Say what you will, but for some the VA is not a great experience. If you are wondering what the VA is, I’m talking about the Veterans Affairs.
For a number of years, some would say (or argue) that the VA has been embedded with controversy. In an article that was published by CNN, several veterans and their family members were able to speak with CNN on how they viewed the recent changes.
In an time of uncertainty, last month, Secretary David Shulkin was replaced, or almost replaced with White House physician, Ronny Jackson.
Insert controversy here.
According to the article, the VA needs a leader. There are 170 medical centers and at least 1,061 outpatient sites that serve around 9 million veterans each year.
What is touching about this article is that a friend of mine, Shawn Moore, was interviewed and spoke her truths and concerns about her husband who served seven combat tours and who relies on the VA for medical issues.
While everyone’s experience at the VA is different, there are people, veterans, families suffering due to this lack of “higher up leadership.”
For our family (and for my veteran), our experiences have been a little bit different.
There are good and genuine people out there wanting to do good work for our veterans. And, believe it or not, we see some of them at our local VA.
There are people who focus on the veteran and there are people who sometimes forget about the veteran, yes. However, that should be the main focus right?
After all, the VA’s mission is:
To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans.
There are also certain values:
Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. These values define the culture and strengthen the dedication of those who serve our nation’s Veterans.
Those are the standards of behavior that is expected of ALL VA employees.
Please take a moment to read through the article from CNN.
It is my hope that our Veterans and their families do not have to go through anymore struggles with the VA.
It is my hope that soon, a qualified, dedicated, and ready to help “big” VA, which in turn can help all VA’s, Veterans, and their families.