The department of veterans affairs, also called the VA, received cabinet level status on March 15, 1989. It was signed and put into law by President Ronald Reagan but did not take effect until George H. W. Bush came to office. The VA is reasonable for providing benefits and support to veterans. These benefits include but are not limited to: disability compensation, survivors’ benefits, education, health care and burial benefits. Currently the VA is run by Robert A. McDonald, a former United States Army captain. All secretaries of veterans affairs have been veterans, but is not required. The VA has a budget projected for 2017 of $182.8 billion with $78.7 billion for discretionary resources and 103.6 billion in mandatory funding. They employ nearly 280,000 people who serve over 21.6 million U.S. veterans. After WWII the government found a dramatic rise in veterans. With this congress passed many laws that gave new benefits to war veterans. The VA became a cabinet because most veterans from WWII were now retiring and would need more care and benefits than before. Another main reason was a court case in 1987. Rose vs Rose was a case against a totally disabled veteran who was held in contempt for not paying child support. The government …show more content…
When they became cabinet level this allowed for them to make a budget, create support that all veterans need, especially at the time of retirement. The VA also has the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) which brings 152 hospitals, 800 outpatient clinics, and 126 nursing homes. Before they were a cabinet veterans only had 54 hospitals. Another major section is the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). They purchase land and make sure for proper burials of veterans. Over time we now have 147 national cemeteries, with more in the making. The United States have more than 19,000 acres devoted to memorialization for those who serve our great
The mission statement of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) 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 vete...
The third legacy of the GI Bill devolved from the manner in which it was administered and funded. The program was concentrated in the Veterans Administration (now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs) and was a centralized federal program that was based on a decentralized market approach. Legislators funded the GI Bill educational benefits through the veterans, who had the control of the postwar allocation of resources which established the basic postwar method for subsequent federal loans and grants to college students ("GI BILL—1952", 1952).
The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) is a public organization that is government provided. The organization funding is produce through taxes. The executive branch of the agency is located in Washington DC and is headed by Secretary of Veteran Affairs. There are Veteran Affairs Offices located in all 50 states, including American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, North Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. It ranks number two in the United States federal department with over 200,000 employees.
America is the land of opportunity and the land of second chances. People come to America to live a better life, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. When Veterans come back home, all they want is a second chance at life again. They want to come back and be able to start from where they left off. But the government has done very little to help these veterans. The government believes they have done enough with the programs they have created, but it hasn’t had much of a change. The purpose of this essay is to discuss my opinion and what I know about this issue, to benefit The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who are my intended audience. If the government were to put a lot of effort, like they do for pointless issues, there wouldn’t be many struggling veterans. If the government does more to improve every aspect of the reintegration process of veterans, so many benefits would come out of this action. There are a couple of reasons for why we should work toward improving veterans lives. First, there would possibly be a decrease in the veteran suicide levels and a decrease in the substance abuse aspect. Second, less veterans and families will have to worry about living and struggling with mental illnesses. Third, by improving the economical aspect for these veterans, more will find jobs and less will end up on the street homeless. And lastly, the reintegration process won’t be as hard for these veterans, and they will be able to resume a normal life. This essay is not meant to offend in any way, its purpose is to provide a new perspective over this issue, to cause a change for the better.
United States Government Accountability Office (2011). Veterans' Education Benefits: Enhanced Guidance and Collaboration Could Improve Administration of the Post-9/11 Program (GAO-11-356R). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
“Factors Affecting Health Care” (50-55) Demonstrates the sacrifices and how difficult it is for veterans to receive healthcare from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Are veterans being taken care of medically, mentally, and financially? According to Steve Buyer, a member of the House of Representatives from Indiana's fourth district, "Because all of us believe and understand in the fabric of the common bond of why we call ourselves American is to care for the men and women who wear the uniform; and when they take off the uniform, we care for them when they are veterans." After men or women finish their time serving our country and take off their uniform, they still hold the title of Veteran. They are the brave ones who fought and served for America. The care for the veterans of America is a crucial part of giving back to those who risked their lives for our country.
