On 5/1 Blue Star Families has a volunteer opportunity for Nourish the Service Essentials Market Delivery at 10am EST. For more information contact Consuela Rodriguez, [email protected] or click the link below.

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When: May 1, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM EDT

Join us for a volunteer opportunity at the Nourish the Service Essentials Market by Blue Star Families!

What to anticipate:

• Volunteers are needed from 10 AM to 2:00 PM.


• Deliveries will be arriving from Amazon, local grocery stores, and community partners.


• Tasks include unloading deliveries, carrying boxes upstairs to the market, unpacking boxes, and organizing shelves.

Preparations for volunteer days:

• Wear closed-toed shoes.


• Dress in comfortable attire that you don’t mind getting dirty.


• Bring extra water for yourself.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 1st, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
WHERE: 2nd Floor, Family Meeting Center – Fort Wadsworth, 455 USS Tennessee Rd, Staten Island, NY 10305

On 5/1 Queens College will host Courageous Conversations: Exploring Opportunities with Wounded Warrior Project at 12pm EST in Queens. For more information contact [email protected].

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We have the honor of hosting an insightful and empowering event, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Join us for “Courageous Conversations: Exploring Opportunities with Wounded Warrior Project,” featuring Dr. Tyshawn Jenkins, a distinguished USAF Public Affairs Officer.

📅 Date: Wednesday, May 1st, 2024

🕛 Time: 12:00-2:00 PM

📍 Location: 65-30 Kissena Blvd Flushing, NY, Student Union Bldg., Rm 320

🚌 Bus Route: Q25 Q34

This is a unique opportunity to engage with veterans’ affairs, discover new paths, and deepen your understanding of the incredible journeys of our servicemen and women. Dr. Jenkins brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to inspire.

Seats are filling up; RSVP at [email protected] to secure your spot & FREE lunch.

We are excited to see you there and have meaningful discussions that make a difference.

On 5/3-5/5 Guardian Revival/Another Summit will host Escarpment Trail Thru-Hike at 9am EST in Beacon, NY. For more information contact Elena Leonard, [email protected] | (914) 538-0553 or click the link below.

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Spend a long weekend adventuring, relaxing, and making memories with your fellow veterans & first responders on an amazing three-day, two-night backpacking adventure on one of the most scenic trails in the Catskills. While strenuous, we consider this a beginner-friendly adventure, as your experienced leaders will show you the ins and outs of backpacking. Along the way you will see several of the iconic views that inspired the Hudson River School artists, a historic plane wreck, two Catskill 3500 peaks, and a variety of ecosystems.

All major gear and food is provided. Participation for this outing is by application. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to participate in a world-class outing and learn how to backpack from our outdoor experts.

On 5/3 Blue Star Families will host Coffee Chat online at 2pm EST. For more information contact Veteran Spouse Network, [email protected] or click the link below.

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When: May 3, 2024 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
ASSOCIATED WITH Veteran Spouse Network

Join VSN Leader Gretchen each Friday to connect and get support from other peers. Gretchen is a veteran spouse who grew up in a military family. She enjoys hosting this opportunity for peers to connect, share their stories, receive support around any challenges they may be facing, and find community. Learn more about Gretchen!

To be eligible for this group, you must be the spouse, partner, or family member of an active-duty service member or post-service veteran. Family members and individuals who are widowed or divorced from an active-duty service member or post-service veteran are also eligible.

ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS:
URL: https://vsncoffeechat.eventbrite.com

On 5/3-5/5 Guardian Revival/Another Summit will host Escarpment Trail Thru-Hike at 9am EST in Beacon, NY. For more information contact Elena Leonard, [email protected] | (914) 538-0553 or click the link below.

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Spend a long weekend adventuring, relaxing, and making memories with your fellow veterans & first responders on an amazing three-day, two-night backpacking adventure on one of the most scenic trails in the Catskills. While strenuous, we consider this a beginner-friendly adventure, as your experienced leaders will show you the ins and outs of backpacking. Along the way you will see several of the iconic views that inspired the Hudson River School artists, a historic plane wreck, two Catskill 3500 peaks, and a variety of ecosystems.

