November 11. We are particularly excited this year, because we have our very own Veterans Advantage float in the parade up the City’s historic Fifth Avenue. If you’re in the area, please stop by and meet Lin, me and our staff.

We actually have five openings on the float, so we’ll take Veterans Advantage members on a first come/first served basis. But, even if you can’t be on the float, you can walk the parade along with us, with pride.

Just stop by our staging area at 11 AM, on 29th Street, between Broadway and Fifth Avenue. The parade begins at 11:30, so don’t miss out!

Please accept our best wishes and gratitude for your service this Veterans Day!

Lin & Scott Higgins, Founders of Veterans Advantage
and the Veterans Advantage team

Tags: 2009 veterans day
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009

We hope you enjoy this week’s VetFamily feature piece — no matter which end of the New Jersey Turnpike you’re on, you’ve got to give credit to Johnny Damon of the World Champion New York Yankees. The Game Four Series hero proved his hustle with a bold double steal that solidified a key late-game rally. Impressive also is Damon’s dedication and support of the Wounded Warrior Project, which Veterans Advantage enthusiastically supports as well. Like his fellow military brat Mark Teixeira, Damon enhances the Yankee’s reputation as a team that cares for those who serve and their families.

Tags: johnny damon, veterans day celebration
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Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Welcome to our new redesigned Veterans Advantage Web site! I hope you like it. It was literally years in the making — borne of the years our Veterans Advantage team has been listening to members tell us what benefits they want and how they prefer to access them. Each day, we respond to their needs through our ever expanding benefits package, and today we are proud to deliver a Web site upgrade, too.

Here’s a couple of tips I think will help you get started:

If you are exploring our program for the first time: Click any of the blue links across the top for background on our program. We’ve worked to enhance this area to underscore the importance of our mission — ranging from unique money-saving benefits across a range of key everyday categories with your Veterans Advantage Card, to the latest news and resources to keep you informed about your ongoing benefits from the government and the private sector. And finally, through our charitable activities, we want you to know that you are truly part of something special.

If you are not a member yet, I encourage you to sign up today and get started.

If you are already a member: Click on “Members Only” in the upper right hand corner of each page to access your benefits to enter with your Veterans Advantage Member ID and password. You’ll find direct benefit access just one or two clicks away from anywhere on our Web site.

Our valuable member services support continues to be online: visit the personalized “Your Account” area and “Contact Us” for online support or see our Help section. And finally, your Veterans Advantage Membership qualifies you for our free weekly member e-newsletter that updates you on the latest inclusions in your benefits package and is posted on our new site under “Resources.”

All of us here at Veterans Advantage hope you like this upgrade to our Web site. Tell us what you think!

Enjoy VeteransAdvantage.com today.

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