A Good News Trifecta From VA
By
Bob Brewin
Just in time for Veterans Day.
The Veterans Affairs Department had a bunch of good news to report as we headed into Veterans Day, including the one millionth recipient of the post-9/11 GI Bill: Steven Ferraro of Edison, N.J., was honored in a ceremony with Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
VA has paid out $30 billion in tuition to veterans and their families under the post-9/11 GI Bill since 2009.
The department said on Thursday it has managed to slash the disability claims backlog 34 percent from a peak of 611,000 in March to 400,835 this week. VA has focused since April on claims backlogged more than a year and said it has completed 93 percent or 476,000 of the oldest claims.
On Tuesday VA completed hiring 815 peer counselors to staff its hospitals and clinics, using the hard won personal experience of vets to help treat other vets suffering from alcloholism, drug abused, PTSD and TBI.
All of the above fits well with the VA motto – a quote from President Lincoln – which says, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.”