Northern Nevada military news briefs


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VFW Craft Fair

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Silver State Post 3396 and its Auxiliary present the fourth annual VFW Craft Fair at the Sparks High School gym on Feb. 1 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The high school is located on 820 15th St. in Sparks.

Proceeds from the craft fair go toward supporting the VFW post’s and the Auxiliary’s local programs.

For information, call 775-453-6291.


VFW dinner and raffle

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8071 will host its "20 Guns in 20 Minutes" Dinner and Raffle on April 12 at the VFW Bunker at 255 VFW Historic Lane, Reno.

Twenty guns are set to be raffled quickly in just 20 minutes. Event tickets are $50 and include a brisket dinner, two drinks and one raffle ticket. The event is a fundraiser to support the Virginia City Veteran and Community Service Center building project and features door prizes, shooting accessories and myriad sporting goods. Note the gun raffle tickets will be sold separately at the event.

Winners are responsible for all laws associated with firearms and all associated transfer fees required by federal and state law. For information or tickets, visit www.vfwpost8071.org  or call 775-636-2082.


Mustang 22 Memorial Charity Poker Tournament

The 17th anniversary of the Mustang 22 Memorial Charity Poker Tournament for 2024 is on. 

The tournament is set for Saturday, March 15, 2025. The location (as always) will be at the Reno Elks Lodge, 597 Kumle Lane in Reno, Nevada. 

Door open at 4 p.m. for drinks, dinner starts at 5 p.m., and playing begins at 6 p.m. The cost is $75, which includes an incredible steak dinner!  The non-playing guest cost is $45, which covers your dinner.   

Last year, we had a sell-out crowd, so please don't delay if you're interested in supporting this great cause. The easiest way to register is through our website: Mustang22Memorial.com. Look under the "EVENTS" tab and you'll see the "Reserve a Ticket" button. There is a separate button for our non-playing guests. 

Contact Sean Laycox at 775-240-2284 if you have any questions.


Navy League dinner

The Carson City Council 347 Navy League of the United States is having a dinner meeting on Feb. 19 at the Gold Dust Wet Hotel and Casino.

Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. Price is $40 per person.

The guest speaker is Senior Chief Petty Officer Jerry Schirvin, the senior officer in charge of the Carson High School Navy Junior ROTC program this school year. He will give members an up-to-date report on activities of the group and introduce the new naval officer for the organization.

For reservations, call Wayne Baker at 775-721-3035 or email Eric Moorman, ericmoor@aol.com.


NV Women Veterans Conference

The 2025 NV Women Veterans Conference is March 8 from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.

Discounted room rate accommodations at Renaissance Hotel using Reference# M-UK277Z7 (Room availability is limited)

Registrations received after March 3 will be placed on a standby list. To receive more information, google 2025 NV Women Veterans Conference. The domain name is rather long.


TRICARE patient portal

The TRICARE online patient portal is decommissioning: download your health records now.

On April 1, the TRICARE Online Patient Portal will no longer be available. The Department of Defense’s new electronic health record — MHS GENESIS — has replaced the TOL Patient Portal. If you want to keep a copy of your legacy health records for personal use, you must download them from the TOL Patient Portal before April 1.


Senior Companion volunteers

The Senior Companion volunteers ages 55 and older provide basic social support to seniors over the age of 60 years old.

The seniors who receive volunteer services generally live alone, need respite care, have limited access to outside resources, and lack social support. Volunteer services may include taking clients to medical appointments, grocery shopping, running errands, socializing, or engaging in fun activities.

For qualifying volunteers, a small stipend is available for services; transportation reimbursement is provided for all volunteers.

This program is sponsored by AmeriCorps Seniors and the State of Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division.

For information, contact Polly at polly@sisnv.org


Fellowships in health care

The VA Sierra Pacific Network has four opportunities to host fellows at their health care systems through the Graduate Healthcare Administration Program 2025-2026.

This program provides a one-year training opportunity to your students and recent graduates at a VA Medical Center Director’s (CEO) office or their Network Director’s office (specifically Palo Alto, Fresno, Pleasant Hill/Martinez, Calif, and Reno) and prepares candidates for management positions within VA organizations.

The training year runs from June to June and includes the completion of a process improvement project presented at the annual VA Symposium during the American College for Healthcare Executives Congress.

The formal job announcement closes on Jan. 24 https://www.usajobs.gov/job/826212700


Nevada Guard retiree monthly meetings

• The Nevada Air Guard’s monthly breakfast is on the second Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Reno Elks Club.

• The Nevada Army Guard’s breakfast is on the second Monday of the month at 8 a.m. at the Carson City Elks Club on Nevada Street.

Remember there is no charge from the Elks for the breakfast. 

Each meeting normally features a guest speaker. Guests are welcome.


Veterans Upward Bound

Veterans Upward Bound at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno welcomes veterans. TMCC can help with academic advisement, college applications, educational benefits, academic review and referrals to community resources.

Veterans Upward Bound is a U.S. Department of Education program for veterans. For information call 775-829-9007 or email vub@TMCC.edu. The website is vub.tmcc.edu.


Adopt a Vet Dental

The Adopt a Vet Dental Program calls attention to the current state of affairs in Veterans dental care by releasing a video. 

To watch the video, visit https://youtu.be/y8aOsurGgbE?si=FcPl_fIkbA9GtrkC

A shocking 85% of veterans are ineligible to receive dental care through the VA Healthcare system across the country. This means that every year thousands of veterans seek out help for dental abscesses and pain in their jaws. In their pain, they turn inwards and begin to self-isolate from their loved ones.

Some go as far as pulling their teeth through whatever means are easiest for them. The Adopt a Vet Dental Program asks that you help us create awareness that hope does exist. 

AAVD’s mission is to give free critical and life-saving dental care to impoverished veterans throughout the state of Nevada. AAVD’s over 162 providers have donated more than $9 million in care for the last 14 years.

Equipped with new smiles, veterans can continue their legacy of service by actively participating in their communities.  To learn more about AAVD, visit: https://adoptavetdental.com/about-us/our-story/.


Military articles and news briefs are compiled by the Nevada News Group. Questions may be directed to SNMGmilitaryeditor@gmail.com