New training available for American Legion service officers

The American Legion opened registration for its first virtual New Service Officer (NSO) School, an online training program that will be available on a monthly basis.

NSO School, developed by the Legion’s training partner Bergmann & Moore (B&M), LLC is intended for Legionnaires who have recently become accredited as legal representatives by VA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) – or are in the process of becoming accredited.

Legionnaires interested in becoming VA-accredited representatives and enrolling in NSO School should contact their American Legion departments. NSO School must be nominated by American Legion department adjutants or department service officers.

“We get many inquiries from Legionnaires who want to volunteer as service officers and ask for some kind of formal training,” said Marty Callaghan, deputy director of claims services for The American Legion’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Division in Washington, D.C. “Our virtual NSO School helps to fill this need. It provides top-notch training to aspiring service officers who may be accredited but still don’t have much experience.”

Students enrolled in the school have only three requirements:

1. They must have laptop or desktop computers — tablets and phones will not work.

2. Computers must have access to the Internet and have Google Chrome installed.

3. Computers must be equipped with speakers and/or headphones.

“This New Service Officer School should be seen as a complement to the extensive training already provided by our Legion departments and also by VA,” Callaghan said. “It provides a solid introduction to the world of service officers, is free of charge, and can be completed in any computer-friendly location.”

The school is made up of 15 lessons that cover a variety of topics including standards of conduct, presumptive service connection, chronic conditions and the evaluation of Compensation and Pension (C&P) examinations. Students must score at least 70 percent on a 20-question exam in order to receive their certificates of completion. The text is open book and students get three attempts to pass it.