OPERATION 10,10,10

Rio Grande Valley Veterans of America

 Valley Vets

March 29, 2011

Operation 10, 10,10

We are launching OPERATION 10-10-10 which is essence an effort directed at members of the Veterans Affairs Committees.  We have made little progress and times have changed, but we continue our battle.

Operation 10, 10, 10 has been launched by Rio Grande Valley Veterans to try and get HB 837 and SB 396 passed in Congress.  The wording of each bill in their respective chamber is identical.  They call for an expansion of the Surgical Center in Harlingen to a Full Service Medical Center.

The Operation has 3 phases:

Phase I will consist of veterans targeting 10 members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.  They will be sending their offices letters asking for support and passage of HB 837 as submitted by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa and Co-Sponsored by Congressmen Henry Cuellar and Blake Farenthold.  This committee has 24 members representing both Political parties and is chaired by Rep. Jeff Miller.

Phase II will be to target 10 members of the House Veterans Affairs sub-committee on Veterans Health.   This Committee has 12 members and its Chair is Rep. Ann Marie Buerkele.

Phase III will be to target 10 members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee asking for support and passage of SB 396.    SB 396 was submitted by Senator John Cornyn and Co-Sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. This committee has 21 members and its Chair is Senator Patty Murray.

The phonetic pronunciation of the word 10 in Spanish means here, so Operation 10, 10, 10 will be Operation Here, Here, Here.  Veterans feel that our Congressional leaders have not asked these committees to work on the bills and the need for such a facility.

Veterans will be calling on veterans to participate in Operation 10, 10, 10.  If a Veterans Service organization wants more information the group will sent some one to their posts and provide it.  Commanders or Vice Commanders should call Treto Garza at 956.226.9176.

Veterans also ask the community at large to sign an on-line petition at http//:www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/578/551/374.