Welcome to Active Veterans With Answers

Active Veterans With Answers

Active Veterans With Answers is an approved 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization established in China Grove NC in the spring of 2016 when a group of retired United States Military Veterans realized that they were not the only ones in their peer group who had trouble navigating the process of transitioning from the military to civilian life. While they had the support and guidance of one another, they quickly learned that many veterans struggled to understand the rules surrounding the eligibility requirements for programs, benefits, and services offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and its subsidiaries.

 

Active Veterans With Answers provides information services and guidance through seminars, briefings, and conferences which are meant for women veterans, homeless veterans, disabled veterans and their family members, caregivers, and survivors who believe that they are entitled to get benefits, such as health benefits, VA benefits, educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and its subsidiaries.

Board of Directors

Pollyanna

Pollyanna Neely, Co-Founder

Chair of the Board
Master Chief Petty Officer
United States Navy, Retired

With over 25 years of active military service and 20 years’ experience in the event planning industry, Pollyanna Neely brings considerable mentoring and managerial experience to Active Veterans With Answers as Co-Founder and Chair of the Board.

As a former Navy Career Counselor, she took that experience of training and educating into retirement. As Co-Founder of Active Veterans With Answers. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Adult Education from Southern Illinois University, and Masters of Management degree from Cambridge College. She also brings experience from service as a Board of Director Member for Association of United States Navy (AUSN), American Legion Auxiliary and American Legion Assistant Adjutant General Post 73, Franklin Virginia, and current volunteer at Veterans Administration Medical Center, Salisbury, North Carolina.

Pollyanna was born in Miami, Florida and joined the Navy in September 1987, retiring in September 2012. She served during Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Vigilant Sentinel, Operation Southern Watch, Intercept Operation, Operation Northern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF), Global War on Terrorism.

Her dedication to service and helping fellow Veterans achieve success through knowledge and earned benefits is the force behind her mission and vision. Pollyanna is daughter to Hazel Ward and wife to Henry Neely, Master Chief Petty Officer, retired. Throughout her career, and life, her source of strength and unfailing support has been God, her husband, children Brian and Ormand, siblings Geneva, Marie, and Bary Walkes, Senior Master Sergeant, US Air force (Retired). Pollyanna, Henry and Ormand reside in China Grove, NC.

Email: PNeely@activevetswithanswers.org

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Dionne

Dionne L. Archibald, Co-Founder

Vice Chair of the Board
Master Chief Petty Officer
United States Navy, Retired

After dedicating her life to serving in the United States Navy for 30 honorable years, Master Chief Petty Officer (Retired) Dionne Archibald transitioned her enthusiasm for service to a passion for Veteran's needs. While in service, she received numerous awards and decorations including but not limited to, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, five Navy Commendation Medal Navy Achievement Medal awards, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Recruiting Service Ribbon, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. While many choose service as a temporary commitment, Master Chief (Ret) Dionne Archibald embarked on a career which began as a Radioman and led to tours on (3) United States Navy ships, over five deployments and five military campaigns and culminated in becoming one of the exclusively limited number of women of color to achieve the enlisted rank of Master Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy. Amongst her many assigned roles, her time assigned as Recruiter in Charge in New York gave her the opportunity to understand the business behind the intake of potential sailors where she exceeded business goals and mastered the sales skills necessary to secure commitments.

As a woman of color and an accomplished Sailor she has provided professional and personal counseling to many peers as well as a unique perspective to an additional assignment as a Special Assistant Equal Opportunity Advisor to the Navy Inspector General in Washington DC. It is this experience combined with her realization upon retirement that veterans, not unlike herself, required an informed perspective on transitioning from military to civilian life that led to her dedication to serving veterans and their families as a founding member of ACTIVE VETERANS WITH ANSWERS. As a result, Dionne has chosen to supplement her B.S. in Organizational Management with a Masters degree in Psychology and a specialization in Military Psychology, expected degree March 2018. The combination of her personal and professional experience brings to this venue of Veteran support a unique perspective and creative approach which focuses on people as they work through the process rather than forcing the process on people.

