|
Call it fate. When Andre Washington was separating from the Army at Fort Hood, Texas, VFW helped him with a VA claim. With over 20 years in the Army and two tours in Iraq behind him, Washington still envisioned a future that included, in his words, “working with soldiers.”
“Tom Parker, the service officer who helped me, gave me the business card of the National Veterans Service (NVS) Director (Bill Bradshaw) and told me to call him when I went back to the D.C. area,” said Washington. “That’s what started me on this path.”
Washington continues to serve his country in the Army Reserves. He’s also proud to serve his fellow veterans and defenders in VFW's D.C. office as a VFW service officer.
“We’re advocates, and we have an eye—and a heart—for what veterans transitioning out of service need because we’ve been there.”
U.S. service members recently separating from the military certainly hold a special place in Washington’s heart. He’s already helped half of his Reserve unit with claims and says he “won’t turn anyone away.”
“People know what I do for a living,” he said with a laugh. “I see probably 60 to 70 veterans in a month’s time.
“It’s family; it’s a good feeling,” he continued. “Lots of the veterans I help I’ve drilled with, so it’s personal.”
Washington said that going through the separation process himself and learning about the experiences of other veterans in his early days as a service officer was “eye opening” and continues to motivate him.
“I want to do more for my peer group,” he said. “I want to make it easier for them.”
He remembers playing golf with a friend, who is also a veteran, who kept complaining about pain in his jaw. The pain turned out to be a symptom of undiagnosed leukemia.
“It was so advanced they took him straight to chemotherapy,” Washington shared. “He already had an 80 percent rating for some other issues, but I stepped in and helped him get his rating up to 100 percent.
“Everything is in remission, and he’s fine now,” Washington continued. “I was happy to be able to help.
“We need to help every veteran,” he explained. “They shouldn’t have to go it alone.” | 