All major gear and food is provided. Participation for this outing is by application. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to participate in a world-class outing and learn how to backpack from our outdoor experts.

On 5/4 NYC DVS will host New York Mets Military Transition Summit at 10am EST in Queens. For more information contact Nicole Orlando, [email protected] or click the link below.

*Please note that space is limited. RSVP to secure your spot*

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New York Mets Military Transition Summit

📅 Saturday | May 4, 2024
📍 CitiField | 41 Seaver Way, Queens, NY 11368
⌚️ 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM

The following topics will be covered during the course of the one-day summit:
• Employment Resources
• Job Preparation
• Financial Literacy
• Career and Education Networking
• Entrepreneurship
• Headshots
• Resources for Women Veterans
• Housing
• Health and Emotional Wellness

Free parking available! Lunch & refreshments will be provided, along with a tour of Citi field, giveaways, and more.

Space is limited! RSVP to secure your spot! Admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis!

**All service members past and present and their families are encouraged to attend**

To learn more about the NYC DVS Transition Assistance Program and to stay up-to-date with future sessions, nyc.gov/vettap.

On 5/4 Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving (WVE&T) and Thinkery & Verse will host Impact Theatre Performance Salon – Theme: An exploration of gender in a binary world at 7pm EST. For more information contact Jenny Pacanowski at [email protected] or click the link below.

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“You are invited to join Thinkery & Verse and Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving(WVE&T) for an evening featuring Transhumance and the storytellers of WVE&T.

Light refreshments will be served and opportunities to have conversations and build community between veterans and people who have NOT served in the military.

The theme: “An exploration of gender in a binary world.”

These salons are an opportunity for people who have NOT served in the military to connect with the military and veteran community and for veterans to connect with veterans in the arts while being a witness in person at the LUCID BODY House/Impact Theatre Veterans Project -“A space to build community among military connected veterans, families, service members and the people in the society they live in.”

About the organizations:

Thinkery & Verse:
Thinkery & Verse seek to perform classically inspired, politically aware plays that challenge us to be empowered, globally-oriented citizens with a keen awareness of the high stakes of modern life. While our primary mission is to create new plays, one of our key creative methods is to perform our plays in repertory with classic works, thereby challenging our writers and actors to achieve new heights of creativity and aesthetics.

Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving is a reintegration program for veterans that utilizes writing and performance to empower them to thrive in their daily life. We guide veterans to reconnect with their mind, body, soul and passion for life. Through creativity, compassion and camaraderie in a nonjudgmental space, we empower each other to ascend to the best version of ourselves.

Warrior Cultures of the past Greeks, Romans, Native Americans had magnificent storytelling rituals of homecoming for their warriors to reintegrate with their citizens. We at Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving modernize these ancient practices of storytelling in curated performances to reconnect veterans to themselves and the communities they are coming home to.

On 5/4 American Airpower Museum will host celebratory event for the Honor Flight Long Island Veterans at 1055pm EST. For more information contact Robert Salant, [email protected] | (718) 791-4758.

*Please note that this event is to cheer on the 46 Veterans being taken on that day’s honor flight. There is information below for how Veterans can get on the Honor Flight waiting list*

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May 4th Flight Commemorates Nonprofit’s “Over 2000 Veterans Flown” Milestone

Honor Flight Long Island, the iconic volunteer-run Veterans
organization, is proud to announce that our Spring Flight to Washington, D.C. is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2024. This flight will take 46 Veterans to visit their military memorials, meet with service branch
representatives, commiserate with fellow Veterans and exchange stories. Honor Flight’s mission is to honor fellow Long Islanders who served in the United States Armed Forces to preserve our freedoms, by providing free, one-day trips so they can visit their D.C. memorials.

In 2005, the first Honor Flight organization was inaugurated by legendary co-founders Earl Morse and Jeff Miller.  Since its humble start, over 130 Honor Flight “hubs” have been organized in various states.  All told, these hubs have flown over 250,000 Veterans to visit their military memorials in Washington, D.C. The late Chris Cosich of Amagansett, started his own Honor Flight Long Island hub in 2007. With this May 4th flight, Honor Flight Long Island (HFLI) has escorted over 2,000 Long Island Veterans to D.C.