Master Chief (Ret) Dionne Archibald was born in London, England, raised in New York City, is a graduate of Norman Thomas High School and currently resides in Newport News, Virginia where she is surrounded by her family, colleagues and good friends.

Email: contactus@activevetswithanswers.org

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index

Johna “Kanisha” Armintia

Finance Director
Chief Petty Officer
United States Navy, Retired

Kanisha Armintia is the oldest daughter of James Pippen and Donna Brown. She graduated from Lafayette High School in 1995. She enlisted in the United States Navy in October 1994. Following completion of basic training at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, she reported to Aviation Electronics Technician “A” school in Millington, Tennessee. In 2003, she converted to Navy Counselor.

Upon graduation, she reported for duty with the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth Transient Line. Follow-on assignments include Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light EIGHT FOUR, San Diego, California; Helicopter Combat Support Squadron FIVE, San Diego, California; Navy Operational Support Center Fort Worth, Texas; Fleet Logistics Support Squadron FIVE NINE, Fort Worth, Texas; Fleet Logistics Support Squadron SIX TWO, Jacksonville, Florida; and Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Reserve Component Command Norfolk, Virginia. She retired after 20 years of service in 2016.

She participated in multiple squadron detachments and completed counter-drug operations with HSL 84 onboard the USS John A. Moore and USS George Phillip. She also deployed to

Baghdad International Airport in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 with HCS 5.

Along with her extensive experience with reserve component support and over 15 years of financial experience with the Navy Counselor Association as their treasurer and assistant treasurer; Kanisha graduated from Columbia College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration with Saint Leo University. She is married to CWO2 Arnel Armintia from San Diego, California and they have three children; Kailene, Jada and Brandon.

Email: Finance@activevetswithanswers.org

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Garry

Garry A. McClure

Public Affairs Director
Force Master Chief Petty Officer
United States Navy, Retired

Force Master Chief McClure is a native of Roxbury, Massachusetts. He enlisted under the delayed entry program in July of 1981 and completed Basic Training at the Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois in March 1982 and went on to attend Airman Apprenticeship training in Great Lakes, Illinois. Upon completion, he then reported to VS-41 FRAMP and qualified as a S3-A Viking Plane Captain and commenced his career in Naval Aviation Maintenance.

FORCM McClure's sea duty assignments include, VS-29 in North Island, California, embarked onboard the USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70). Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands (PMRF) Kauai, Hawaii. NSF Diego Garcia, AIMD General (LPO of 51A /51C) 1992 to 1993 and again from 1998 to 1999. He served as Line Division Chief; Flight Deck Coordinator (FDC) and Maintenance Control Supervisor in VFA 195 based in Atsugi, Japan and deployed onboard USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63).

FORCM McClure completed his sea duty aviation maintenance career as the deployed MMCPO and SEA for DET three in HSL 51 based in Atsugi, Japan and deployed onboard USS OBRIEN (DD 975) and the USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63).

FORCM McClure's other assignments include. AIMD 51A /51C and OMD Transient Line, NAS Subic Point, Philippines. Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, where he served as a Recruit Division Commander and Military Training Evaluator and earned his certification as Master Training Specialist (MTS).

FORCM McClure was selected as a Command Master Chief in 2006 and served as Command Master Chief of VFA 27 the ROYAL MACES and Carrier Wing Five CMC located in Atsugi Japan deployed onboard the USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) AND USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73). In addition, he is a graduate of the Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy, Class 109 (Khaki).

In April 2010, FORCM McClure assumed the duty as the 15th COMNAVAIRLANT Force Master Chief. FORCM McClure completed his tour and retired from Active Duty Service in April 2013.

His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy Commendation Medal, eight Navy Achievement Medal, nine Navy Good Conduct Medal, Navy Recruit Division Commander Ribbon and numerous campaign and unit awards.

Force Master Chief McClure has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Human Resources and he currently resides in Chesapeake Virginia.

