Vets of Iraq, Afghanistan wars get new Web site

New Veterans Affairs site is designed to address the needs and questions of vets returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a new Web site and blog for veterans returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, VA officials announced today.

The Returning Veterans Web site — www.oefoif.va.gov — focuses on the needs and questions of veterans who served in those conflicts, officials said.

“VA is entering the world of Web 2.0 because that’s where this generation of veterans is already communicating,” said Gerald Cross, VA’s principal deputy undersecretary for health. “We’re opening our doors to them virtually to let them know what they can expect when they step through our doors in reality.”

The site features videos, veteran stories, and a blog where veterans are encouraged to post feedback. The site also restructures the traditional index-of-benefits format found on other VA pages into question-based, categorized and navigable links by topic.

“As the site grows, we will be linking to veterans’ blogs and highlighting more of their own stories from their own views,” Cross said.