Working with the Navajo Nation
April 24, 2006
Department Leaders Meet with the
Central Navajo Veteran Agency in Piñon
After giving a short briefing about the Department's current remote claim station project at Piñon and telling them about the program expansion because of the enormous interest and use by Navajo Veterans, we were invited to participate in discussions about the Central Navajo Nation community led by Commander Harrison Kee, followed by discussion about governance and working with the President's office in Window Rock led by Tim Johnson (Navajo Veteran Liaison for the President of the Navajo Nation, Buu Nygren). Also discussed were plans for building a new, $30B "Warriors Home" for Veterans, with an included Veterans resource center that will provide resource information across a wide range of topics.
Of the 16 Chapter Commanders in the Central Navajo Veterans Agency, 12 were present at the council meeting. All were interested in our plans to expand into Kayenta (to the north), Ganado (to the south), and the Hopi Veterans Memorial Center near Shongopovi. This expansion will cut the time it takes for Veterans to travel to any of the remote claim stations--that means cutting down from drives that were up to four hours for some Veterans and survivors.
March 2, 2026
First Remote Claims accomplished today for Native American Veterans via videoconference with Piñon, AZ, in the Navajo Nation.
A major goal of the DAV Department of Arizona $30,000 Remote Claims Station project is to provide connectivity with Chapter and Department Service Officers via videoconference. On March 2nd, Past Chapter Commander and Department Adjutant | CEO Carl Forkner successfully conducted seven remote claims sessions with Navajo Veterans and surviving spouses, with four claims being written, two requests for DD-214s, and three were provided information and links to additional resources to assist them with their needs, including the National DAV Caregiver Program.
Many thanks to Craig McKee from ABC15 Phoenix for coming to the DAV Department of Arizona office to observe the remote claim program in action and also learn more about the other half of our initiative to provide remote service to Veterans--a $50,000 investment over two years, outfitting Service Officers with Windows 11 or iPad tablets, keyboard cases, and styluses that enable them to provide services away from the Chapter House to homebound, hospitalized, hospice care, and transportation challenged Veterans and their survivors.
February 11, 2026
First Remote Claims Station to increase access to Chapter Service Officers for Native American Veterans established today in Piñon, Arizona in the Navajo Nation.
A major part of the DAV Department of Arizona $30,000 Remote Claims Station project is to provide connectivity with Chapter Service Officers and Department Service Officers via videoconference. As many as nine remote claims stations are planned for around the state, with five of those being installed during the next two years. On February 11th, Past Chapter Commander and Department Adjutant | CEO Carl Forkner and Department Senior Vice Commander Rod Hage installed the first of our full remote station setup. What makes this different from the installation in Globe is that we installed two laptops, a printer/scanner, and a complete Starlink Internet system--which we activated and used during the last part of the installation. Future Native American setups will include this configuration.
There are 30,221 Veterans living in the Navajo Nation in the northeast part of Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, southern Utah, and southern Colorado. On April 24th, we have been invited to have the honor of addressing the combined meeting of all 16 of the Navajo Nation's Chapters and discuss the remote claims program and the many things that DAV can offer to this historically underserved population of true warriors who served their country with honor. I was told by the CEO of the USS Arizona Foundation--who also works with Navajo leaders to improve things for their Veteran community--that it is extremely rare that a "white man" (outsider) is invited to address leaders from across the Navajo Nation. Rod and I will be heading up there April 23rd for a presentation the following morning. I look forward with great excitement to the opportunity to meet so many faithful and honorable warrior leaders and learn more about them while I provide them with resources to support their needs.
These two pictures are special to Rod and I. On the left, Rod is standing with Seraphine "Sara" Josley, President of the All-Navajo Veteran Auxiliary, and Mr. Barton Hosteen, Vice Chair of the Pinon Veteran Wellness Center Group and Commander of the Pinon Chapter Veterans Organization. Sara was introduced to me by Chapter 1 Commander Christine Siegel--and then the coordination began! In less than two months from first contact to fully mission capable was an exciting time! Barton is an Iraq Veteran of the United States Army, and we enjoyed talking with him while the laptops were downloading software and doing updates. He also treated us to our first "Navajo Burger"--warning, bring a hearty appetite!
On the right is Jackie Burbank, a Vietnam Army Veteran who spent two years in country. We met him as he was sitting down to breakfast and we were getting ready to leave, We went over and paid our respects and got to talking with him. He has been a noble leader who people have looked up to for many years. In the photo on the right, he presented us with a framed memorial from when "The Wall That Heals" (the Vietnam Memorial traveling wall) was brought to the Navajo Nation for display. At the time, Jackie was the President of the organization that arranged for the display--the first time the traveling wall had ever been displayed on a Native American Nation's lands. It will be hanging in the Department office for anyone who wants to see it.
Let me finish by saying that many of us domesticated Westerners miss out on amazing adventures when we don't take time to recognize and listen to our Native American brothers and sisters tell us of not only their history as a nation, but also how our history was viewed through the eyes of their ancestors, Our hosts were fascinating and honorable people who have a huge heart for service to their communities. We've got nothing on them--in fact, we are a fabulous match to bring more service together as well as continue sharing our cultures.
And, by the way, some people say that the reservation is kind of a dumpy place... Well, I am glad that those people stay away because our drive through the Navajo Nation was absolutely beautiful. Miles and miles of lands untouched by factories, strip malls, clubs and fast-food joints. You could look out for miles and see Mother Nature at her finest, from the untamed land to the beauty of the sun's illumination of the hills and mountains, to the blue skies above unhidden from the smog and haze of a city. Spectacular!