The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans Administration.  It is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their families.  Headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 15 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits.

Of the 24 million veterans currently alive, nearly three-quarters served during a war or an official period of conflict.  About a quarter of the nation's population, approximately 74.5 million people, are potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans.

The responsibility to care for veterans, spouses, survivors and dependents can last a long time.  Three children of Civil War veterans still draw VA benefits.  About 232 children and widows of Spanish-American War veterans still receive VA compensation or pensions.

VA's fiscal year 2007 spending is projected to be over $80 billion, including $34.9 billion for health care, $41.5 billion for benefits, and $160.7 million for the national cemetery system.  President Bush sought $87 billion in the fiscal year 2008 budget for VA, a 77 percent increase during his presidency.

Compensation and Pension
Disability compensation is a payment to veterans who are disabled by injury or disease incurred or aggravated during active military service.  Wartime veterans with low incomes who are permanently and totally disabled may be eligible for monetary support through VA’s pension program.

In fiscal year 2006, VA provided $34.4 billion in disability compensation, death compensation and pension to 3.6 million people.  About 3.0 million veterans received disability compensation or pension from VA.  In addition, about 533,000 spouses, children and parents of deceased veterans received VA benefits.  Among them are 156,320 survivors of Vietnam-era veterans and 250,432 survivors of World War II veterans.

Education and Training
Since 1944, when the first GI Bill began, more than 21.8 million veterans, service members and family members have received $75.6 billion in GI Bill benefits for education and training.  The number of GI Bill recipients includes 7.8 million veterans from World War II, 2.4 million from the Korean War and 8.2 million post-Korean and Vietnam era veterans, plus active duty personnel.

Since the dependents program was enacted in 1956, VA also has assisted in the education of more than 775,000 dependents of veterans whose deaths or total disabilities were service-connected.  Since the Vietnam-era, there have been approximately 2.7 million veterans, service members, reservists and National Guardsmen who have participated in the Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP).  VEAP was established in 1977, and the Montgomery GI Bill, established in 1985.

In 2006, VA helped pay for the education or training of 331,557 veterans and active-duty personnel, 89,852 reservists and National Guardsmen and 75,460 survivors.

Medical Care
Perhaps the most visible of all VA benefits and services is health care.  From 54 hospitals in 1930, VA’s health care system now includes 155 medical centers, with at least one in each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.  VA operates more than 1,400 sites of care, including 872 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics, 135 nursing homes, 45 residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 209 Veterans Centers and 108 comprehensive home-care programs.  VA health care facilities provide a broad spectrum of medical, surgical and rehabilitative care.

Almost 5.5 million people received care in VA health care facilities in 2006.  By the end of fiscal year 2006, 78 percent of all disabled and low-income veterans had enrolled with VA for health care; 65 percent of them were treated by VA.  In 2006, VA inpatient facilities treated 773,600 patients.  VA’s outpatient clinics registered over 60 million visits.

VA manages the largest medical education and health professions training program in the United States.  VA facilities are affiliated with 107 medical schools, 55 dental schools and more than 1,200 other schools across the country.  Each year, about 90,000 health professionals are trained in VA medical centers.  More than half of the physicians practicing in the United States had some of their professional education in the VA health care system. 

VA’s medical system serves as a backup to the Defense Department during national emergencies and as a federal support organization during major disasters.

During the last ten years, VA has put its health care facilities under 21 networks, which provide more medical services to more veterans and family members than at any time during VA’s long history.

VA has experienced unprecedented growth in the medical system workload over the past few years.  The number of patients treated increased by 29 percent from 4.2 million in 2001 to nearly 5.5 million in 2006.

To receive VA health care benefits most veterans must enroll.  The VA health care system had nearly 7.9 million veterans who were enrolled as of October 2006.  When they enroll, they are placed in priority groups or categories that help VA manage health care services within budgetary constraints and ensure quality care for those enrolled.

Some veterans are exempted from having to enroll.  People who do not have to enroll include veterans with a service-connected disability of 50 percent or more, veterans who were discharged from the military within one year but have not yet been rated for a VA disability benefit and veterans seeking care for only a service-connected disability.

Veterans with service-connected disabilities receive priority access to care for hospitalization and outpatient care.

Since 1979, VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service has operated Vet Centers, which provide psychological counseling for war-related trauma, community outreach, case management and referral activities, plus supportive social services to veterans and family members.  There are 209 Vet Centers.

Since the first Vet Center opened, over 2 million veterans have been helped.  Every year, the Vet Centers serve over 130,000 veterans and provide more than 1 million visits to veterans and family members.

