Have you seen this historical breakdown of The VA's troubled history?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:05:36 -0400

Have you seen this hisotrical breakdown of The VA's troubled history?

This is a great article on the VA's Troubled history! Many RP Members may know, but there are some things you may have missed. Take a journey through a program that has seen it's share of troubles!

Will it ever get fixed?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/politics/va-scandals-timeline/#

Scandal, controversy and veterans care in the United States have gone hand-in-hand for virtually as long as there's been a republic.

After the Revolutionary War, for instance, payments promised by Congress to disabled veterans were left up to the states, and only a few thousand of those who served ever received anything, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Here's a time line of the many scandals the department and its predecessors have faced:

The VA's troubled history - CNNPolitics.com

Scandal and the Department of Veterans Affairs and its predecessors have a long history together. A timeline.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Sep 25 at 2015 9:14 AM

LTC John Shaw — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:14:14 -0400

A history of insider collusion to line the pocket of the connected. If any help goes to a veteran it is a happy accident

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Sep 25 at 2015 9:16 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:16:21 -0400

Wow. I guess they kept everything from the public eye.

Response by SGT Scott Bell made Sep 25 at 2015 9:19 AM

SGT Scott Bell — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:19:00 -0400

No i did not

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 25 at 2015 9:19 AM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:19:41 -0400

Thanks for posting. We must make everyone aware of this...

Response by PO1 John Miller made Sep 25 at 2015 9:54 AM

PO1 John Miller — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:54:49 -0400

I know this is serious, but I feel that this t shirt is appropriate:

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Sep 25 at 2015 11:00 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 11:00:41 -0400

The VA is saddled with many legacies, including the Civil Service system. It will take a tremendous amount of effort, energy, and yes money, to change the VA culture, but it can be done, if there is a will to do so, in DC...

Response by SMSgt Tony Barnes made Sep 25 at 2015 11:09 AM

SMSgt Tony Barnes — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 11:09:42 -0400

The VA is better than it's ever been...but, not as good as it's going to be.

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Sep 25 at 2015 2:37 PM

Sgt Spencer Sikder — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 14:37:35 -0400

I began working for VA in 1983 and retired in 2013 and was aware of a few of these issues, but not the full scope of the historical shortcomings. For example, sometime in 1989, the first "Secretary of VA", Edward Derwinsky was put out because of his failures in leading the organization, it didn't help that he expected his subordinate staff to refer to him as the "Big Cheese." I did find it interesting that in 1946, the American Legion was seeking to out General Bradley as Administrator. Interesting because many times I have expressed concern for those wanting the leadership to be strictly a military veteran. While the Administrator or Secretary has always been former military and disabled, it typically was their post military experience for which they were hired. Running the VA as a military organization with an "operational" mindset may not meet the medical needs we need as veterans. The last good Secretary I can recall during my tenure was the late Jesse Brown, former DAV Executive Director, who was a Marine Corporal in Viet Nam. It was his service to the DAV that seemed to give him an understanding and compassion for the VA's mission. It was a bold move to put a DAV representative in charge.