Email: PublicAffairs@activevetswithanswers.org

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Mack

Mack Alston

Administration Director
Master Chief Petty Officer
United States Navy, Retired

Mack Alston was raised in Paterson, New Jersey. Upon graduating from Eastside High School in 1984, he attended Northeastern College studying Liberal Arts until 1986. He then entered Navy Recruiting Command Great Lakes, Illinois. His initial sea assignment was aboard the USS HALEAKALA (AE-25) homeported in Agana, Guam. Reporting as an undesignated Seaman and throughout this tour worked his way up to become the Captains Yeoman. It was also during this tour he was temporarily assigned as a Student to YN “A” school in Meridian, MS.

In May 1990, he then transferred to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, DC to the Officer Performance Division (Pers-82). Upon completion of this assignment, he then reported as a student to Flag Writer “C” school in Meridian, MS. His shore assignments include duty as the Flag Writer to Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Naval Air Station; OPNAV N31/N52 “Deep Blue”.

In July 2004, he received orders to Carrier Strike Group NINE, homeported in Everett Washington aboard the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) as the Flag Writer. Upon completion of a deployment in the Western Pacific that included Tsunami relief operations, he was then reassigned back to the OPNAV staff in the Pentagon as the Flag Writer to ACNO (Plans, Policy and Operations (N3N5B). After a brief return to the OPNAV staff, he was then hand-selected by the Chief of Naval Operations to serve as his Deputy Protocol Officer. After several months in this assignment, he was promoted to the position as Flag Writer to the CNO. In 2007 while assigned as the CNO’s Flag Writer, he was nominated and selected to attend the Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, RI. Graduating with class 129 (Blue Group). During a transition of the CNO’s staff in 2007, he was requested to continue in his position as the Flag Writer to the incoming CNO. He continued in this position until the transition of the CNO’s staff again in September 2011. Following the transition of the CNO staffs, he stood up the CNO transition office from September 2011 until retirement in September 2012.

His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (Four Awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Three Awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal (Six Awards) and other various service and unit awards. He resides in Springdale, Maryland with his wife Janice and two sons Brandon (19) and Jalen (16).

Email: Administration@activevetswithanswers.org

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Nakisha

Nakisha Graves King

Marketing Director
United States Navy Veteran

Nakisha Graves King was born in Columbia, South Carolina and enlisted in the United States Navy in July of 1998, immediately after graduating from W.J. Keenan High School. Nakisha served as a Culinary Specialist and enjoyed traveling the world and especially working with various Seabee Battalions where she earned her Seabee Combat warfare qualification pin. Nakisha transitioned out of the Navy in 2006 and currently resides in Hampton, Virginia with her husband and 3 sons.

As a Marketing professional, Nakisha has over 10 years of experience in Business Administration, Human Resources, Public Relations and Quality Assurance. Nakisha has worked as a Program Support Assistant at the Hampton VA Medical Center where she recruited, interviewed and retained approximately 600 volunteers for the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services Office. Nakisha also worked as a Retirements/Transitions Clerk at both Fort Monroe and Fort Eustis military base processing orders and DD 214's for both officers and enlisted personnel.

Nakisha's passion is connecting with her fellow Veterans while sharing knowledge and resources that assist in their transition from active duty to the civilian sector. Nakisha was able to fulfill that passion when she worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services Program. During this time Nakisha acted as a mini human resources representative serving over 50 Veteran Service Organizations, community leaders, Veterans, military personnel, and others involved with providing services to our Nation's Veterans.

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“Because I Served Without Question,
I am Entitled to Answers to Questions Now”

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AVWA Mission

Active Veterans With Answers, Inc. provides educational seminars for veterans, family members, survivors, and any person(s) entitled to benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and subsidiaries.

AVWA Vision

Our vision is to provide a seamless learning experience for veterans as they navigate the often frustrating and overwhelming benefits channel in order to determine eligibility regarding their earned benefits. If you know someone who is no longer active in the United States Military and wonder whether or not they are receiving all to which they are entitled, then Active Veterans With Answers will help those veterans determine the answers to this question and more.

Contact us today or schedule an appointment
today to know more about us!

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Download Form 509 (a)(2)