Department+of+Veteran+Affairs-Steph

**Secretary of Veterans Affairs**
 * __Current Leaders__**
 * [|The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki] - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
 * [|The Honorable W. Scott Gould] - Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
 * [|John R. Gingrich] - Chief of Staff
 * [|Gerald Cross] - Acting Under Secretary for Health
 * [|Gerald Cross] - Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health
 * [|William F. Feeley] - Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management
 * [|The Honorable Patrick W. Dunne] - Under Secretary for Benefits
 * [|Steve L. Muro] - Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
 * [|The Honorable L. Tammy Duckworth] - Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
 * [|Rita Reed] - Acting Assistant Secretary for Management
 * [|Stephen W. Warren] - Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
 * [|Willie Hensley] - Acting Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration
 * [|Kevin Hanretta] - Acting Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security & Preparedness
 * [|Karen W. Pane] - Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning
 * [|Daniel C. Devine] - Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs
 * [|The Honorable James P. Terry] - Chairman, Board of Veterans’ Appeals
 * [|John H. Thompson] - Acting General Counsel
 * [|The Honorable George J. Opfer] - Inspector General
 * [|Glenn D. Haggstrom] - Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction

**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.
 * __VA Mission Statement__**

__VA History__**

The Continental Congress of 1776 encouraged enlistments during the Revolutionary War by providing pensions for soldiers who were disabled. Direct medical and hospital care given to veterans in the early days of the Republic was provided by the individual States and communities. In 1811, the first domiciliary and medical facility for veterans was authorized by the Federal Government. In the 19th century, the Nation's veterans assistance program was expanded to include benefits and pensions not only for veterans, but also their widows and dependents. After the Civil War, many State veterans homes were established. Since domiciliary care was available at all State veterans homes, incidental medical and hospital treatment was provided for all injuries and diseases, whether or not of service origin. Indigent and disabled veterans of the Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, and Mexican Border period as well as discharged regular members f the Armed Forces were cared for at these homes. Congress established a new system of veterans benefits when the United States entered World War I in 1917. Included were programs for disability compensation, insurance for servicepersons and veterans, and vocational rehabilitation for the disabled. By the 1920s, the various benefits were administered by three different Federal agencies: the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The establishment of the Veterans Administration came in 1930 when Congress authorized the President to "consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans." The three component agencies became bureaus within the Veterans Administration. Brigadier General Frank T. Hines, who directed the Veterans Bureau for seven years, was named as the first Administrator of Veterans Affairs, a job he held until 1945. The VA health care system has grown from 54 hospitals in 1930, to include 171 medical centers; more than 350 outpatient, community, and outreach clinics; 126 nursing home care units; and 35 domiciliaries. VA health care facilities provide a broad spectrum of medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care. The responsibilities and benefits programs of the Veterans Administration grew enormously during the following six decades. World War II resulted in not only a vast increase in the veteran population, but also in large number of new benefits enacted by the Congress for veterans of the war. The World War II GI Bill, signed into law on June 22, 1944, is said to have had more impact on the American way of life than any law since the Homestead Act more than a century ago. Further educational assistance acts were passed for the benefit of veterans of the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Era, Persian Gulf War, and the All-Volunteer Force. In 1973, the Veterans Administration assumed another major responsibility when the National Cemetery System (except for Arlington National Cemetery) was transferred to the Veterans Administration from the Department of the Army. The Agency was charged with the operation of the National Cemetery System, including the marking of graves of all persons in national and State cemeteries (and the graves of veterans in private cemeteries, upon request) as well and administering the State Cemetery Grants Program. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established as a Cabinet-level position on March 15, 1989. President Bush hailed the creation of the new Department saying, "There is only one place for the veterans of America, in the Cabinet Room, at the table with the President of the United States of America." || Budget, Performance, and Financial Snapshot Fiscal Year 2008 ** ||      ||  || Timely Financial Reporting  ||  Yes  || Material Weaknesses  ||  3  || Improper Payment Rate   ||  1.89%  || Total Assets   ||  $56.9 B  || Total Liabilities  ||  $1.5.0 B  ||   ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana;">The United States has the most comprehensive system of assistance for veterans of any nation in the world. This benefits system traces its roots back to 1636, when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were at war with the Pequot Indians. The Pilgrims passed a law which stated that disabled soldiers would be supported by the colony.
 * ** UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
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 * __Article 1__**

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98993.php

This article is about how the U.S. Department of Veteran Affair approved reimbursement for certain certicfications. They granted approval to the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine(NCCAOM)saying that the veterans who took the test for their certification could get their money money back because they fought for their country and put their lives on the line.


 * __Article 2__**

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This article talks about how if you are a U.S. veteran, you can receive loans up to $417,00 with the help of the VA. The Department of Veteran Affairs doesn't loan out the money itself, but they promise to pay the money back to credit unions if the borrower fails to pay. They accept this promise instead of a down payment.


 * __Article 3__**

[|**http://articles.latimes.com/2008/mar/29/nation/na-principi29**]

This article is about how this company in california, headed by a former secretary of veteran affairs overcharged 6 million dollars to conduct physical evaluations on veterans. The article says the VA may still be paying too much for a multiyear contract for a variety of services.

I think Obama should assist the Department of Veteran Affairs in making sure all verterans get the benefits they were promised, and make it easier for the veterans to get their benefits. The president could also offer new or better benefits to the veterans, bacause they deserve them. They fought for our country and put their own lives at risk and I think they should be rewarded for this.
 * __Recommendation to Obama__**

1)What year did the establishment of the Veterans Administration occur?
 * __Questions:__**

2)If you are a U.S. veteran what is the amount of money you can receive in loans?