The Big Five is the largest cluster in the Federal Budget, consisting of 82% of the budget. “The Big Five distributes money to Medicare and Medicaid, social security, defense, safety net programs for the poor and elderly, and interest on national debt”(Document C). The defense and interest on the national debt categories accomplish the goal in the preamble to provide for the common defense. “The government
When men and women are off to war, or serving the United States Military somewhere out in the world, social workers in the Department of Veteran Affairs are trained and educated to help our soldiers and their families stay physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy throughout each day. Social workers can be found at local VA Health Administration Branches in almost every state, and as well in-country bases occupied by American Forces located throughout the world. There are roughly 3,700 social workers in the Veterans Affairs Health Administration to date. This number shows huge growth from the original 14 that began over 80 years ago.
The draft is something young men fear and crave. Some fear they will lose everything, die or just not be the same if they get picked. I have met young men who cannot be in the military due to family issues, so the draft would come as a blessing. The draft is also very random, so both of those boys' chances of getting picked is also very slim. The draft reminds me of The Reaping from The Hunger Games, we pick your name out of a bowl and the magic of selection will decide if you go or not. Then your skill set will determine how long you live in battle. May the odds be ever in your favor, and don't forget that you're and accountant and have no hand-eye coordination! There are plenty of volunteers in America that will gladly serve our country if we need more soldiers, I personally think the wars have past their expiration date, and there are other jobs people can do
The federal government has funds for all veterans who need to go back to school.
One of the most serious problems facing all veterans today is the lack of proper healthcare. Soldiers, sailors and airmen are leaving active duty without having proper healthcare to cover their physical or mental injuries. The department responsible for veteran’s healthcare is the Department of Veterans Affairs. (VA) According to The department of Veterans Affairs website, “The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans’ benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. The benefits provided include disability compensation, pension, education, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivors’ benefits, medical benefits and burial benefits. It is administered by the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.” The VA, who was formerly called the Veterans Administration, was established 21 July 1930, to consolidate and coordinate government activities affecting war veterans. The VA encompassed the functions of the former U.S. Veterans' Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. On 25 October 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a new federal Cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs to replace the Veterans Administration effective 15 March 1989 (V.A.)
The VA (Veterans Affair) Health Care System is one of the largest, most advanced health care networks in the U.S. The VA Health Care System is the provider for veterans, retirees and their dependents and manages all their health care. The VA Health Care is actually one part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. There is also VA Benefits Administration which has to do with compensations and pensions. Then the other part of the VA is the National Cemetery Administration which is in charge of the cemeteries and providing burial and memorial benefits. All these parts make up the Department of Veterans Affairs. (VA History)
Soldiers are left waiting and unrewarded for their time spent helping America. An example of this is Kenny Porter a veteran from the 82nd airborne(ARMY) was treated wrongly at a VA hospital. He describes his experience like this: “Every time I opened my mouth the doctor shushed me or tried to shut me up. He was impatient. I was humiliated in front of my daughter”. This story is just an example of many other veterans that have been lost in the VA system and that have received little to no compensation for their service. Our current VA system disgusts me and the above quote describes the reality of what our servicemen face when they return from their service.What America needs to do is make the system more consistent. We do this by hiring more people to work for the VA hospitals so our country can get veterans suffering with PTSD immediate help when they ask for it. We give people the benefits promised prior to their service such as healthcare, insurance, education, housing, and status. And we create excellent jobs waiting for soldiers when they come home. In all honesty there is no reason why our veterans should not get what they
The Middle Five includes funds for Veterans Benefits and Services, Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation, and Education. One of the things that immediately came to my attention was how much money was allocated to Veterans Benefits and Service and how little was spent on supporting education. Veterans Benefits and Services takes up 2.7% of the 10% allocated to The Middle Five which is precisely $130 billion, while education only consumes 1.8% of the budget and only gets $68 billion. Basically, Veterans Benefits and Services is “mostly disability benefits and medical services” (Document D) for Veterans all over America. On the other hand, we have Education which includes “college aid and loans, special education programs, free lunch to students in need, anti-discrimination efforts, research, and special programs.”(Document D) Which category seem to be doing more for our country? Although all respect goes to those who have served for our country, education is crucial if America wants to better itself as a country. However, there are other funds within “The Big Five” that could potentially transfer some of their money into education and would not suffer any major loss. Transportation, for instance, takes up nearly the same amount of the budget as Veterans Benefits and Services do. Transportation funds go towards “construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports and ports” (Document D) all of which are important if we want to maintain a generally nice and functioning society. However, does America really need to spend $103 billion dollars on things of this nature? Putting more emphasis on education, we are investing in students who could potentially grow up to make America an even better functioning country; education is worth investing