Updated: Sep 3
The wait is over, the following logos have been approved by national and we can now work on rebranding our department. I'll be sharing these department wide in the coming days, but I wanted to share the great news at once.
“VOLS: Veterans Offering Lifelong Service”
Todd A. McKinley
Department Commander
American Legion Department of Tennessee
Updated: 19 hours ago
Commission Motto
“VOLS: “Veterans Offering Lifesaving Services.”
Handout
Feel free to reproduce and share the commission's initial handout far and wide.
Promote Awareness
Creating a day in the Volunteer State that recognizes and honors a person, raises awareness of a particular issue or organization simply requires a resolution, not legislation. This is where we’ll begin our efforts, provided our state officials are willing. Let me state, I believe they will be willing to assist in our efforts, especially given what we’re initially looking to promote awareness for are serious issues faced by Tennesseans of all walks of life. Also, 2026 is an election year!
Between August 16th and the American Legion’s 107th birthday (March 15th, 2026), we should commit ourselves to specifically identify (at least) five (5) days that promote awareness for the following.
1.) Be The One Tennessee Day: This day could include suicide awareness classes in schools, government departments and agencies as well as willing public and private institutions.
2.) Anti-Bullying Day: An estimated 6.500 children and young adults aged 10-24 commit suicide on an annual basis. Many who commit suicide do so because of bullying in our schools, which shouldn’t be tolerated, and our efforts can go a long way in eliminating bullying or instituting reasonable punishments for bullies.
3.) Post Traumatic Stress Day: Many Veterans, First Responders and others commit suicide directly due to Post Traumatic Stress. Identifying the signs and ways to address them is the first step in not only combatting suicide and many of the other problems caused by PTS.
4.) Traumatic Brain Injury Day: Traumatic brain injuries can have many causes and results, especially when it comes to behavioral, cognitive and physical health. Often, a TBI can lead someone to act in a manner they would never otherwise act, to include but not limited to harming others and taking their own life.
5.) Military Sexual Assault Trauma: This section wasn't originally part of my initial idea, but I've decided to add it after several fellow Legionnaires suggested it. I realize this is likely the most sensitive area given this involves crimes being committed against members of the military by other members and is one of the greatest betrayals one can perpetrate against another.
Having these days designated accordingly are the first major steps in our efforts to eliminate suicides related to the individual categories listed above.
Legislation
When it comes to legislation dealing with the concerns listed in the Promote Awareness section, will require effort. To do this, we must foster great relationships with local, state and federal officials alike. Albeit this commission will focus primarily on the state level and in some respects the local level, we’re not going to ignore these concerns across the nation. For now, I’m not going to go into any detail, as there’s some legislation already on the books that merely needs to be enforced or rewritten, while some legislation will need to be written from scratch. This is where positive relationships will play into our favor. Remember, I’m not asking the commission to write legislation, just champion reasonable efforts that corelate to our mission, and anything else the commission decides to focus on, as long it doesn’t stray far from the spirit of the commission.
Hashtags
The following are suggested hashtags that may be used to promote our efforts on social media. The use of social media will go a long way to ensure we can collectively Be The One in our communities, state and nation. These are in alphabetical order, not necessarily in order of importance, as all are truly important.
“VOLS: Veterans Offering Lifelong Service”
Todd A. McKinley
Department Commander
American Legion Department of Tennessee
Updated: 3 days ago
Fellow Department of Tennessee Legion Family,
Check back often as things are added throughout the year. What is Tennessee Commander's Chat? These are twice monthly Facebook Live events where I put out timely information, dispel any rumors and then take questions. These updates aren't dirty laundry airing events, nor do I discuss partisan politics, but I'll occasionally discuss legislation being backed by National via voter voice (link below) and any state level legislation we as the Department maybe supporting or not. Also, check out the Dept. calendar for more events and information (link below).
November
November 25th: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
December
December 1st: Squadron 24 Meeting
December 2nd: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
December 5th: Post 3 Christmas Party
December 6th: Kingsport Christmas Parade
December 13th: Wreaths Across America (Mountain Home Cemetery)
December 30th: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
January
January 6th: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
January 9th-11th: Mid-Winter Conference
January 27th: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
February
February 3rd: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
February 24th: Tennessee Commander's Chat: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
February 27th-28th: Washington Conference
March
March 1st-3rd: Washington Conference
March 3rd: Wreath Laying at the Tomb of the Unknown
March 3rd: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
March 31st: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
April
April 7th: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
April 11th: Department Oratorical Contest
April 14th: 7th District Convention
April 17th: 4th District Convention
April 18th: 5th District Convention
April 20th: 6th District Convention
April 23rd: 8th District Convention
April 24th: 9th District Convention
April 25th: 10th District Convention
April 28th: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
April 30th: 2nd District Convention
May
May 1st: 3rd District Convention
May 2nd: 1st District Convention
May 5th: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
May 5th-7th: Be The One Mid-South Roundup
May 24th: Boys State First Day
May 26th: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
May 29th: Boys State Graduation
June
June 2nd: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
June 23rd: Tennessee Commander's Chat.: www.facebook.com/commanderchat
June 25th-28th: Department Convention
“VOLS: Veterans Offering Lifelong Service”
Todd A. McKinley
Department Commander
American Legion Department of Tennessee
