Cory Geisler understands the challenges ahead for the broader military community but remains cautiously optimistic that good policies will help drive the next era of veterans.
On July 29, Geisler became the 118th commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), overseeing approximately 1.3 million members. The Hartland, Wis., native said during his speech at the organization’s 127th National Convention at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Nevada that he intends to stand up for veterans across America, advocating their needs to Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Iraq War veteran and life member of VFW Post 721 in Waukesha, Wis., served in the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2012, earning his VFW eligibility through his combat service.
Geisler spoke to Military.com about how he plans to lead millions of veterans in the days and months ahead, in the realms of mental health treatment, attaining benefits and limiting federal bureaucracy, legislation on Capitol Hill, and galvanizing the younger era of veterans from Middle East conflicts whose presence is overtaking Vietnam-era veterans.
Geisler’s Nontraditional Military Path and Deployment
Geisler served seven years in the United States Army, from 2005 to 2012. He was a 31B, or military police.
His enlistment differs from many others, in that it wasn’t necessarily the traditional military service route. While many service members enlist after they graduate high school or are within that 19-20 age range, Geisler graduated not only high school but college and was already employed in sales at a company called Generac Power Systems.
He was there for over six years. While employed, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks occurred and “it really affected me in a way that I felt I should be doing something,” Geisler recalled.
While he knew individuals who were joining different causes, it wasn’t until Geisler reached a point in 2005 that he knew he had to make a major decision—otherwise, he would never join the military.
So, at basically age 30, he quit his job in upper management and enlisted in the Army. He jokes that he was “grandpa” at basic training.
He spent 15 months in Iraq, including roughly three months in the country’s northern region conducting route reconnaissance and convoy escort. Then, he and his fellow soldiers spent 12 months in Baghdad, training Iraqi police.
“We were doing walking patrols in the city, roving patrols with the Iraqi policemen, basically training them on how to enforce the law within their own country,” Geisler said.
That operation was conducted with the 108th Military Police Company out of Fort Bragg, which he called “a great time.”
“I’ll tell you what, my seven years flew by really, really fast,” he said, “and honestly not a day doesn’t go by that I look back on it and go, ‘Wow, I wish I could do it all over again because it was a great time.'”
Military Lessons Learned, VFW History
For Geisler, joining the military resulted in numerous life lessons that included understanding how to be a leader—whether it’s in business or at the VFW.
“One of the things I really learned is that even if you’re in a leadership position, it doesn’t always mean that you’re 100% correct,” he said. “It’s good to get feedback from, when I was in the military, some of my fellow non-commissioned officers on what was going on, some of the things I was doing. It’s always good to bang those ideas off of your fellow leaders, because you never know.
“You have one perspective of looking at things, and someone might have a completely different perspective that I may not have thought about. And that’s, I think, one of the biggest things I took from that is that just because you’re in that leadership position, [it] doesn’t mean you always have to be right and know everything correct the first time. It’s OK to bounce ideas off of other leaders to get their perspectives as well.”
Geisler became involved with the VFW shortly after he returned from Iraq, around September 2007. He was still at Fort Bragg but was leaving the active-duty service and “I knew I wanted to be part of something to continue serving.”
“Even though I was going over to the Reserves and I was going to be doing one weekend a month, two weeks a year, I really felt that I wanted to do something to give back to veterans,” he said. “I started looking around and I was like, ‘Well, the VFW, veterans of foreign wars—that’s me.”
He did his own research on the organization which he knew along the lines of others, like the American Legion and American Veterans (or AMVETS). It was a perfect segue to give back to veterans.
“That kind of that was that natural transition to keep on serving,” he said. “I think for a lot of us, service is in our blood. So, that’s what we want to keep doing, is to continue that service work. … Gosh, 19 years later, still going strong with the VFW, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Leading the VFW and its 1.3 Million Veterans
The newest role for Geisler, who succeeds Carol Whitmore as the organization’s commander-in-chief, includes acting as a conduit between the veteran community and the bureaucratic lanes necessary for positive change.
Geisler was previously a post commander, a statewide commander, a senior vice commander, and now ascends into this unique position to oversee the organization as many challenges remain. But they can be overcome, he noted.
“Every year brings different challenges,” he said. “But I look at a lot of these challenges that we might face really [as] opportunities. I know that’s kind of a cliché, but I look at it as we’re pushing forward with a lot of our with our advocacy and things that we’re doing for…not just veterans that we currently have, but also for our future veterans, making sure that they are taken care of.
