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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Wondering if you all saw Victory's special $1000 off for military folks?
While I think this is a great idea, Victory again missed one of the most important groups (ok I'm biased), our disabled veterans.
Many of the folks I ride with are vets and many more returning to civilian life these days are disabled vets who through no fault of their own have been medically discharged. This is a huge group of which many ride motorcycles despite their disability.
I'm just thinking if the Victory marketing folks were wise they'd extend this offer to this group as well as those serving and retired. Your thoughts????
Edited by Teach 2010-01-16 11:12 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 105
Columbia, TN United States | What better way to show your support , than to include our DV's in the promotion. They have done so much and are appreciated so little. I think that is a fantastic idea!!!!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Are we talking an addition perk for our DAV? |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| varyder, the current promotion is limited to retiree's, active, guard and reserved...... not DAV's. I believe Victory excluded the most important group of veterans, the DAV's. All servicemen/women PAY a price for our nations security and freedom, the DAV's paid a bit more or rather paid a more personal price. Unfortunately I have noticed that DAV's are excluded from most promotions. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | There needs to be a culture change to include DAV's in promotions, which for some reason is a challenge in our society. That is why they have their own advocate organization, but I'm not sure historically whether or not this issue has ever been addressed. Also in context our DAV's are very large in numbers, and are rated by the percentage of the disability. In other words, a disable veteran could not exhibit any disability at all, yet carry a 1% disability. But I see Victory only following suit of our culture for the most part. There would certainly have to be an established criteron beyond simply being a DAV.
Not knocking your suggestion as I hold in the highest regards all that has served and especially a disabled veteran, but that group being rather large could be cost prohibitive, I just don't know.
DAV's do get a priviledge for government and other employment opportunities though. Good thought!
Edited by varyder 2010-01-17 5:57 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| varyder, I agree there is a cultural exclusion of DAV's and it is something we as a society need to address. I believe the last figure I saw had some 250k DAV from just the current conflict's. I believe it is somewhere around 90k DAV's from past service periods.
For anyone who is interested the lowest rating assigned by VA is 10%. So if someone was say suffering hearing loss and it was evaluated as being 5% disabling (the VA uses rating charts), an award of 10% would be assigned.
Victory as well as anyone else offering promotions for veterans could utilize a similar scale or no scale at all. Any "service connected" DAV rating or offer to ratings of 30%, 50% or whatever percentage. I just think if you are going to have a promotion program offered to veterans you must include DAV's in that promotion.
Some might not be aware of this but I am a priority 1 (highest rating) service connected DAV, so as I stated earlier I am slightly biased, but I would make this same suggestion without DAV status. It is simply the right thing to do to honor all veterans if you are going to salute the military. To do otherwise is a slap in the face of those who served and sacrificed (and continue to sacrifice).
I think you'd be surprized at how little advantage being a disabled veteran is in gaining government employment or any other. DAV's actually don't stand any better chance at getting those job than someone else who is disabled and has never served. Not that I'm complaining, I wouldn't. I simply wouldn't want folks to believe something not entirely true.
I just found this promotion called "Victory Military Salute" a missed opportunity..... |
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Tourer
Posts: 547
Mount Vernon, WA United States | From a pure "marketing" aspect... I think it should either be a "Veterans Discount" which I have seen many places, or an "Active Military" discount. Listing retired, reserved, etc separately just seems odd.
If I understand correctly.. "the current promotion is limited to retiree's, active, guard and reserved...." so the only ones excluded are Veterans who are not in the above categories. If they open it up to Disabled Veterans, than that could start to get a little weird...
e.g. Someone who became "disabled" after a short period of time (I'd guess most disabled vets served less then 4-6 years) of service gets a discount because they are disabled, but someone who puts in 12-16 or more years and just doesn't retire gets nothing.
I'm not knocking the suggestion of adding Disabled Vets... I'm knocking the idea segregating any Vets... There's plenty of offers for military discounts... I've just never seen anything but.. "Active Duty" which limits to those on active duty, or "Veterans"... never seen it split up more than that. Kinda makes me wonder if they "meant" Veterans and just tried making it clearer than they needed to make it and messed it up... maybe the description should have been "including but not limited to retiree's, active, guard and reserved" but the words got dropped in editing.
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Cruiser
Posts: 104
| I thank God for the people who are serving or have served this country in the military! Victory's should give the special $1000 off for military and veterans.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | lonestarrider - 2010-01-18 12:33 PM
I thank God for the people who are serving or have served this country in the military! Victory's should give the special $1000 off for military and veterans.
+1 |
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Cruiser
Posts: 99
Cold lake Alberta | Hey all, A Canadian veteran here who did take advantage of this offer and received 1100$ off my 09 Vision premium.
Although the promo could be worded much better I believe what Victory may be getting at is, all Serving members and HONOURABLY retired or released members.
Now , I have worked side by side US troops more times then I can likely remember bit I am not aware of your retirement or release categories. If a serving member is medically discharged for a condition or disablilty obtained while serving, is he/she still not an honourably retired Veteran?
Sure is in my eyes, but maybe I wish for too much to be read into the offer.
Just wondering is all
And for all of you that serve or have served, A big thank you! |
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Tourer
Posts: 547
Mount Vernon, WA United States | "If a serving member is medically discharged for a condition or disablilty obtained while serving, is he/she still not an honorably retired Veteran?" If I may you're mixing two things... semantics really.. There is "Honorably Discharged" which is essentially anyone who left the service under good terms and this includes disabled Vets and retired Vets. The definition of Veteran for the purpose of any benefits is essentially..... Someone who served and was honorably discharged. "Retired" is exactly that. Someone who has served as a career (at least 20 years I think it still is), and is honorably discharged and draws a pension (retirement pay).
So... and I should probably go read it myself before quoting.. if it indeed states "limited to retiree's, active, guard and reserved" that's basically saying anyone EXCEPT regular Vets (those who served and were honorably discharged). Disabled Vets are are just Vets, honorably discharged, who also get benefits of some sort due to disability.
As I stated above, if they wanted to limit it due to cost... then "Active Duty" would be fine. If they want to open it up to those who served, then simply saying "Vet" is fine. To single out certain Vets... just seems like it probably wasn't their intention.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Again, I think it goes back to a society change as having served 20+ years and lived around military bases most of my life now, the target is the ID card holders. Even disabled veterans outside of the the retired do not get commissary priviledges or PX/BX priviledges. They do get medical care related to the injury and then there are some allowances beyond that from the VA hospital. My dad is a purple heart reciepient and for years they would treat only his injury related problems at the VA, but somewhere along the way he is now eligible for hearing aids and support.
The last several years Golden Coral open its doors to a free meal for ANY veteran, and this past year Applebee's open the same thing. I know this is not on the same level as we're talking, but the print seems accurate and it is intentional to give the perk to ID card holders, which veterans who did not retire or are current Active, Guard or Reserve will not have.
I don't think it is a slap in the face though it would be nice if Victory would lead the way. Now I'm curious if there has been specific promo's similar to this given to anyone just because they served and are disabled. Look out Google....
So far found one targeting Disabled Veterans: Shades of Green, the military's Disney resort opens its doors to 100% Disabled Veterans, and of course retired 20+ years, DoD civilian employees, active duty including Guard and Reserve...
Edited by varyder 2010-01-18 7:39 PM
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Military Salute
