In the midst of the ongoing government shutdown, a coalition of 33 military and veterans organizations is staging a rally at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. to highlight the effects the federal closure has had on the military community, the Army Times reported.
The Military Coalition will hold the rally and news conference Oct. 15 to discuss the various veterans and military programs that ceased due to the shutdown, such as survivor payments, G.I. Bill benefits and disability checks, according to the news source.
Another major point of interest for the coalition is the Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims and appeals backlog, which is expected to increase because of the cancelation of the agency's overtime processing, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"The shutdown has been devastating for the nation's military readiness and for the veterans, service members, families and survivors in the uniformed services community," the coalition said in an announcement.
Representatives of the American Legion, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the National Military Family Association are slated to speak at the event, among others.
The Military Coalition represents about 5.5 million servicemembers, veterans and their families, and frequently testifies on Capitol Hill on the behalf of its members, according to the organization's website.