Issue Position: Taking care of our veterans

Issue Position

Our veterans laid their life on the line to protect our nation and freedom around the world. The toughest battles our veterans face should not happen after they return home. We must keep our promises to our veterans, ease the transition to civilian life, and provide our heroes the best possible care.

TRANSITION
John knows firsthand that the hardest battle our veterans face shouldn't be the transition back into civilian life. John will work tirelessly for our veterans and military members, to make sure they receive the care, benefits, and respect that our nation's heroes deserve.

Most people that enter the Armed Forces are going to get out. Recognizing that fact is something that should be ingrained in our in-processing and throughout military service. We don't show up to battle and start looking for our essential gear, we go to battle with everything we need including the training that we need to be successful. We need to make sure service members have the resources and tools to be successful in transition before they get there.

We must ensure that ALL veterans are taken care of, including Vietnam veterans still suffering from exposure to Agent Orange.

Veterans who may have been erroneously discharged from the military because of mental traumas like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) deserve to receive fair treatment and should not lose access to the benefits they have earned through their service.

TECHNOLOGY
Our veterans deserve the most up-to-date, best information available to get the health care and additional services that they've earned. We need to expand telehealth services for our veterans and make it easier to authorize, compile, and share medical records with various providers, schedule appointments, and learn and apply for benefits.

TALENT
Skillsets developed in the military need to be paired with and recruited for skilled civilian job opportunities in the public/private sector. We must also focus on quality veterans' job training programs and assist those seeking higher educational opportunities.

We must incentivize, attract, and retain the best medical professionals and administrators while holding the few bad actors at the VA accountable. The Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 was a great step in the right direction.

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