“Because even though they’re in the service now, eventually they will no longer be in the service, and they need to know that when they come out, they’ve got an organization that they can turn to that is going to help them out.”
The other obvious point of possible contention is on the advocacy side, he said. That translates to working with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to put veterans’ best interests at heart. Washington is where change happens, and the VFW understands that.
Geisler also wants to make the VFW a bigger tent.
” I want to make sure that our younger veterans are seeing a younger face up there,” he said. “I want to make sure that we’re doing things to where our younger membership feels empowered to be able to step up. I made a point during my speech talking about Iraq and Afghanistan and Desert Storm veterans, [saying] it’s really our time to step up. It has to be our time.”
He praised the Vietnam generation for doing “a great job holding this organization together” in a time where major wars were at a minimum between the 1970s and the War on Terror. Eligible members were at a premium.
Today, and in the year of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Geisler said he wants those Vietnam-era veterans to “show us the ropes” and instill the values of the VFW.
“But it’s time that we step up once again and start running the organization while also taking that mentorship from our Vietnam generation,” he added. “So, we need to make sure that we’re doing that, and I’m seeing more and more of that out there.
“I’m so appreciative of all the younger veterans like myself who are stepping up, and I’m so appreciative of all of our Vietnam veterans who are taking that challenge to mentor us to make sure that we understand the how’s and why’s of our organization.”
TCAVA and VFW Opposition
The VFW has recently been at the center of the heated policy debate over a sweeping piece of legislation that for now has stalled in Washington.
The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, or TCAVA, is a bill package of more than 60 provisions that include the Major Richard Star Act, the Love Lives On Act, caregiver program reforms, Department of Veterans Affairs modernization initiatives and combat-injured veteran expansions.
Described by some as one of the most formidable pieces of veteran-related legislation in years, there is dissension in the ranks in terms of how veterans’ service organizations feel about the proposed legislation. While some are completely on board and urging its swift passing, others—like the VFW—have major issues on key policy points, namely how benefits would be affected for those with tinnitus and sleep apnea.
The VFW even got into a heated exchange with House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chair Mike Bost (R-Ill.), who last month accused the organization of inciting political violence by its selling of apparel and social media posts featuring the words “Honor the Contract.”
When asked how he intends to lead the VFW and its membership on the TCAVA, Geisler said that Section 108 involving tinnitus and sleep apnea must be stripped—and they would also like to see the Major Richard Star Act removed and passed through as a clean bill rather than a “more watered down version of it.”
“If you take a look at [the veteran community on] social media, it looks like we’re very divided,” Geisler said. “But in all reality, we’re not.”
He said the VFW, like other veteran organizations, have a channel with Washington lawmakers and discussions remain ongoing. He acknowledged that differences in opinion exist. However, it is “not that far apart” as some may contend.
“I’m a member of the VFW. I’m also an American Legion member,” he said. “I’m also a member of DAV, which is Disabled American Veterans. I’m also a member of IABA, Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans Association. So, I’m a member of all of them, and I just put my time into the VFW because that’s kind of the path that I have chosen.
“What we don’t want to do is, we never want to sacrifice benefits for future veterans ever. If we start sacrificing future benefits for veterans, where does it stop? We want to make sure that we’re taking care of them. I think we can move forward with this.”
Whether that means the legislation passes is another story. Geisler said that no crystal ball exists, and that part of the equation involves Congress listening to veterans and organizations like the VFW.
Other Issues Galvanizing Veterans
Aside from benefits and daily concerns expressed by veterans, Geisler said other issues bring the community together.
One major ongoing issue is mental health treatment, with Geisler highlighting the unfortunate epidemic of annual veteran suicides. While some veterans look out for others, such as call to check in to someone in a funk, it’s not a viable long-term solution.
“There’s no cure for the mental health side I don’t think, but how do we get it to where we can actually get our members to think about something else before they make that permanent decision?” he said. “So, some of that could be with physical fitness. Some of that could be with the alternative medicine that we’ve been talking with Congress about. It’s not just, ‘Hey, here’s a handful of pills,’ and go from there.”
Filing for benefits remains another consistent issue for veterans, especially for those exiting a service and not knowing how to properly attain what they rightfully deserve. Geisler said that involves more education to provide transitioning members, to “set them off on the right foot.”
During his speech in Nevada, Geisler uttered six words that drew attention: “One team, one mission, veterans first.”
Geisler said his intention was to show that the VFW is one unit moving together with a common focus, with a military mindset in that everyone has to collaborate to achieve success.
“Everyone has to know their part,” he said. “Everyone has to execute their part in order for the entire team to succeed.”
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