Category: VA

Health care engineers are one of several types of engineers we employ at VA, but don’t be confused by the title. Many applicants are often surprised when they find out we need engineers, thinking that the role is geared toward more specialized services in the biomedical engineering field. At VA, our health care engineers design,…

I’ve found that many Veterans have a hard time reaching out for help when they’re going through tough times. Your military training taught you to put others and the mission above yourself. When you add this to the fact that talking about suicide isn’t a comfortable or “normal” topic, it’s no wonder some Veterans feel…

Around 10 years ago, Vietnam Veteran Eugene Volek was at a restaurant eating with a group of friends when he had trouble swallowing his food. Choking, he ran to the bathroom. “All of a sudden, I couldn’t swallow,” said Volek, who served in Vietnam in 1966. “From there on, it started more and more. I…

In this episode of the PTSD Bytes podcast, host Dr. Colleen Becket-Davenport discusses the relationship between social media and mental health with Dr. Matthew Price, a George Albee Green and Gold professor of Psychological Science and director of the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Vermont . Social media vs. traditional news Anyone…

World War II Army Private First Class Clinton E. Smith, Jr., from Corpus Christi, Texas, was finally laid to rest after his remains were identified after almost 80 years. The soldier’s service held Nov. 27 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery included full military honors and a caisson. During the Battle of Reipertswiller in France,…

The following is an opinion post from Ken Falke and does not represent the views or an endorsement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Falke is a 21-year Veteran of the U.S. Navy Special Operations Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community and retired master chief petty officer. He founded the Boulder Crest Foundation and is co-author…

At Bay Pines VA, delivering positive health care outcomes is just one part of serving Veterans. Another crucial aspect of serving those who’ve served is ensuring that the trust they’ve placed in us remains untarnished. Christina Flint-Lowe works continuously to ensure Veterans and their loved ones know that at VA they are safe. “What I…

Each year on Dec. 1, VA marks World AIDS Day by joining with people around the world to show support for those living with HIV and to remember those we’ve lost due to AIDS-related illnesses. This year marks the 35th commemoration of World AIDS Day, with its theme “Remember and Commit” aligning closely with the…

Veterans face unique challenges when returning home and transitioning back to civilian life, and our mental health professionals spend every day empowering Veterans to take charge of their well-being. “VA recognizes that mental health should always be a top priority,” explained Mike Owens, a national recruiter and host of our Talk About It Tuesday weekly…

VA is committed to protecting the benefits of our nation’s heroes. The holiday season is an optimal time to remind Veterans and their loved ones to remain vigilant, to protect their sensitive information, and to verify the security of websites when shopping online. That’s why VA’s Office of Financial Management teamed up recently with the…

Lourdes Tiglao is drawn to work that helps humanity. As the director of VA’s Center for Women Veterans, she understands how important it is for VA to provide assistance and support for women Veterans. But she also has the lived experience of being a woman Veteran who deployed to Afghanistan. On November 2023’s Ending Veteran…

The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States’ highest award for military acts of valor. The President of the United States, as the commander in chief of the armed forces, awarded the first MOH in 1863, and as of Sept. 5, 2023, there have been 3,536 Medals of Honor awarded across military branches. Those…