According to Bill Jones, HFLI President, this historic flight represents the nonprofit and all volunteer-run organization’s “Over 2000 Veterans Flown” milestone. “This special milestone flight includes 41 Vietnam War Veterans who will receive long overdue recognition and thanks for their service,” Jones said. “They’ll be accompanied by 5 Korean War Veterans. What this flight really represents is a ‘Big Hug’ to all Veterans from Honor Flight, their families and supporters, who make such flights possible,” Jones
said. He added that newly elected Southampton Supervisor Maria Moore, will serve on this flight as a Guardian. “We’re proud she’s on board. The Town has supported HFLI since its beginning, getting us off the ground and ensuring our success. HFLI will be forever grateful for Southampton’s support,” Jones added.

Thanks to HFLI, these 46 Veterans will take a free, early-morning Southwest flight to Washington, D.C. Departing from Islip MacArthur Airport at 6:00 a.m., Veterans and their Guardians will visit World War II,
Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery for a Changing of the Guard, plus a Washington, D.C. bus tour. They’ll return to Islip that evening at 10:55 p.m., for a rousing welcome by the Nassau County Fire Fighters Pipe and Drum Band, plus thunderous applause from hundreds of family, friends and supporters!

Next up is the Veterans Reunion on Saturday, August 3, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, when HFLI will present each May 4th Veteran with personalized Tribute Journals full of photographs of their day in D.C. In addition, each Veteran will receive a special memento commemorating this history-making achievement. Our great patriotic reunions are always free and open to the public. So, join us as we honor our home-grown heroes!

Veterans! Get on our waiting list for future Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., by clicking on www.honorflightlongisland.org and submitting an application. You’ll fly for free, thanks to donations from across Long Island. You’ll be accompanied by Guardians, able-bodied volunteers who donate $400 (tax deductible) to offset travel costs. Honor Flight has a cohort of volunteers ready to step up for the privilege of escorting our heroes to D.C. Any questions? Please call Jamie Bowden at (631) 702-2423 or
[email protected].

[Special Editors Note: See attached file “May 4 Vets for Rob” for background on our Veterans. Contact Bill Jones for additional quotes at (631) 276-8825 or [email protected].]



Photo Caption (L-R): Bill Jones, HFLI President, U.S. Army Veteran & Roger Kilfoil, HFLI Vice President, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, on board their Southwest Airlines Jet!

Contact: Robert F. Salant, Public Affairs, (516) 328-3959, (718) 791-4758, [email protected]

On 5/3-5/5 Guardian Revival/Another Summit will host Escarpment Trail Thru-Hike at 9am EST in Beacon, NY. For more information contact Elena Leonard, [email protected] | (914) 538-0553 or click the link below.

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Spend a long weekend adventuring, relaxing, and making memories with your fellow veterans & first responders on an amazing three-day, two-night backpacking adventure on one of the most scenic trails in the Catskills. While strenuous, we consider this a beginner-friendly adventure, as your experienced leaders will show you the ins and outs of backpacking. Along the way you will see several of the iconic views that inspired the Hudson River School artists, a historic plane wreck, two Catskill 3500 peaks, and a variety of ecosystems.

All major gear and food is provided. Participation for this outing is by application. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to participate in a world-class outing and learn how to backpack from our outdoor experts.

On 5/7 Blue Star Families will host REMOTE WORK OPTIONS | For Military Spouses! online at 1pm ET. For more information contact (760) 575-4848 | [email protected] or click the link below.

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When: May 7, 2024 from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT
Associated with Program | Blue Star Careers Community

Identify Vetted REMOTE WORK OPTIONS for Military Spouses. Receive valuable tips on how and where to locate VETTED remote work opportunities. Who are our Military Spouse-Friendly Employers with Remote careers? Evaluate your skills and learn how to stand out in this competitive market. This monthly workshop is on remote work options ONLY. Attendees will be shared with some job leads with remote work options and given the option to apply!

Every second Tuesday of the Month, 10:00 AM PT / 1 PM ET via Zoom. We have limited seats available to support post-event follow-up.

