Why would the VA push back my surgery by roughly half a year?

Did they tell you they'd likely get to you during Jan/Feb back in August, or did they just tell you that (which means they will get to you in 2-3 months)? Could be many reasons. They want you to have adequate recovery time from your first surgery. It could be that they have a backlog that is causing delays. It could be that they are short surgeons and/or OR staff. Without being an insider within the surgery department, and/or knowing your medical history, nobody here can definitively answer your question.

I've had a similar surgery pushed within the VA as well, based on the fact it is still considered an elective surgery (regardless of whether it is highly recommended). Unless the hernia is causing significant critical medical issues, they will not prioritize it over other surgeries already scheduled or those with a higher need. Bottom line, they likely have a backlog, only so many resources to perform the surgery, and your issue is not as critical as those taking priority. Ultimately, I got the surgery, and I found it almost humorous that they took their time to release me from post-surgery care. I will say they took very good care of me.

There is no way we can decipher why they delayed it or why its pushed back so far. That's a question for your provider, for the surgical team and also patient advocacy. You should also speak to the coordinator for community care to see why they told you they wouldn't cover it.