Vet Centers are open to any veteran who served in the military in a combat theater during wartime or anywhere during a period of armed hostilities.  Vet Centers also provide trauma counseling to veterans who were sexually assaulted or harassed while on active duty, and bereavement counseling to the families of service members who die on active duty.

VA provides health care and benefits to more than 100,000 homeless veterans each year.  While the proportion of veterans among the homeless is declining, VA actively engages veterans in outreach, medical care, benefits assistance and transitional housing.  VA has made more than 300 grants for transitional housing, service centers and vans for outreach and transportation to state and local governments, tribal governments, non-profit community and faith-based service providers.

Programs for alcoholism, drug addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder have been expanded in recent years, along with attention to environmental hazards.

Indispensable to providing America’s veterans with quality medical care are more than 90,000 active volunteers in VA’s Voluntary Service who donate 13 million hours each year to bring companionship and care to hospitalized veterans.

Research
In 2006, the estimated congressional research appropriation for VA research was $412 million. Another $357 million in the medical care account supported research efforts.  Non-VA sources, such as the National Institutes of Health, other government agencies and pharmaceutical companies, provided an additional $882 million in funding for VA research. VA currently supports more than 3,000 active investigators and support staff at more than 100 sites across the nation, and its career development program is helping to train America's next generation of health researchers.

VA research focuses on areas of concern to veterans.  VA research has earned an international reputation for excellence in areas such as aging, chronic disease, prosthetics and mental health.  Studies conducted within VA help improve medical care not only for the veterans enrolled in VA's health care system, but for the nation at large.  Because 7 in 10 VA researchers are also clinicians, VA is uniquely positioned to translate research results into improved patient care.  VA scientists and clinicians collaborate across many disciplines, resulting in a synergistic flow of inquiry, discovery and innovation between labs and clinics.

VA investigators played key roles in developing the cardiac pacemaker, the CT scan, radioimmunoassay, and improvements in artificial limbs.  The first liver transplant in the world was performed by a VA surgeon-researcher.  VA clinical trials established the effectiveness of new treatments for tuberculosis, schizophrenia and high blood pressure.  The “Seattle Foot” developed in VA has allowed people with amputations to run and jump.  VA contributions to medical knowledge have won VA scientists many awards, including the Nobel Prize and the Lasker Award.

Special VA “centers of excellence” conduct leading-edge research in areas of prime importance to veterans, such as neurotrauma, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, hearing and vision loss, alcoholism, stroke, and health care disparities.  Through VA's Cooperative Studies Program, researchers conduct multicenter clinical trials to investigate the best therapy for various diseases affecting large numbers of veterans.  Examples of current projects include testing whether intensive control of blood sugar can reduce cardiovascular problems for patients with type 2 diabetes; comparing deep brain stimulation with other treatments for Parkinson's disease; and exploring whether the antioxidants selenium and vitamin E can help prevent prostate cancer.

Deployment health is a major priority for VA research.  In addition to studies focused on recent veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, research continues on issues of special concern to veterans of earlier conflicts, such as the Gulf War and Vietnam War.

Home Loan Assistance
From 1944, when VA began helping veterans purchase homes under the original GI Bill, through December 2006, more than 18 million VA home loan guaranties have been issued, with a total value of $911 billion.  VA ended fiscal year 2006 with almost 2.3 million active home loans, reflecting amortized loans totaling $203.2 billion.

In fiscal year 2006, VA guaranteed 135,151 loans valued at $23.5 billion.  Also during fiscal year 2006, VA’s programs for specially adapted housing helped 550 disabled veterans with grants totaling more than $24.6 million.

Insurance
VA operates one of the largest life insurance programs in the world.  VA directly administers six life insurance programs.  In addition, VA supervises the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance programs.  These programs provide $1.1 trillion in insurance coverage to 4.1 million veterans, active-duty members, reservists and Guardsmembers, plus 3.1 million spouses and children.

The Traumatic Injury Protection program under Service members' Group Life Insurance provides coverage to active-duty personnel who sustain traumatic brain injuries that result in severe losses.  Benefit amounts range from $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the loss.  This program covers 2.3 million members.

In 2006, the VA life insurance programs returned $422 million in dividends to 1.2 million veterans holding some of these VA life insurance policies, and paid an additional $1.1 billion in death claims.

Vocational Rehabilitation
VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program provide services to enable veterans with service-connected disabilities achieve maximum independence in daily living, and, to the maximum extent feasible, obtain and maintain employment.  During fiscal years 1998 through 2006, 79,031 program participants achieved rehabilitation by obtaining and maintaining suitable employment.  Additionally, during that same period, 15,548 participants achieved rehabilitation through maximum independence in daily living.