On 5/11 the American Airpower Museum will host a ceremony that honors Long Island’s Vietnam War Veterans at 1130am EST in Farmingdale, NY. For more information contact Robert Salant, [email protected] | (718) 791-4758.

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Ceremony Honors Long Island’s Vietnam War Veterans

Long Island’s Vietnam War veterans will receive the Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemorative Medal in a solemn ceremony signifying the official end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Conducted by the Long Island Air and Space Forces Association and hosted by the American Airpower Museum, the ceremony takes place on Saturday, May 11, 2024, starting at 11:30 a.m., and honors 30 local veterans who served in all branches of the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War period.

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemoration program, has been going on for nine years now (ends at the conclusion of 10 years). The Long Island Air and Space Forces Association (LIAFA) is a DOD 50th Anniversary Commemoration Sponsor. Please visit their web site at https://www.vietnamwar50th.com

Local public officials, as well as the honorees’ families, will be on hand for this historic ceremony. “This special ceremony honors Vietnam veterans who will receive long overdue recognition and thanks for their service” said Fred DiFabio, President of the LIAFA who served in Vietnam. “Honoring our Vietnam Vets with the commemorative medals means a lot to these guys, especially since their families will also be there to bear witness,” DiFabio added.

Conducting the ceremony will be Colonel (ret.) Bill Stratemeier, LIAFA Treasurer, a U.S. Air Force pilot who flew supplies into Vietnam between 1972 and 1974. “Many vets were criticized for their service in Vietnam, but we’re proud to honor them over five decades later,” Stratemeier said. He noted LIAFA began honoring Vietnam veterans with the commemorative medals in 2015. “To date, LIAFA has honored over 1,300 veterans with such medals,” he added.

One of the reasons American Airpower Museum (AAM) was chosen for this ceremony is their exhibits include actual Vietnam era fighter-bomber aircraft that were used during the Vietnam War. Jeff Clyman, AAM President explained: “Our Museum is the ideal site for these veterans and their families to gather, commiserate and reminisce. Please come and applaud our home-grown heroes, show them respect, that we appreciate and honor their service,” he said.

The ceremony will include a Presentation of Colors, Introduction of Distinguished Guests, Dignitary Comments, Presentation of Medals and Singing of God Bless America and the National Anthem. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Band will perform the popular “Armed Forces Salute,” featuring six official melodies of the U.S. Armed Forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Forces and the Coast Guard. The program is free and open to the public.



PHOTO CAPTION: Vietnam Medal

The Air Force Association (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. AFA’s mission is to promote a U.S. Air Force that is second to none and a strong national defense. AFA honors our Air Force heritage and accomplishes our mission by: Educating the public on the need for strong aerospace power and technically superior capability to ensure U.S. national security; Advocating aerospace power and STEM education; Supporting the total Air Force family and promoting aerospace education. The Long Island Air and Space Forces Association Chapter (LIAFA) merged with several other local chapters in 1998 and became the LIAFA chapter #202. For more information, please go to: www.liafa.org.

American Airpower Museum is an aviation museum located on the landmarked former site of Republic Aviation at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY. The Museum maintains a collection of aviation artifacts and an array of operational aircraft spanning the many years of the aircraft factory’s history. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Educational Foundation Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. For more information, please go to: www.americanairpowermuseum.org.

On 5/31 Exit12 Dance Company and the Intrepid Museum will host Exit12: Stories of War Performance on the Intrepid Museum at 7pm EST. For more information contact Roman Baca at [email protected] or click the link below.

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Exit12 is returning to the Intrepid Museum this spring with workshops and dialogue about the effects of war on veterans and civilians. After a six-week series of creative workshops with a cohort of 20-30 persons who have experienced global conflict, Exit12 will present a performance of dance, theater and spoken word.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exit12-presents-stories-of-war-on-the-intrepid-tickets-845730892867?aff=oddtdtcreator

This project is made possible by a partnership with the Intrepid Museum supported by New York State Council on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts Grants.

This project is also made possible by public funds facilitated by the New York City Council’s Committee on Veterans, in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.