American Legion Post 307 first of its kind in the state
American Legion Post 307 first of its kind in the state
By Jonathan Gallardo
Gillette News Record
Via Wyoming News Exchange
GILLETTE — Gillette College has made history as the first college in Wyoming to have its own American Legion post.
American Legion Post 307, located in the Veterans Services Office at Gillette College, was officially created in early November.
Brian Yeager, veterans adviser for the college, said it now serves 44 veterans and six dependents.
This past spring, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yeager partnered with American Legion Post 42 to provide new lanes of support for local veterans at Gillette College, including the following services:
Veterans education claims and appeals
Veterans disability claims and appeals
VA health care registration
Veteran health care advocacy
Enhanced academic support
Veteran benefits education workshops
Dedicated veteran networking
Yeager said those enhanced services “led to a 90% successful completion rate among veterans despite the closures due to COVID-19.”
This fall, Yeager and the college’s student veterans club submitted a request to form their own American Legion post at the college. Its charter was officially signed in early November.
Staff Sgt. Jim Lish, adjutant for the American Legion Department of Wyoming, said the organization has been wanting to have posts at colleges in Wyoming.
“We’ve actually been trying to get one started for a while,” Lish said. “It’s pretty epic for our department.”
The American Legion hopes to one day have a post set up at each college in the state.
“It’s really thinking outside the box,” Lish said. “It helps bring the younger veterans into the American Legion, which wouldn’t typically join.”
During the application process, Yeager learned that there wasn’t an American Legion post with Wyoming’s area code.
“We couldn’t believe that number wasn’t taken and it didn’t take us long to get ahold of it,” he said.
Post 307 is named in honor of Staff Sgt. Brian Bland, a fallen Marine from Newcastle, Yeager’s hometown. He said Bland was “one of the best among us,” and Post 307 will “strive to bring his very presence back to life among us in all that we do.”
It is not meant to be in competition with American Legion Post 42, Yeager said. Post 307’s main purpose is to help veterans with paperwork that can be needlessly complicated.
“There are support systems out there that can get us where we need to go,” Yeager said. “It’s the use of those systems that is just a bureaucratic headache.”
“It’s pretty taxing to have it done at the VA,” Lish said, adding that for veterans trying to focus on a college education, getting paperwork completed for claims and benefits can be stressful. Yeager can take that off their plate and complete it for them.
Yeager said a veteran does not need to be a member of Post 307 to use its services.
“Our attitude on that campus is, if you come through that door and you’re a veteran, and we can help you, we’re going to,” he said.
If vets are interested in enrolling classes, that’s great. If not, they’ll still be served.
“Frequently, we have found veterans that come in and are interested in exploring avenues of health care and support, and are also interested in exploring education,” Yeager said. “(Education) made a big change in my life. If we can make that offer for other veterans, we’re going to do so.”
The American Legion was founded on four pillars: Americanism, children and youth, national security, and veterans affairs and rehabilitation. Gillette College and Post 307 fall right into that fourth pillar, Lish said, and he’s excited to watch them succeed.
In early November, there was a charter signing ceremony at American Legion Post 42 with a special guest.
James W. “Bill” Oxford, the American Legion national commander, was in Wyoming touring posts around the state. The timing happened to work out so that he could be in Gillette for the signing of the charter for Post 307.
“That was the first time he actually got to witness the charter signing,” Lish said, adding that it was such a monumental occasion that Oxford even signed the back of the charter.
The Campbell County Commission commended Yeager and Gillette College for their work.
“You guys have been nothing but a shining star for our veterans,” said Commissioner Del Shelstad.
“The big thing is helping them get through the bureaucratic nightmare that they have when they get services,” said Commissioner D.G. Reardon. “That’s encouraging and quite enlightening that you guys can help them, and other great things can come of that.”