Cow Chris Wilson was on an assignment for a couple of weeks at the VA’s central office in Washington, DC. This is his account of the opportunity. I chose the VA because it will undoubtedly be a part of my life after my Army career ends and it will also be a part of my soldiers’ lives when their time in service is up. I want as much information as possible, so that I can better help them transition when that time comes. MyVA is literally changing the way the VA reduces homelessness. They have provided services to more than 365,000 homeless or at-risk Veterans in 2015. Moreover, the number of homeless Veterans has declined by 47 percent since 2010, far more than any other homeless demographic. This includes a 56 percent drop in the number of unsheltered Veterans sleeping on the street.
Don’t get me wrong, there is still much, much more to be done before VA’s job is done. But, these developments are definitely indicative of the Department of Veterans Affairs pulling its act together and heading in the right direction. So, why did I choose to spend three weeks at the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of on a ‘cooler’ assignment or at home with my family? Think of it as an investment in my Army family, the soldiers that I will be responsible for in the near future. As an officer it’ll be my job to take care of these soldiers and let them know of their resources on and off of the battlefield so that we can adhere to our first priority: protecting and defending our country. I took this assignment for my team, so that in the future we can unreservedly win the fight. My team, My fight, MyVA. Read More