VA’s National Cemeteries
In 1973, the Army transferred 82 national cemeteries to VA, which now manages them through its National Cemetery Administration.  Currently, VA maintains 124 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico.

In 2006, VA national cemeteries conducted 96,800 interments.  That number is likely to increase to 109,000 in 2008.  In 2006, VA provided 336,300 headstones or markers for veterans’ graves.  Since taking over the veterans cemetery program in 1973, VA has provided more than 9.2 million headstones and markers.

Between 1999 and 2006, VA opened eight new national cemeteries: the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery near Albany, N.Y.; the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery near Chicago; the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery; the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery near Cleveland; the Fort Sill National Cemetery near Oklahoma City; the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies near Pittsburgh, the Great Lakes National Cemetery near Detroit and the Atlanta National Cemetery.  This year, VA plans to open two more national cemeteries near Sacramento, Calif., and in Palm Beach County, Fla.  Future plans include six new national cemeteries near Philadelphia; Jacksonville, Fla.; Sarasota, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Greenville / Columbia, S.C.; and Bakersfield, Calif.  By 2009, these nine cemeteries will help VA serve 90 percent of veterans with a national cemetery or state veterans cemetery within 75 miles of their homes.

VA administers the Presidential Memorial Certificate program, which provides gold embossed certificates signed by the president to commemorate honorably discharged, deceased veterans.  They are sent to the veteran's next of kin and loved ones.  VA provided 405,500 certificates in 2006.

VA also administers the State Cemetery Grants Program, which encourages development of state veterans cemeteries.  VA provides up to 100 percent of the funds to develop, expand or improve veterans cemeteries operated and maintained by the states.  More than $274 million has been awarded for 71 operational veterans cemeteries in 34 states, Saipan and Guam.  In 2006, state cemeteries that received VA grants buried more than 22,000 eligible veterans and family members.

VA Employees
As of April 30, 2007, VA had 244,032 employees on the rolls.  Among all departments and agencies of the federal government, only the Department of Defense has a larger work force.  Of the total number of VA employees, 216,658 were in the Veterans Health Administration, 12,684 in the Veterans Benefits Administration, 1,562 in the National Cemetery System, 3,254 in the Veterans Canteen Service and 426 in the Revolving Supply Fund.  The rest 9,448 employees are in various staff and facilities offices.

VA is a leader in hiring veterans.  About 60 percent of all male employees are veterans.  As of April 30, 2007, VA had 17,346 women employees who served in the U.S. armed forces.  More than 24 percent of all veterans in the VA are disabled veterans and three hold the Medal of Honor.

Chronological History of the Department of Veterans Affairs

1930   The Veterans Administration created by Executive Order 5398, signed by President Herbert Hoover on July 21.  At that time, there were 54 hospitals, 4.7 million living veterans and 31,600 employees.

1933   The Board of Veterans Appeals established.

1944   On June 22, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the "Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944" (Public Law 346, passed unanimously by the 78th Congress), more commonly known as “The GI Bill of Rights,” offering home loan and education benefits to veterans.

1946   The Department of Medicine & Surgery established, succeeded in 1989 by the Veterans Health Services and Research Administration, renamed the Veterans Health Administration in 1991.

1953   The Department of Veterans Benefits established, succeeded in 1989 by the Veterans Benefits Administration.

1973   The National Cemetery System – renamed the National Cemetery Administration in 1998 – created when Congress transferred 82 national cemeteries from the Army to VA.  The Army kept Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

1988   Legislation to elevate VA to Cabinet status signed by President Reagan.

1989   On March 15, VA became the 14th Department in the President's Cabinet.

Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
James B. Peake	2007 – Present
R. James Nicholson	2005 – 2007
Anthony J. Principi	2001 – 2005
Togo D. West, Jr.	1998 – 2000
Jesse Brown	1993 – 1997
Edward J. Derwinski	1989 – 1992

 

Administrators of Veterans Affairs
Edward J. Derwinski	1989
Thomas K. Turnage	1986 – 1989
Harry N. Walters	1982 – 1986
Robert P. Nimmo	1981 – 1982
Max Cleland	1977 – 1981
Richard L. Roudebush	1974 – 1977
Donald E. Johnson	1969 – 1974
William J. Driver	1965 – 1969
John S. Gleason	1961 – 1964
Sumner G. Whittier	1957 – 1961
Harvey V. Higley	1953 – 1957
Carl R. Gray	1948 – 1953
Omar Bradley	1945 – 1948
Frank T. Hines	1930 – 1945

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